MxMIndia

Tag: Bobby Pawar

  • No, he's not joining namesakes Sharad and Ajit and their respective political dispensations

    Bobby Pawar quits Havas. Says Alvida to Advertising.

    By Our Staff

     

    Bobby Pawar
    Bobby Pawar

    So we called him and sang the first lines of two popular Hindi film songs:

    :: Yeh kya hua, kaise hua, kyun hua, and

    :: Kidhar jaa rahe ho, kahaan jaa rahe ho, humme toh bataa do…

     

    He just gave us trademark laugh. And said: “kidhar nahin”. As for the decision to quit, well, he said it’s two months’ old and his three-month notice expires next month. That’s September.

     

    First, let’s look at the communique we received from Havas India this morning:

    “Bobby Pawar, Chairman and CCO of Havas India has decided to step down from his role. He joined the network in November 2018. A much-revered advertising legend, Bobby has been a part of the advertising industry for over three decades. Following this, Bobby has decided to move away from advertising. He will, however, be a part of Havas India officially till September 2023 and will continue to consult on Havas’ clients and projects as and when necessary.

    ““There are some who will think there is some hanky-panky to my stepping away. I understand the
    appeal of it. It certainly makes for more interesting gossip sessions. The truth is, sometimes life leads
    you to a crossroad. Or, in my case, it is death. Over the last year, I lost way too many people I love,
    way too early. All of them had their ‘one day I will do this or that’. This made me realise that I had to
    find what I would love to do that ‘one day’ and do it right now. Yeah, it is hard to walk away from
    what I have loved for thirty-one years. But I have always chosen to do the hard thing. Like, take on
    the challenges of changing the course of the agencies I have helmed. Now it’s time to do that with
    my own life. What is certain though, is that writing will be a huge part of whatever I dive into next. I
    am nothing if not a storyteller, a craftsman who chisels prose with a pen,” said Bobby.

    “Looking back at his time at Havas India, Bobby said, “The concept of Havas Village is what excited me
    the most. Moreover, both Rana and I were entrusted with the freedom to build and run Havas India
    from ground up, like entrepreneurs. Something I had not experienced before. It takes two to tango,
    and with a friend like Rana, who really is more of family than a friend, it was easy. And today, I can
    proudly say that we have built a brand-led, digital-first ecosystem, the results of which are here for
    all to see. Havas India has undergone an unprecedented transformation and has seen exponential
    growth over the last five years. We have made our place in the big league, and we are here to stay. I
    am grateful to Yannick Bollore for his faith in us, to our teams across all the companies of Havas
    India for giving their all to the mission, and Rana, you know how I feel about you.”

    “Speaking on Bobby’s departure, Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas India, said, “Ours is truly a Yin and
    Yang partnership. Especially when you know your creative half for nearly three decades, it becomes
    a seamless, productive, and truly memorable journey. Bobby helped me rebuild Havas’ presence in
    India, and with his creative prowess and reputation, he completely overhauled the Creative vertical
    of the network. With his trademark humour and quirks, Bobby made Havas India more than just a
    place to work. Some goodbyes are bittersweet because while I will not see him around at work, he
    will continue to be an inextricable part of my life. I wish him all the very best for this new chapter of
    his life.””

     

    Before joining Havas, Pawar spent five-and-a-half years at Publicis, and earlier, he was Chief Creative Officer of JWT and CCO of the DDB Mudra group. Pawar was in the United States for seven years where he worked with Ogilvy, New York and BBDO, Chicago. One of his films ran on the Super Bowl, got featured in the MoMA and nominated for an Emmy.

     

    So we asked some ad agency watchers what they think of the development. Well, over the last few months, Havas has ensured it has beefed up its top deck. So we shouldn’t expect old (and new) clients to run away. However, in Pawar’s exit, they believe that the network (or should we say ‘village’) has lost a star campaigner. Creative agencies are all about creative whizkids, and not necessarily about the suits. Hence, Barua will need to ensure that the agency doesn’t get a setback on that score.

