MxMIndia

Tag: Happy mcgarrybowen

  • In his new role, Reghunath will continue to report into Sidharth Rao

    Gautam Reghunath to lead Dentsu Webchutney as CEO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dentsu Webchutney has named Gautam Reghunath as its new Chief Executive Officer. The news comes post the elevation of Sidharth Rao as Chairman, Happy mcgarrybowen (HMB) India and Dentsu Webchutney last week.

     

    Prior to this, Reghunath was Executive Vice President (EVP) and Branch Head for Dentsu Webchutney, Bengaluru. In his new role, Reghunath will continue to report into Rao and will now lead the agency, nationwide.

     

    Sidharth Rao

    Commenting on Reghunath’s appointment, Rao said: “Gautam’s remarkable and much-deserved rise from within the ranks of Dentsu Webchutney is one of my favourite stories from the agency’s 20-year-old legacy. He started out as a junior servicing executive in 2010 and earned his stripes through sheer hard work and creative brilliance. He is a homegrown leader, someone whose impact on our people and business is unparalleled. Nothing exemplifies this better than our success with Bangalore – an office that he built from ground zero to the stature it commands, now. He understands our history. He cares for our legacy. He has more than an eye on our future. I am so proud to have him lead us on our next journey!”

     

    Gautam Reghunath

    Added Reghunath: “In my time at Dentsu Webchutney, I’ve had the opportunity to work with incredible colleagues who inspire me and, for us, to find purpose, success and joy in our work along the way. I’ve grown up here. I’ve had my best years here, and today, I’m so proud to be the leader of this remarkable group of talent. Dentsu Webchutney started the digital advertising market in India as we know it. Our incredible client roster with some of the most globally consequential companies gives us a foundation to continue industry-leading creative work across branches in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Gurgaon. Sidharth is a tough act to follow. But he remains a keen advisor, well-wisher and a mentor I’m thrilled to have as we take on our biggest years of growth.”

     

     

  • Rao will continue to report into Anand Bhadkamkar, CEO, DAN India

    DAN elevates Sidharth Rao to Chairman, Happy Mcgarrybowen and Dentsu Webchutney

    By  A Correspondent

     

    Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) India has announced the elevation of Sidharth Rao as Chairman, Happy mcgarrybowen (HMB) India and Chairman, Dentsu Webchutney.

     

    With this, Rao, earlier CEO, Dentsu Webchutney, has expanded his role and responsibilities within the network. Notes a communique: The announcement also reinforces DAN’s legacy to retain all its agency founders who chose to partner and participate with the network through various strategic acquisitions.

     

    Rao will continue to report into Anand Bhadkamkar, CEO, DAN India. He will work with Samarjit Choudhry, President, HMB India to accentuate the agency’s brand legacy in India even as he continues to oversee Dentsu Webchutney’s consistent performance and expansion across the country and beyond.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Bhadkamkar said: “Sidharth’s journey with Dentsu Webchutney is one of the most iconic stories of modern Indian advertising. It has been a joy to watch Dentsu Webchutney grow the way it has in the last six years. Considered to be one of the best digital agencies of the country today, Dentsu Webchutney is now also one of the finest creative agencies in the business. Sidharth is already an integral part of DAN India’s key leadership team and, as we strengthen our digital and creative credentials, I am delighted to have him take up this additional new mandate with Happy mcgarrybowen.”

    Added Rao: “I am extremely honoured to take up this new responsibility. My first 20 years in advertising has been a ride; and now I’m looking forward to the next 20 with our wonderful teams at Dentsu Webchutney, HMB and the rest of the DAN family. HMB is a fantastic brand that comes with a great legacy. With the support of DAN, the Happy team in India and mcgarrybowen internationally, I am certain that our golden days are ahead of us.”

  • Happy mcgarrybowen designed the brand identity and visual language for the brand

    Happy mcgarrybowen designs identity for Airtel Xstream

    By A Correspondent

     

    Bharti Airtel has partnered with Happy mcgarrybowen to design the brand identity for Airtel Xstream, the digital entertainment platform by Airtel. As part of the exercise, Happy mcgarrybowen designed the brand identity and visual language for the brand.

     

    Speaking on the engagement, Shashwat Sharma, CMO, Airtel said: “The vision for the Airtel Xstream brand was to carve a voice that speaks to today’s young, technology ready consumer. We were building an India-first platform of digital entertainment services and this needed a disruptive and market-defining visual identity. Happy mcgarrybowen became our partner in bringing that vision to life. They helped create an identity that is current, aspirational and future-ready. It’s a great visual ethos of what Airtel Xstream promises to bring to the Indian consumer going forward.”

