MxMIndia

Category: Ad Agencies

  • To help expand its presence in India

    Ayesha Ghosh joins Wieden+Kennedy as MD, India

    By Our Staff

     

    Ayesha Ghosh
    Ayesha Ghosh

    Wieden+Kennedy has appointed Ayesha Ghosh as Managing Director for India. Ayesha, who will be based in Mumbai, will partner with Santosh “Paddy” Padhi. Ghosh joins the agency after six years at Taproot Dentsu, where she was CEO, based in Mumbai.

     

    Wieden+Kennedy recently began expanding its presence in India, moving into Mumbai with the hire of Padhi and now Ghosh. Previously the agency had been established in Delhi since 2007, over the years building some of India’s most exciting brands including IndiGo Airlines, Royal Enfield, and the government of India.

     

    Santosh “Paddy” Padhi
    Santosh “Paddy” Padhi

    Said Ghosh: “It’s astonishing how W+K consistently produces off-the-charts work, across the world. I hope to absorb some of that genius and with the help of a talented team in India and an ace like Paddy, create some genius of our own. With scattered attention, infinite distractions, only work that is honest and primal, will win for brands. And that’s what we mean to do.”

     

    Added Padhi (Paddy), Chief Creative Officer, Wieden + Kennedy, India: “I’m glad Ayesha is joining us to be part of this wonderful journey. She is absolutely blunt and honest when it comes to work, which is extremely important these days for our business. Clients too prefer to have conversations that cut to the chase. Ayesha and I have worked closely together for a good number of years at Taproot, we understand and complement each other. An organisation is known by the kind of people that work for it and both of us will be focusing on putting together a crazy, talented bunch of people, across departments. And we believe that magic will follow.”

     

  • He will report to Pallavi Chakravarti, Creative Head – West, DDB Mudra

    DDB Mudra appoints Manish Darji as Head of Art – West

    By Our Staff

     

    Manish Darji
    Manish Darji

    DDB Mudra Group has announced the appointment of Manish Darji as Head of Art – West. In his new role, Darji will lead the design mandate for the agency’s west office and will report to Pallavi Chakravarti, Creative Head – West, DDB Mudra.

     

    Pallavi Chakravarti

    Speaking on his appointment, Chakravarti said: “It is impossible to look at a piece Manish has worked on and not be wowed. His passion for craft and grasp of distinctive visual languages are skills sorely needed in this day and age. We’re delighted to have him on board to further the creative vision for DDB Mudra West.”

     

    Added Darji: “Bill Bernbach was the first to put Art and Copy on the same floor, back in the 60s, and that’s been the model for all agencies ever since. With it comes the opportunity to let craft shine as we pursue our promise of Unexpected Works. I am truly excited to be on this ride,” A celebrated name in the creative sphere, Darji’s work has been recognised at some of the biggest creative forums including Cannes Lions, Spikes Asia, One Show, D&AD, LIA, and Kyoorius.

     

  • Billed as India's first sport, culture and entertainment agency

    It’s Cake-time for Havas India

    By Our Staff

     

    Havas Group India has announced the launch of UK-based creative agency, Cake, in the country. Cake India is billed as the country’s first creative agency specialising in sport, culture, and entertainment. It will be part of Havas Creative Group India.

     

    Cake will be seamlessly integrated with Havas Village India, and work closely with Shobiz Havas and the recently renewed Havas Sports & Entertainment vertical of Havas Media Group India. Cake will further augment the expertise brought forth by Shobiz Havas in the space of activation and deals, and partnerships by Havas Sports and Entertainment.

     

    To lead Cake in India, Havas Group India has appointed Rajika Mittra as Managing Partner. Mitra is better known for bringing in Promax and the India Radio Forum for many years.

     

    Said Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India: “Over the last few years, we have been strengthening our offerings in India through Meaningful Conversations, launching new expertise, strategic tie-ups, acquisitions, and joint ventures. As a result, in a very short span of time, we grew from 3 to 15 companies and specialist verticals, which has led to unparalleled growth for us,” adding: “As we race back to normalcy, our endeavour is to become the most future-ready network in the country, focusing on introducing first-in-India expertise, products, and innovations. Bringing Cake to India is a resolute step towards that goal. Moreover, there has been a steady increase in India’s young affluent class that wants to be part of new, innovative experiences. Cake will collaborate seamlessly with Havas Village India to drive these reimagined ideas.”