     

    And what about Pawar’s next move? Could he joining namesakes Sharad and Ajit and their respective political dispensations? Of course not. Is he, like some other agency captains, turn independent? Or is going to make films, write stuff for OTT or perhaps write a book. Well, the last of these is definitely on the cards. In fact, if all goes well, his first maiden work of fiction may be released next year.

     

  • For Green Abby, Technology and Static Print categories respectively

    Bobby Pawar, Emmanuel Upputuru, Sabyasachi Mitter are Jury Chairs for Abby 2023

    By Our Staff

     

    Emmanuel Upputuru, Founder of Efgh Brand Innovations, Sabyasachi Mitter, Founder and Managing Director, ibs + Fulcro and Bobby Pawar, Chairman and CEO, Havas Group India, are Jury Chairs for Green Abby category, Jury Chair of Technology category, and Jury Chair of Static Print respectively, at the Abby One Show Awards 2023.

     

    Said Mitter said: “The Abby One Show Awards is without doubt the gold standard of the advertising awards in India. With technology becoming ubiquitous in marketing and communication and CX becoming a critical lever of business success, the technology category at the Abby One Show awards is really the one to watch out for.”

     

    And this is what Pawar has said in the communique: “I am thrilled to be on the Abby One Show Jury in a category I love which is Print. I look forward to raising the bar further in this prestigious award show.”

     

  • 'Green Crusader of the Year' award was presented to P N  Mohan

    Famous Innovations is ‘Green Agency Of The Year’ at Olive Crown

    By Our Staff

     

    The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) hosted the 13th edition of its annual property, the Olive Crown Awards 2023, in Mumbai. The awards recognised individuals and corporates who drove the message of sustainability or ‘green advertising’. Famous Innovations bagged 10 awards across categories including the ‘Green Agency Of The Year’. The awards were presented across 17 different categories, including the coveted title ‘Green Crusader of the Year’ award, which was presented to P N Mohan for: his vision and commitment to restore lakes, dedication in mobilizing people and funds for this cause, for his single-minded focus that led to seven lakes (near Chennai) coming back to life and for being an inspiration to others and giving them the courage to aim high.:

     

    Said Avinash Pandey President IAA (India Chapter): “The Olive Crown Awards are a symbol of the intention our Association has to use communication as a force for good. The planet belongs to us all, and we owe it to future generations to leave it in a good shape for them. The winning work has been outstanding and should work as an inspiration to content creators and advertisers to carry this torch further and leave a significant imprint on the sands of time.”

     

    Added Janak Sarda, Chairman of the Olive Crown Committee Janak Sarda, “The Olive Crown awards presentation event is always something special. We not only have the who’s who of the marketing, advertising and media fraternity with us, but they are all focussed on doing good. The supporters and the attendees are all actually symbolic of the intent of our industry to add to the efforts that will keep Planet Earth Green and Clean.”

     

    The jury comprised Bobby Pawar, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India; K V Sridhar, Global Chief Creative Officer Nihilent Ltd & Hypercollective; Garima Khandelwal, Chief Creative Officer, Mullen Lintas; Raj Nair, CEO & Chief Creative Officer, Madison BMB and Carlton D’Silva, Co-Founder, House of Awe.

     

  • To lead the strategy function of Havas

    Havas Creative India appoints Anirban Mozumdar as CSO

    By Our Staff

     

    Havas Creative India has announced the appointment of Anirban Mozumdar as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), close on the heels of appointment of Tarun Jha as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Anirban will lead the strategy function of Havas Creative India. Based out of the Gurgaon village, he will work closely with Tarun and Anupama Ramaswamy, CCO, Havas Worldwide India.

     

    Said Bobby Pawar, Chairman, Chief Creative Officer at Havas Group: “At Havas, we believe that the future belongs to brands that make a meaningful difference to people and the societies, and our conviction is supported by the results of our annual global Meaningful Brands study. Anirban has extensive advertising and marketing consulting expertise and a passion for high-impact solutions, which is why we are thrilled to have him lead Havas Creative India’s strategic function.”