     

    Added Samarjit Choudhry, President, Happy mcgarrybowen: “Airtel is one of the most recognised brands in India. It has ushered in major changes in the way we use communication tools. With the launch of Xstream, they are once again on the cusp of changing our entertainment consumption habits. We have tried to capture the dynamic nature of the digital entertainment world, its confluence across platforms; obviously with the consumer at the centre of it.”

     

     

  • Bhagat has worked with agencies like Enterprise, SSC&B Lintas, JWT and FCB

    Happy Mcgarrybowen appoints Mahendra Bhagat as NCD

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mahendra Bhagat

    Dentsu Aegis Network agency Happy mcgarrybowen has strengthened its creative team with the appointment of Mahendra Bhagat as National Creative Director.

     

    With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Bhagat has worked with agencies like Enterprise, SSC&B Lintas, JWT and FCB for brands like Titan, Britannia, Times of India, Godrej and Unilever.

     

    Agnello Dias

    Commenting on his appointment, Agnello Dias, Creative Chairman, Dentsu Aegis Network India said: “I have worked with Mahendra during my last stint at an agency, and always felt he had a calm, collected, creative mind without the tantrums that some creative people have. He is keen to understand the brand’s point of view and apply his undoubted creative skills to find a solution. He has a keen art and design eye as well. I’m sure Happy mcgarrybowen will forge a great partnership with him and their clients. I wish him all the best.”

     

    Soumitra Karnik

    Added Soumitra Karnik, Chief Creative Officer, Happy mcgarrybowen: “I am thrilled to have Mahendra in our team as we plan to take Happy mcgarrybowen to the next level. He is a rare creative talent who is on top of the game as far as craft is concerned, and who has managed to use the new media platforms really well. Above anything else, he is a lovely person to work with and I am quite certain that we couldn’t have found a better leader than him. Happy mcgarrybowen is now happier with him around.”

     

    Speaking on his appointment, Bhagat said: “The future of advertising lies in marrying creativity with technology. Instead of relying on traditional mediums, Happy mcgarrybowen is constantly in an exploratory mode; finding a new age communication solutions. Being a relatively young agency, it is buzzing with new ideas and energy. I look forward to channelizing that energy in creating some path breaking work for our clients.”

     

     

  • Soumitra Karnik has been assigned with the additional charge as Chief Creative Officer (CCO)

    Samarjit Choudhry takes charge of Happy mcgarrybowen, Soumitra Karnik takes additional charge as CCO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Happy mcgarrybowen, which was hit by complaints of sexual harassment of its founders and their eventual ouster, has elevated Samarjit Choudhry to the role of President while Soumitra Karnik has been assigned with the additional charge as Chief Creative Officer (CCO).

     

    Samarjit Choudhry

    Speaking on his appointment, Choudhry said: “mcgarrybowen has a strong philosophy of solving real problems. They truly operate as a media-agnostic agency. In India the foundation for this is already there and the agency has been operating as Happy mcgarrybowen for over two years now. My mandate is to take it to the next level. Other than communication, we already have a strong design practice and in conjunction with the other offerings from DAN, today we offer our clients a one stop solution for whatever their needs might be. I look forward to taking the opportunity to take the legacy forward. And all we ask is, ‘Give us your biggest problem’.”

     

    Soumitra Karnik

    Speaking about the role, Karnik added: “Happy mcgarrybowen is a phenomenal creative brand and has an enviable body of work to prove it. All these years, I have greatly admired them from a distance and I count my blessings for being given this opportunity to be a part of their creative trajectory.  I assume this role with utmost confidence only because the culture of HMB will not have it any other way. I shall take my mandate from Gordon Bowen, our Global CCO, in the coming days and will talk about it soon. Personally, I’d like to build a collaborative creative culture where everyone works with everyone and everyone learns from everyone. There is so much talent out there in the world and sometimes all it takes is a simple call to say, ‘Hi, I have this idea and I need you to make it even more amazing’. Most clients deserve a spectacular package. Anything less is just plain misfortune.”

     

    Ashish Bhasin

    Said Ashish Bhasin, CEO Greater South, Dentsu Aegis Network and Chairman & CEO India: “With its new leadership in place, I am more than confident that the agency is now in extremely able hands. Happy mcgarrybowen has always been a brand to reckon with and I have no doubt that Samarjit and Soumitra, together, will further fuel this brand legacy and help Happy mcgarrybowen scale new heights.”