     

    Added Rosie Holden, Chief Executive Officer, Cake: “Cake’s expertise in sport & culture, our channel-agnostic creativity, and boundless passion and energy have always delivered best-in-class work for our clients. We felt that there simply wasn’t a better moment in time than now to bring Cake to India, as it is the most exciting sports & entertainment market in the world right now. And we feel privileged that our partnership with Havas Group India has enabled us to do that.”

     

    Said Rajika Mittra, Managing Partner, Cake India: “What really excited me about Cake was the novelty of the idea. Through my career, I have realised that there is an untapped land of opportunity for a structured ecosystem like Cake in the space of sport, culture, and entertainment. Cake India will help marketers connect with affluent consumers by tapping into their passion-points of sports, culture and entertainment. I’m delighted to lead the agency and confident that we will make a meaningful difference in India.”

     

  • He will report into Arjuna Gaur, Chief Creative Officer (CCO), Dentsu Webchutney and DentsuMB

    Dentsu Creative appoints Sudhir Das as ECD

    By Our Staff

     

    Sudhir Das
    Sudhir Das

    Dentsu Creative India has announced the appointment of Sudhir Das as Executive Creative Director (ECD). He will report into Arjuna Gaur, Chief Creative Officer (CCO), Dentsu Webchutney and DentsuMB.

     

    In his new role, Das will oversee and strengthen the creative capabilities of the agency’s Bengaluru office. Prior to this, he was with Leo Burnett as Associate Executive Creative Director (AECD).

     

    Arjuna Gaur
    Arjuna Gaur

    Speaking on the appointment, Gaur said, “Sudhir Das is an experienced creative leader with some of the world’s biggest brands in his portfolio. He is as comfortable with mainline advertising as he is with new age forms and is an engineer to boot! A brilliant well-rounded creative, Sudhir will be an invaluable addition to the team.”

     

    Added Das: “The Cannes jury has confirmed what we knew all along – this is the best agency to be in. I am super excited to be joining this bunch of incredibly talented and hard-working people and aim to continue their awe-inspiring trajectory of success.”

     

  • The launch was planned with Mindshare and WPP's agenda on "marrying creativity and tech"

    Mindshare conceptualises Volvoverse launch

    By Our Staff

     

    Mindshare India has conceptualised and enabled a electric vehicle (EV) launch in the Metaverse, for Volvo Cars called Volvoverse. This is the first-of-its-kind collaboration on Metaverse across WPP India agencies. Mindshare collaborated with other WPP agencies including Hogarth, Yonder, Grey, and Genesis BCW to deliver Volvoverse.

     

    Said Amin Lakhani, CEO – Mindshare South Asia: “We at Mindshare strive to provide our clients with tech-enabled, creative branding solutions. The concept behind launching the XC40 Recharge in the Metaverse was to launch the EV in a sustainable ecosystem following the vision of Volvo. The Metaverse is evolving the Internet by bringing people closer. Using virtual worlds, we are looking to reach out to maximum audiences. We are excited to do the first-ever EV launch in the Metaverse with a campaign that appeals to our audience in an exciting new environment which is the first of its kind.”

     

    Added Jyoti Malhotra, MD – Volvo Car India: “Volvo has always been on the forefront of innovation and technology and we as a company are also globally known for our commitment to sustainability. The launch of the XC40 Recharge on the metaverse platform is a pioneering moment leveraging digital technology in the marketing sphere. The metaverse launch also contributes to our sustainability mission as it leaves a negligible carbon footprint as compared to conventional launches.”

