MxMIndia

Tag: Joseph George

  • Tushar Bhatia, Ripanka Kalita and Mandar Gore part of team

    Vector Brand Solutions announces operating leadership team

    By Our Staff

     

    Close on the heels of Tilt Brand Solutions launch of the group’s next brand and communications enterprise – Vector Brand Solutions, comes the announcement of the operating leadership of Vector Brand Solutions – Tushar Bhatia, Ripanka Kalita and Mandar Gore will be the business, creative and strategy heads respectively.

     

    Joseph George
    Joseph George

    Speaking on Vector’s operating leadership team announcement, Joseph George said: “With the operating leadership of Vector now in place, I am certain that the vision and ambition for Vector, will be brought to fruition very soon. With their pedigreed experience in delivering through- the-funnel results for clients, Vector will hopefully soon be the answer for all digital first marketers. I am absolutely confident that the three of them will live and breathe every day, Vector’s operating philosophy of “Pace. Preference. Purpose. Performance.”

     

  • The agency will offer consulting, communication, content and video production services for brands and businesses

    Tilt Brand Solutions officially begins ops in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Former Mullen Lowe Lintas Group Chairman Joseph George has formally launched his business venture titled Tilt Brand solutions. The agency will offer consulting, communication, content and video production services for brands and businesses.

     

    Said George: “The context in which brands operate is everything. When that changes, everything about the brand outreach needs to change. What, where and how consumers buy, and what, where and how they consume content, have all changed. These changes cannot be responded to, by shoe-horning existing models into new structures. They need to be addressed by structuring a new; not re-structuring an old. Ergo Tilt.”

     

    The leadership team comprises Shriram Iyer (Chief Creative & Content Officer), Srikanth Sarathy (Chief Operating Officer), Rajiv Chatterjee (Chief Business Officer) and soon to join Kedar Teny (Chief Strategy Officer).

     

     

  • All eye and ears on who will take over from the Mullen Lowe Lintas Group boss

    Industry, staff shocked at Joe George’s exit announcement

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    It looked like any other day. A rainy one indeed. And while it’s been raining several top-level changes in the industry over the last fortnight, this one was very big. Very, very big. In fact given the scenario, bigger than a Sonal Dabral joining Ogilvy and Rajiv Rao leaving the creative major.

     

    First the news that has been carried by most media already. Joseph George (better known as Joe), Group Chairman and CEO, MullenLoweLintas Group, India and Regional President, MullenLowe Group South & Southeast Asia, has called it quits. He will move on from the agency network at the end of September 2017.

     

    George is no rolling stone. He has had an uninterrupted stint of over 26 years with the company, where he played numerous growth, brand management, client management and leadership roles locally, regionally and globally, he now plans to pursue what he calls “his big dream”. The staff at the agencies were in a state of shock one learns, some even sobbing as they have had much love and admiration for George.

     

    First, let’s be done with the communique that was sent out earlier.

    Alex Leikikh, Global CEO, MullenLowe Group, is quoted in a statement: “Joe has made such a huge contribution to the MullenLowe Group network during his 26 years within the organisation that it really is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to him. During his recent tenure, Joe has led MullenLoweLintas Group to huge success within India, across the APAC region and on a global stage. The agency has been credited with many firsts for India including, the best new business performer for four years in a row, the number one Creative Agency in the World by WARC 100 (twice), consecutive double-wins at 4A’s Jay Chiat Awards and runner up for AdAge International Agency of the Year 2015. On behalf of the entire MullenLowe Group network I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Joe who has built and led our business in India and South and Southeast Asia so successfully. He leaves behind a great team, legacy and business poised for even greater future growth.”

     

    George joined Lintas India in 1991, and has been with the company through its journey of evolution – from Lintas India to the MullenLoweLintas Group of today. George was appointed India CEO in 2011 and while continuing to be based in Mumbai, took on the additional responsibility of running the South Asia & Southeast Asia region for MullenLowe Group in 2016. He also serves on the Global Executive Committee of the MullenLowe Group network.