     

     

  • The account will be managed by the agency’s Bengaluru office

    Ola ropes in Orchard and Indigo to lead marketing mandate

    By A Correspondent

     

    Cabride-hailing aggregator Ola has roped in Leo Burnett Orchard and Indigo Consulting to lead the mobility brand’s marketing services mandate in the country. The mandate includes brand strategy, new launches, content strategy, and digital communications, and was awarded post a competitive multi-agency pitch. The account will be managed by the agency’s Bengaluru office. It was handled earlier by the Bengaluru-based Happy Mcgarrybowen

     

    Said Dheeraj Sinha, Managing Director – India and Chief Strategy Officer – Asia, Leo Burnett on the win: “Ola is one of the few brands born in India that are defining the fundamentals of how we live. The brand is changing the rules of mobility for India, while enabling respectable livelihoods for over a million driver-partners. As an agency, we are really chuffed about this mandate, as this is an opportunity to take the story of a revolutionary Indian brand into their next stage. We are thrilled to partner with Ola and leverage the strengths of Leo Burnett Orchard and Indigo Consulting teams to build a unified brand platform.”

     

    Added Anand Subramanian, Senior Director, Marketing Communications at Ola: “We look forward to this partnership with Leo Burnett Orchard in our mission to build mobility for a billion people. Over the past eight years, the Ola brand has evolved to become one of the world’s largest mobility platforms, impacting the lives millions of customers and partners alike. We are confident that this new partnership will help resonate the brand’s voice amongst Ola’s 150 million+ users and beyond.”

     

     

  • The business will be handled out of Happy mcgarrybowen’s Bangalore office

    Happy mcgarrybowen wins integrated communication mandate for XSeed Education

    By A Correspondent

     

    Happy mcgarrybowen has been awarded the integrated mainline and digital communications duties for XSeed Education. With an aim to spread the brand’s footprint across the country, the business will be handled out of Happy mcgarrybowen’s Bengaluru office.

     

    Kartik Iyer

    “It is very inspiring to see what XSeed is doing to education in the country. Their unique teaching methodology not only improves learning amongst children but improves the quality of teachers as well. It is about time that one way, mugging methods of learning in schools be put to rest. What’s more, the fact that XSeed is being taken to schools across middle-income India is really a sign of great things to come for the children of our country,” said Kartik Iyer, CEO, Happy mcgarrybowen.

     

    Ashish Rajpal

    Commenting on the partnership, Ashish Rajpal, Founder, XSeed said, “Our mission is to help realise the innate potential of every child. To do so, it is essential to transform elementary education from rote and memorisation to a genuine ability to learn over a lifetime, beyond the elite, for children across the economic strata. Not only do we need to transform every dimension of the education eco-system-curriculum, teaching, assessment – at an affordable cost. The idea is also to build a powerful brand that parents recognise and trust. We believe our partnership with Happy mcgarrybowen will add significant firepower to that effort.”

     

     

  • Happy mcgarrybowen was roped in to help chart a new course for Truecaller’s new avatar and host of services

    Truecaller moves to Happy mcgarrybowen for creative…

    By A Correspondent

     

    Truecaller has partnered with Happy Mcgarrybowen to roll out its new campaign for this year. Happy mcgarrybowen was roped in to help chart a new course for Truecaller’s new avatar and host of services.

     

    Kartik Iyer

    Kartik Iyer, Co-founder and CEO, Happy mcgarrybowen said, “We have been in talks with Truecaller for nearly a year now, exploring opportunities to work together. There has been a synergy of minds and thoughts from the first day the teams met together. A new campaign is already underway and shall be out soon. We see huge potential in the brand growing its offering, considering it is one of the few apps that commands acceptance amongst users of all phone segments. We look forward to a long-term relationship in building Truecaller’s already strong equity in India.”

     

    Manan Shah

    Speaking on the association, Manan Shah, Director Marketing India – Truecaller said, “We were looking for a partner rather than an ‘agency’ who can think beyond the obvious and move faster than us. This is where Happy mcgarrybowen clicked for us. Extremely delighted to work with them on our upcoming campaign and look forward to many more.”

     

     

  • For the record, Foodpanda was acquired by Ola Cabs in December last year

    Happy mcgarrybowen bags Foodpanda’s creative duties

    By A Correspondent

     

    Following a multi-agency pitch process, online food delivery marketplace Foodpanda has awarded its creative mandate to Happy mcgarrybowen. For the record, Foodpanda was acquired by Ola Cabs in December last year.

     

    The pitch for the creative mandate included both advertising and design disciplines, as the startup looks to revamp its identity after the alignment with Ola.

     

    Said Bhavish Aggarwal, CEO, Ola Cabs: “At Foodpanda, our mission is to connect deeper with our love and passion for food, and build not just a great delivery experience but also a great food experience. We trust that Happy mcgarrybowen would be able to take that narrative and ethos to the world with strong design and visual communication capabilities.”

     

    Added Anshul Khandelwal, Head of Marketing- Foodpanda: “We distinctly understand the need to build a strong and differentiated brand that people love. Being a food experience platform, we intend to constantly innovate to build foodie-first solutions for India. Considering Happy Mcgarrybowen’s work portfolio, we are confident that the association will ensure an effective brand strategy and communications.”