     

    Tarun Jha, CEO, Havas Creative India, added: “Havas Creative India has been scripting an incredible growth story over the last few years. From a single-client agency, Havas Creative India has grown to a network of 6 agencies. Our diversified portfolio of offerings are exactly what marketers are looking for in this constantly evolving industry, and we will be bringing in more specialist divisions soon. Anirban’s induction will further strengthen the team, alongside Bobby and Anupama, our two strong creative pillars, to propel us into a new era of growth.”

     

  • Features all-in-one card offering instant funds, free ATM withdrawals

    Havas launches brand film for Stashfin

    By Our Staff

     

    Neobanking platform Stashfin has released its latest brand video, featuring the all-in-one card. The film is conceptualised by Havas Worldwide India (Creative).

     

    Said Shruti Aggarwal, Co-founder, Stashfin: “At Stashfin, we’ve always put our customers first, and we’re constantly exploring ways to provide unique and relevant services for them, leading to greater financial freedom and inclusion. For our all-in-one brand video, we wanted to integrate our ethos of ‘nobody should be credit-starved’, in an easy, relatable format. I’m glad we could work with Havas Worldwide India (Creative). This has been an extremely fruitful experience.”

     

    Added Bobby Pawar, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India:  “It’s been really exciting to partner with Stashfin for their brand video. We’ve worked with dozens of clients in India and globally, and I am impressed with Stashfin’s agility in the fintech space. It’s not every day that one gets to participate in a project that will be impactful, or decide the positioning of a product. Fintech is often perceived as a boring space, perhaps even one that is tough to grasp. We wanted to dispel that perception, and comedy was the best way to do that. The all-in-one brand video communicates the brand proposition and product features in the most meaningful and engaging way possible. I am sure customers across segments will enjoy this communication piece, which will drive the preference for brand Stashfin.”

     

  • To scale up the agency further

    Havas appoints Sumeer Mathur as National Planning Head & Managing Partner

    By Our Staff

     

    L-R, Ravinder Siwach, Manas Lahiri, Sumeer Mathur
    L-R, Ravinder Siwach, Manas Lahiri, Sumeer Mathur

    Havas Group India has appointed Sumeer Mathur as National Planning Head & Managing Partner, Havas Worldwide India – the creative agency of the group with immediate effect.

     

    Mathur will be partnering Manas Lahiri, Managing Director and Ravinder Siwach, ED & NCD of Havas Worldwide (Creative) and collaborate with key clients including Reckitt, Citroën, Dabur, Suzuki, William Grant, Tata and Harman (JBL) among many others. He will be based out of the Gurugram office and report to Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India.

     

    Talking about this appointment, Barua said: “The last two years have been game-changer for Havas Worldwide India. We have been relentless, focused and committed. This led to exponential growth, effective partnerships, and addition of several marquee clients. We need to now build a strong integrated leadership team that aggressively takes this growth mandate ahead. With Sumeer, Manas, Ravinder, Arindam, Prashant, Geet and all the other leaders forming the core team, it will further fuel our growth and empower us to deliver meaningful, ROI-centric marketing solutions for our clients. I am confident that Sumeer will drive this mandate quite effortlessly.”

     

    Adding further, Bobby Pawar, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India, said: “The meaningful difference we make to our client’s business through our differentiated products, digital-led strategic solutions and engaging storytelling, is what led us to the top league in the industry. Sumeer will drive this further. Throughout his career, Sumeer has worked with strong business teams, delivering tangible business results. His keen interest in understanding what drives culture, what motivates consumers, and how digital technologies are reshaping brand interactions will add a tremendous value to our strategic planning function.”

     

  • Campaign conceptualised and executed by Havas Creative

    Aamir Khan walks for Walkaroo fashion footwear

    By Our Staff

     

    Footwear brand Walkaroo  has launched an integrated marketing campaign, “Walk More. Restless”.  Conceptualised and executed by Havas Creative Group India, it will release six films, featuring  Aamir Khan in six different avatars in this campaign series.