     

    Said Gopikaa Davar, CEO – Hogarth India: “Hogarth is committed to reach Net Zero by 2030, and we are excited to partner with Mindshare & Volvo on a project, which brings together both our focus areas of sustainable production and the metaverse. Launching an electric vehicle in the virtual world is only befitting as a conscious alternative to a physical event where an average conference attendee would have produced around 170kgs of CO2 emission in a one-day event.* This is a great example where weall are reducing and mitigating the environmental impact by using virtual studios and green screen shoots as a driving force, removing the need for location shoots and events (reduces carbon footprint) and maximising the utilisation of the content we capture.”

     

  • The account will be serviced from the agency's Gurugram office

    Dentsu X wins integrated mandate for Tata 1mg

    By Our Staff

     

    Dentsu X, the media agency from Dentsu India, has won the media mandate for Tata 1mg – India’s largest digital healthcare platform. The account will be serviced from the agency’s Gurugram office.

     

    As per the mandate, Dentsu X will oversee the brand’s planning and buying duties for traditional as well as digital media.

     

    Roopam Garg
    Roopam Garg

    Commenting on the win, Roopam Garg, Chief Executive Officer, Dentsu X India said, “We are delighted to get the opportunity to work with a future focussed and trusted brand like Tata 1mg. At Dentsu X, we answer ‘Why beyond What’, led by our people, data and tech. We look forward to helping the brand with solutions based on the same.”

     

    Added Gaurav Agarwal, Co-Founder, Tata 1mg: “We are excited to work with dentsu X. Through their data-driven methodology, they have already established themselves as an integrated media firm and among the best in their industry. We look forward to collaborating with them on cutting-edge media innovations and opportunities.”

     

  • Will work towards fostering rapid growth and benchmarking the creative agency

    Publicis Worldwide appoints Oindrila Roy as MD

    By Our Staff

     

    Oindrila Roy
    Oindrila Roy

    Oindrila Roy marketing has been appointed Managing Director at Publicis Worldwide India.

     

    Paritosh Srivastava
    Paritosh Srivastava

    Welcoming Roy to the agency, Paritosh Srivastava, who also helms PWW operations, said: “Publicis Worldwide is the flagship agency network for the Groupe and India is a very critical market. Finding the right leader for PWW was quite a task. Oindrila is just the right person for the role for many reasons. She is that rare breed who has solid traditional brand management experience along with a keen sense of where the future lies. Oindrila has a rich and varied exposure to creative agencies, media and data, which our wonderful brands and clients can benefit from. Having worked in the Groupe before, she is familiar with the philosophy of ‘Power of One’ and the magic it can create for our client partners.”

     

  • To consolidate the performance organisation

    GroupM Nexus appoints senior leadership in APAC

    By Our Staff

     

    GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, has unveiled a roster of C-suite appointments in Asia Pacific (APAC) who will lead the regional transformation of GroupM Nexus, a global performance organisation that unites the network’s performance talent and technologies into one single outfit.

     

    Arshan Saha
    Arshan Saha

    GroupM Nexus APAC leadership appointments comprise Arshan Saha, CEO of GroupM Nexus APAC (formerly CEO of Xaxis & Specialty Businesses APAC), Jon Thurlow, COO of GroupM Nexus APAC (this is an additional appointment to his corporate remit as COO of GroupM APAC), Deepika Nikhilender, CEO of Xaxis APAC (formerly Senior Vice President of Xaxis APAC) andBrett Poole, CEO of Finecast APAC & AUNZ (formerly Managing Director of Finecast Australia).

     

    Said Saha: “GroupM Nexus is a cross-channel performance-led organisation that unites our expertise in service excellence, AI-technology and the most advanced solutions. This is the future of marketing, and we are poised to offer our clients and agencies the most powerful performance engine that will accelerate their growth. I’m honoured to be working alongside some of the world’s best specialists at GroupM Nexus to collectively cultivate a better media ecosystem.”

     

  • To lead integration, transformation, and operational excellence agendas

    Dentsu onboards Bhasker Jaiswal as COO, Media

    By Our Staff

     

    Bhasker Jaiswal
    Bhasker Jaiswal

    Dentsu India has announced the appointment of Bhasker Jaiswal as the Chief Operations Officer, Media, Dentsu India. As a member of the executive team, he will report to Divya Karani, Chief Executive Officer, Media, Dentsu South Asia.