     

    During his six-year leadership, Mullen Lowe Lintas Group grew into one of the most powerful agency groups in India. Outperforming the industry right through this period, on business growth, organizational reputation as well as on creative output. It was also during this period that MullenLoweLintas Group emerged as the most consistently dominant performer in Market Effectiveness across the world. He was also the chief architect of the launch of the two new Indian agencies from the MullenLoweLintas Group – Mullen Lintas in August 2015 and the recently launched Point Nine Lintas.

     

    Speaking of this development, George said in a statement: “MullenLoweLintas Group in India today is in the best shape it’s been in for a very long time. I couldn’t be moving on at a better time, and any happier or prouder with what the 1000 of us have managed to achieve these past years. Alex and I have worked closely over the past 8 months on the transition plan; and with the road map and the leadership in place for all three agencies of MullenLoweLintas Group, I am confident that our agency network in India is ready to author its next chapter of success.”

     

    On the India transition planning, Leikikh added: “One of Joe’s greatest strengths has been his ability to develop world class business and creative leaders. Those people will now step up to continue our progress and evolution in one of the world’s most dynamic and important markets.”

     

    In his 18-month leadership of the South Asia & Southeast Asia markets, George focused on creating stronger and tighter management structures across the offices. He led IPG’s agency-acquisition in Sri Lanka and subsequently its overall transformation; the re-structuring of the MullenLowe Thailand and Vietnam operations, as well as putting in place the leadership and brand and business strategy for the MullenLowe Singapore office. Succession plans for Joe’s Southeast Asia responsibilities are in advanced stages of finalization, and will be announced by global CEO Alex Leikikh in the coming weeks.

     

    George concludes on a personal note: “This agency has given me everything. Probably more than I deserve! Twenty-six years can be a lifetime, but there’s an impatient excitement in me today to want to start all over again. Ironically and a tad illogically though, this urge to do so is because I have enjoyed every single day of my quarter century in this fabulous network”

     

    Hmmm. So the question is who’ll take charge of the mother ship after George exits in end-September. All the other captains – ArunIyer, Amer Jaleel, Raj Gupta, Virat Tandon and Vikas Mehta are now handling their own key functions. They’ve assumed fresh charge over the last two years and have their tasks cut out for them.

     

    So will it be an outsider – but part of the global/regional MullenLowe fold who will come here? Remember Charles Cadell was CEO for three years from 2008 to 2011. So since all the captains are busy with their own kingdoms, perhaps an expat may help ensure that all’s well and well-oiled.

     

    The Mullen Lowe Lintas Group has also also been doing very well on the effectiveness and strategy awards circuit, and while the next next Effies will happen in December 2017 and the preparation would’ve started under George’s leadership, what the direction of the agency on the effectiveness and creative awards front will be interesting to see.

     

    Will the new MLLG boss reverse the R Balki-Joseph George policy on not participating in creative awards, only time will tell. Until then, here’s hoping for a happy transition at the Mullen Lowe Lintas Group. One is also looking forward to what George’s dream project is all about. There are two bits in the communique that hint at what it could be: one it’s a big dream and second, he’s going “to start all over again”. So a start-up for sure. And unlikely to be another agency. So what next?

     

    Watch this space. Meanwhile, let’s hope there are no more announcements in adland. We’ve had enough.

     

  • MullenLowe Lintas launches new full-service agency hyperbundling key marketing services functions + interview with CEO Vikas Mehta

    And now, PointNine Lintas

     

    The MullenLowe Lintas Group has  announced the launch of its new independent full-service agency in India, PointNine Lintas. It would offer omni-channel marketing capabilities including creative (on and offline), PR, activation, experiential, social, media and digital transformation; all under one roof. The agency will commence operations on August 1, 2017.

     

    The existing marketing services of the Group will be aggregated under this new agency and will operate as its divisions. These includeGolinOpinion – PR, reputation management; LinTeractive – digital marketing and transformation and LinEngage – activation, experiential & shopper. These divisions will come together to offer full-service horizontal offerings to clients of PointNine Lintas, while continuing toretain their vertical offerings for existing clients. The new agency has a roadmap to further expand its capabilities by adding new offerings to its service stack, including creative, media, technology and platforms.

     

    PointNine is a model developing and landing in India: Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas Mehta

     

    A quick chat with the founding CEO of the MullenLoweLintas group’s all-new agency. Mehta has been Group CMO and President, Marketing Services for the MullenLoweLintas Group,

     

     

    All of the constituents set to become part of PointNine have existed for some years now. Why the desire to now merge them under one head?