     

    Commenting on the campaign, VKC Noushad, Managing Director, Walkaroo International Pvt Ltd, said: “We are excited to launch this fresh campaign with Aamir khan. The campaign marries the constantly changing shades of Aamir Khan with the trendy and wide variety offered by Walkaroo, which includes 1000+ designs across Gents, Ladies and Kids categories.”

     

    Added Bobby Pawar, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India: “Today’s generation is always on their toes, forever moving, restless and edgy. For them, discontentment is the only form of contentment. We have conceptualised the films keeping in mind the young consumers, who are eager to try something new and are not afraid of experiments.”

     

  • Appoints Amish Sabharwal as senior ECD and Creative Head of digital experience

    Havas Creative hires Amish Sabharwal

    By Our Staff

     

    Amish Sabharwal
    Amish Sabharwal

    Havas Creative Group India has announced the appointment of Amish Sabharwal as Senior Executive Creative Director and Creative Head of Digital Experience. He will be based in Gurugram and will report to Ravinder Siwach, National Creative Director, Havas Creative Group India.

     

    Bobby Pawar
    Bobby Pawar

    Commenting on the appointment, Bobby Pawar, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India, said: “Amish brings with him a vast experience of some of the most well-known brands and categories. I believe his unique approach will bring in a breath of fresh air to the creative landscape and fuel our promise of Meaningful storytelling further. I welcome Amish to the Havas family and look forward to him scaling up Havas’ rich legacy to a new level.”

     

    Ravinder Siwach
    Ravinder Siwach

    Added Siwach: “It’s been our constant endeavour to offer differentiated and engaging storytelling for our clients. Marrying creativity and digital is at the core of what we do, and integrating it with the global offerings like CX, design, analytics, AI and so on is at the heart of our strategy for growth at Havas Creative. Amish will add more muscle to this vision with his varied background.”

     

  • For the new wireless (TWS) earbuds Wave 100

    Havas launches digital campaign for JBL

    By Our Staff

     

    JBL has announced the launch of new true wireless (TWS) earbuds Wave 100 with a new digital brand campaign #JBLGOESTOPLESS conceptualised by Havas Creative.

     

    Talking about the film, Yogesh Nambiar – Head of Marketing at Harman India, said: “When it comes to making new inroads into a product segment with cut-throat competition, the choices that a brand makes are crucial to the outcome. With this year’s launch of the JBL Wave 100 TWS, we have taken the top down approach, quite literally. It features our first ever lidless design in the TWS segment coupled with yet another first, offering two distinct sound modes. We adopted an unprecedented route with the tagline- ‘JBL Goes Topless’. Needless to say, we are thoroughly excited about the campaign and expect to make waves in the category. We hope that music lovers will pop it, fit it, and groove with it.”

     

    Commenting on the creative strategy, Bobby Pawar, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India, added: “JBL is creating new ground with its unique product offerings, and we’re proud to be part of it. We wanted to show the product as a mirror of youth, vivid and bold, therefore we gave it a catchy and fresh feel. The idea behind this film was to give individuals access to technology, improve their lives through music, and encourage them to pursue their dreams.”

     

  • To strengthen the equity for the brand

    Havas bags digital mandate for Bingo

    By Our Staff

    This is big. Havas Creative India has bagged the digital mandate for Bingo following a multi-agency pitch. The agency’s focus will be on further building and strengthening equity for the brand and managing the entire portfolio of sub-brands of ITC Bingo in India.

    Said Aishwarya Pratap Singh, Head of Marketing, Snacks, Noodles & Pasta ITC Foods: “With the redefined media mix, and increasing role of digital in everyday lives of a consumer, Bingo! aims to occupy higher mindspace of its consumers through heightened engagement on social media. We are delighted to have Havas on board as our social media partner, and we look forward to continue the clutter-breaking, witty communication that Bingo! is known for on Digital platforms as well.”