     

    In his new role, Bhasker will lead integration, transformation, and operational excellence agendas while driving innovations and excellence for Dentsu clients and businesses through its three award-winning media agencies; Carat, iProspect and Dentsu X. He will work closely with Karani to deliver business transformation, set up and standardise operations and systems, govern product leadership, and enable sustainable revenue growth.

     

    Divya Karani
    Divya Karani

    Speaking on the appointment, Karani said: “Bhasker joining the team here in India is another great step on our journey to become the go-to network of choice for brands in India. His impressive track record, savvy business judgment, operational excellence, and an innate understanding of people and their motivations make him ideal to lead our transformation and integration.”

     

  • To further catapult the creative transformation of the agency

    Havas appoints Anupama Ramaswamy as CCO

    By Our Staff

     

    Havas Worldwide India has announced the appointment of Anupama Ramaswamy as its Chief Creative Officer. She comes on board to further catapult the creative transformation of the agency, which has seen unparalleled business growth over the last three years. Anupama’s last stint was with Dentsu Impact where she was working as the Managing Partner and National Creative Director.

     

    Ramaswamy will be reporting to Bobby Pawar, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India, and begin her new role at the agency effective October 2022. She will also work closely with Manas Lahiri, Managing Director, Havas Worldwide India.

     

    Said Pawar: “We have steadily been building Havas Worldwide into a company that embodies Yannick Bollore’s ‘Together’ philosophy. Where skill sets from the old world and new work seamlessly and harmoniously. This and the rising standard of our work have made us the fastest growing agency. Now is the time for our work to take a giant leap. And I can’t think of a better person to lead this than Anupama. She is a hugely talented creative with a heap of awards and great work to prove it. But the one talent of hers that I value the most is her ability to nurture a culture that makes people and their ideas better. She is a team player and fits right into our philosophy. And I believe she will be a leader who will usher not just Havas, but also our industry into the future.”

     

  • Prior to this, Shukla was with Publicis India as Executive Creative Director

    Dentsu Creative appoints Ajeet Shukla as Group ECD

    By Our Staff

     

    Dentsu Creative has appointed of Ajeet Shukla as Group Executive Creative Director. He will report into Aalap Desai, Chief Creative Officer, Taproot Dentsu and Isobar India. Prior to this, Shukla was with Publicis India as Executive Creative Director.

     

    Speaking on the appointment, Desai said: “Right now, Dentsu Creative is a wonderful work in progress. It’s this time when you need the right people to join in and add to building it. Ajeet fits that profile on every count. His body of work is brilliant and his attitude and love for the business are contagious. I am glad to have him on board for the journey.”

     

    Added Shukla, “The bigger the challenge, the bigger the opportunity. And I am thrilled to take the opportunity in this role. It would really be amazing to work in such a great creative environment filled with the best of the creative minds in the industry. I really look forward to doing some great work here.”

     

  • As Managing Director & Head, Publicis Content

    Hari Krishnan to head Publicis Content

    By Our Staff

     

    Hari Krishnan
    Hari Krishnan

    Publicis Groupe India announced that it has further strengthened its content practice with the appointment of Hari Krishnan as Managing Director & Head, Publicis Content.

     

    Krishnan’s role involves bringing data-driven insight, platform content strategy, creative excellence and seamless delivery to the rapidly expanding field of branded content. He will lead the groupe’s teams of content specialists, as well as shaping further the groupe’s creative product, particularly around advice to brands about how to participate in culture.

     

    Anupriya Acharya
    Anupriya Acharya

    Said Anupriya Acharya, South Asia CEO, Publicis Groupe: “Given that more and more brands are looking for newer, continual storytelling formats, Publicis Groupe’s Content Practice is witnessing exceptional demand from advertisers for unique solutions at the intersection of media, data, and creativity. Hari with his proven track-record and passion for content is a perfect fit for the role and I am sure that he will advance our Content offering still further, through platform-fit ideation, data-led intelligence, strong IP leverage and innovation partnerships.”