    We are not disrupting the existing divisions. There is a market for special skillsets, and that will continue to be. While we will now have a unified team, we are not disbanding the existing teams. We are dropping the silos so they can work in a cross-functional way.

     

    So how will the existing teams work.. where does it leave individual team leaders like Ameer Ismail who was just recently elevated?

    The operating models of existing teams will continue. There will be an additional layer of a PointNineLintas team which will work in a horizontal way, so that it can leverage individual talent.

     

    Will full-service include media?

    The roadmap is to offer the entire spectrum of services and to expand. In media, we already have digital media buying and planning. And, as I said, the rest of the roadmap is to expand.

     

    There’s a mention made that PointNine will also look at creative work – online and offline. Is this meant only to handle competitive brands in the group, or do we see PointNine also growing to be a worthy competitor to the ‘mother’ agency?

    So in the unified team under PointNine, we already have 35-40 creatives. Yes, the three agency brands will be independent and going forward could compete.

     

    So a creative head – CCO or NCD?

    Yes, on Day 0 we already have people in creative. And we will have a creative head soon.

     

    Why the name PointNine? Does the name PointNineLintas point to the agency being very close to the real thing and not exactly that? Or is it nine functions coming together.

    No, no. It is to signify the beta version and is more of a reflection of the founding principles of the agency. It’s beta by choice and is a reflection of the prevailing marketing principles.

     

    But the beta life also means that not everything is 100 per cent perfect?

    Yeah, and that’s the world we live in.The best practives are evolving much faster than companies can. Our offerings, our engagement practices will allow us to evolve ahead of the market

     

    All of this sounds good, but it will require teams to unlearn they worked and learn all-new capabilities?

    Absolutely. And this is what we’ve been working over the last few months…. Arming our people with cross-functional expertise so that they can tap the best of talent across

     

    The MullenLowe group is going through the process hyperbundlingelsewhere? IsPointNinepart of a larger global plan or will exist only in India for now?

    This is a model developing and landing in India. It has been endorsed by the network and global bosses. As it is today, it’s for India. But it could well elsewhere.

     

    You’ve have been part of MullenLoweLintas group’s rise over the years as well as various wins in effectiveness and strategy awards. Will that continue, now that you have an independent P&L responsibility?

    At this point, my group role continues. We are in discussions on the future of it.

     

    Any targets for the agency that you can share?

    Given that we are some 20 days from launch, let me tell you what according to us will be the definition of our success. We wish put our work out of there which gives the value of seamlessness and its impact on business to clients. I am quite hopeful that’s how integration can be done going forward as against the 360-degree wagon wheel that currently exists.

     

     

    Announcing the new agency, Joseph George, Group Chairman and CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group said: “We made our intentions to go full-service clear four years ago. While the list of companies and industries pursuing full-service (under different labels) has grown tremendously in this time, the approach to it remains more or less the same. PointNine Lintas is a fresh take at an agency model that’s multi-faceted at its core. So far, only holding companies have seen some success with this approach, but it’s restricted to a handful of very large global clients. An agency network doing this would be a first, and we believe it could broaden the base of clients who can tap into it.”

     

    Along with Lowe Lintas and Mullen Lintas, PointNine Lintas would be the third independent agency of the MullenLowe Lintas Group in India. Vikas Mehta, currently Group CMO and President, Marketing Services for MullenLowe Lintas Group, has been named CEO ofPointNine Lintas.

     

    Speaking of the appointment, George said: “I have worked closely with Vikas the past four years and I am absolutely certain that he is most qualified to deliver on this ambition. Not just because of his subject matter competencies required for a multi-service agency, but also for his passionate, stubborn and informed belief in ‘full service’ being the only way to go!”

     

    Said said in a statment, “We have gone from the age of communication to the age of experiences. While the market has evolved at a furious pace, the agency models haven’t. The opportunity to take the Lintas pedigree and build an agency for the experiential economy is an inspiring one. Hyper-bundling is our biggest priority as a network and I’m grateful for the challenge to build a new agency that’s hyper-bundled from day zero”.