     

    On winning the business, Kartik Iyer, CEO, Happy mcgarrybowen said: “In a time where the market has already been created, we are proud to have won the mandates in such a competitive environment. We’re raring to go and leap ahead with Foodpanda right to the top.”

  • Titled ‘no stress weekend with Rentals’, the TVC features actor, writer Sumeet Vyas

    Ola launches new brand campaign for Ola Rentals

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ola has launched a nationwide integrated campaign focusing on Ola Rentals. Starring actor and writer Sumeet Vyas, the video campaign highlights Ola Rentals as the go-to weekend ride.

     

    Conceptualised and developed by Happy mcgarrybowen, the TVCs show Sumeet as an empowered Ola Rentals customer who isn’t worried of getting tired of driving for long hours in heavy traffic. Instead, he enjoys a day out with his wife and back-to-back outings to meet relatives since he gets to relax at the backseat like a boss.

     

    Said Pallav Singh, Senior Vice President at Ola: “Since its launch in 2016, Ola Rentals has been a favourite among corporate customers and working executives who move from one meeting to another during the day. Through this latest campaign we want to highlight the convenience of having a cab on disposal for diverse needs like shopping trips, meeting friends, visiting relatives, local sightseeing etc. I am glad to share that the TVCs are garnering great response, which goes to show that customers today value convenience and experience. They don’t want to tire themselves driving in heavy traffic, instead would like to be driven around as they relax and enjoy their day off.”

     

    Added Samarjit Choudhry, Chief Operating Officer, Happy mcgarrybowen: “Ola Rentals is a very unique category. Unlike a point-to-point cab, this one is meant to take you to multiple places. It takes away a lot of pain points like parking or having to book another cab, not to say the pain of driving on congested roads. Keeping all this in mind, we decided to take weekends as a plank for communication because a large number of the people get out on weekends and face the stress of weekend traffic and finding parking spots. The ease of the product offering had to be conveyed and hence we came up with the campaign thought of #NoStressBoss.”

  • Happy mcgarrybowen created a 360-degree campaign for the same titled #OutOfTheWorld

    Happy mcgarrybowen unveils ad film for Jabong’s Big Brand Sale

    By A Correspondent

     

    Jabong has launched its new marketing campaign to promote the fourth edition of its ‘Jabong Big Brand Sale’, which will end today. Happy mcgarrybowen created a 360-degree campaign for the same titled #OutOfTheWorld.

     

    As part of the campaign, the agency created a 30-second television commercial set in outer space. The commercial has fashionable people floating about in zero gravity chasing an army of shooting stars. Said Gaurav Kackar, Head of Brand, Jabong: “This campaign supports our bi-annual sale property- Jabong Big Brand Sale, which is about the best of international and Indian brands available at unbelievably great discounts. Our brief was to create a Jabong world where people express their individuality and sense of fashion, eluding the pull of the real world norms. Happy mcgarrybowen creatively translated the brief into the #OutOfTheWorld campaign. All credit to the collaboration between Happy mcgarrybowen and Jabong teams along with the director’s vision to capture the brand essence in a unique way and at the same time highlight the key sale callouts and innovations.”

     

    Added Kartik Iyer, CEO of Happy mcgarrybowen: “In a typical situation, this would be another opportunity to do another sale ad. But this is Jabong and the team seems to just push the experience of every piece of communication, every single time. A fresh take on what to expect and the excitement around it makes up the experience to be totally out of this world. All credit to the collaboration between client, agency and director.”

     

     

  • Vimal Singh moves from Ogilvy, Gurgaon while Varun Khullar moves from Happy mcgarrybowen Bangalore

    Happy mcgarrybowen appoints Vimal Singh & Varun Khullar for Gurugram

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vimal Singh & Varun Khullar

    Happy mcgarrybowen has appointed Vimal Singh as Senior Creative Director and Varun Khullar as Creative Director in its Gururgram creative team. Vimal Singh moves from Ogilvy, Gurugram while Varun Khullar moves from Happy mcgarrybowen Bengaluru after a three-year stint at the head office to bolster operations at Happy mcgarrybowen, Gurugram.

     

    Said Kartik Iyer, Co-Founder and CEO on the moves: “It has been a little over six months since we started operations in Gurugram. The response from the market and the results have been extremely encouraging. We are very happy to have the quality of talent that Vimal and Varun bring to the already energetic team at Happy mcgarrybowen Gurgaon. The fact that they have worked together before shows in the chemistry of how they work together. I look forward to them pushing the envelope of Happy’s creative product. We wish them all the best and look forward to many more successes at Happy mcgarrybowen Gurgaon.”