    Bobby Pawar
    Bobby Pawar

    Added Bobby Pawar, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India: “We are excited to be partnering with one of India’s most loved snack brand Bingo, which offers a great canvas for showcasing our skills and creativity. We look forward to creating engaging and clutter-breaking work that makes a meaningful difference to the brand and further strengthening the brand’s legacy in the market.”

     

    Arindam Sengupta
    Arindam Sengupta

    Said Arindam Sengupta, Managing Partner – West & South, Havas Mumbai: “We are delighted to win the digital communication mandate for a renowned brand like ITC Bingo. Through this association, the aim is to take the brand love established over the years by ITC- Bingo and translate it on new-age digital platforms and create meaningful content and experiences for consumers across the country.”

    No more quotes. Let’s wait for the creatives.

     

     

  • The International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter has released a multimedia campaign to focus attention on the need to raise funds to rehabilitate the hapless victims of the Cyclone that caused havoc in the two States

    IAA & Havas India release campaign for Bengal & Odisha

    By A Correspondent

     

    The International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter has released a multimedia campaign to focus attention on the need to raise funds to rehabilitate the hapless victims of the Cyclone that caused havoc in the two States.

     

    Said Punit Goenka, President, IAA – India Chapter: “While the entire Nation is fighting against Covid-19, Bengal and Odisha have also been battling with the impact caused due to the cyclone. We have always believed in the fact that effective communication implemented at the right time, positively generates the required change. I am very glad that the team IAA’s India Chapter along with Havas India, instantly synergized and created an impactful campaign, urging people to virtually join hands and support the rehabilitation initiatives. “.

     

    Added Bobby Pawar Chairman & CCO Havas India: “The campaign posed a difficult challenge. How do you get people who are themselves affected by a crisis to care about the plight of those who have been struck by another? The solution was to use the very same things we find hard about our current situation and depict how much worse it is for the millions affected by the cyclone and the pandemic. IAA always rises to the occasion when there is a need and I am thankful to them for letting us be a part of this effort.”

     

    Said Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas India: “As a member of the IAA and a responsible part of the communications industry, it’s really up to us to create work that stirs the conscience of the world and makes people understand the true extent of this terrible situation in Bengal and Odisha. I am sure this initiative driven by the IAA and Havas will help create an impetus for people to contribute and help in the massive rehabilitation programs.

     

     

  • Bassi takes charge as Chief Strategy Officer from Shivaji Dasgupta who left the organisation recently

    Neeraj Bassi joins Havas as CSO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Neeraj Bassi.

    Havas Group India has announced the appointment of Neeraj Bassi as Chief Strategy Officer, effective immediately. Bassi takes charge as Chief Strategy Officer from Shivaji Dasgupta who left the organisation recently. He will report to Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India.

     

    Bassi moves from Publicis India, where he was Chief Strategy Officer & Managing Partner and leverages over two decades of varied experience, across categories. He has worked with some of the most reputed agencies like Ogilvy, Wunderman Thompson, McCann and renowned market research networks such as TNS, IMRB, NFO in India and overseas.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India, said: “Neeraj has been in the industry for over two decades and comes with rich experience and insights in handling strategic planning across brands and categories. He has a proven track record of building brands successfully and positioning them ahead of their competitors. His strategic inputs and a deep understanding of the consumer mindset will further help us to make a meaningful difference to brands and consumers.”

     

    Added Bobby Pawar, Group Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India: “Neeraj is a seasoned professional known for his deep strategic understanding of the brands. I am confident that his skillset, and experience will take Havas to new heights and will help us to build a stronger foundation for the agency’s future. I am delighted to welcome Neeraj to the group and look forward to working with him and adding value to our client’s portfolio”

     

    Said Bassi: “Our industry is in transition today, where consumer’s preferences and behaviours are evolving on a continuous basis and they are spending time engaging with a host of media platforms. In this dynamic context, the Havas Village way of working, is exactly what clients need. I am looking forward to working with the dynamic leadership at Havas and leveraging the true potential of the “Together” strategy, to drive growth of brands that we work on and to add value to our client’s business.”