     

  • He was until now, President, Lowe Lintas in charge of the New Delhi (NCR) operations

    Naveen Gaur appointed COO, Lowe Lintas

    By A Correspondent

     

    Naveen Gaur

    Mullen Lowe Lintas Group announced the elevation of Naveen Gaur as Chief Operating Officer, Lowe Lintas. He was until now, President, Lowe Lintas in charge of the New Delhi (NCR) operations.

     

    Effective immediately, Gaur would oversee Lowe Lintas’ offices in New Delhi (NCR), Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. He continues to be based in New Delhi and will report to Raj Gupta, whose elevation to CEO, Lowe Lintas was announced a few days back.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Joseph George, Group Chairman & CEO, Mullen Lowe Lintas Group said: “Naveen has played a significant role in strengthening Lowe Lintas’ operations of New Delhi (NCR) and has had an incredibly successful run the past 5 years. His proven track record of driving growth and creative excellence makes him a very strong support for the Lowe Lintas leadership of Arun Iyer and Raj Gupta as we put in place an ambitious and futuristic road map for the agency.”

     

    Commenting on his appointment, Gaur said: “It’s a great opportunity and a privilege to further strengthen this great agency, as we move into this ever changing dynamic business environment. I look forward to partnering with Arun and Raj to drive this agenda.”

     

  • While Iyer will be Chairman & CCO, Raj Gupta has been appointed CEO

    MullenLoweLintas Group elevates Arun Iyer & Raj Gupta

    By A Correspondent

     

    The MullenLoweLintas Group has announced a new leadership structure for its flagship agency Lowe Lintas. Arun Iyer, Chief Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas will operate as Chairman & Chief Creative Officer of the agency. Partnering him will be Lintas veteran Raj Gupta, currently President and Mumbai office Head, Lowe Lintas who will operate as CEO of the agency. Both these appointments, a communique noted, were to be effective from April 1, 2017.

     

    Commenting on the elevations, Joseph George (Joe), Group Chairman & CEO, MullenLoweLintas Group said: “Given Lowe Lintas’ consistent brilliant performance over the past four-five years, I feel the time is just right to leverage on this momentum and shift gears. But to do so, we need a dedicated and fully empowered leadership. I have worked long and closely with both – individually and as a team; and I can without a shred of doubt say that Arun and Raj are best placed in experience, expertise and energy to fulfil Lowe Lintas’ business, effectiveness and creative ambitions going forward.”

     

    MullenLoweLintas Group (MLLG) in India is group of 8 agencies. These include two creative agencies – Lowe Lintas and Mullen Lintas and another six agencies offering PR, Digital, Activation, Design, Consulting and Video Content respectively.

     

    Arun Iyer

    It may be recalled that when Mullen Lintas was launched in mid-2015, Amer Jaleel and ViratTandon were handpicked from within the company to lead Mullen Lintas as Chairman & CCO and CEO respectively. Said George: “Arun Iyer and Raj Gupta at Lowe Lintas and Amer Jaleel and Virat Tandon at Mullen Lintas. All four top-draw talent and all four homegrown leaders. I could not be any happier and proud about this institution called Lintas.”

     

    Said Iyer on the elevation: “Over the last few years, we have really worked hard to build our reputation as India’s most effective agency on the back of breakthrough creative solutions. Nothing gives us more joy than our brands succeeding in the market. It is with this intent that we are getting ready for the future and the plan is to ensure we have the most contemporary hyper-bundled offering in the industry. This is a huge responsibility, but we are both excited and clear on what we need to be doing going forward.”

     

    Raj Gupta

    Commenting on his appointment, Gupta said: “This new role is both a privilege and a huge opportunity. Privilege for obvious reasons, but opportunity, because Lowe Lintas is probably at its best in almost a decade, thereby allowing us to re-purpose ourselves for the future with our confidence and self-belief at its peak. Great brands have a purpose that never stops unfolding and with our determination to make Lowe Lintas truly hyper-bundled, we will now have so many more ways to tell our brand stories.”

     

  • The Mullen Lowe Lintas Group Chairman will take to film-making full-time

    Balki bids bye to advertising

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    In a move that is sure to surprise many in the industry, R Balakrishnan, better known as Balki, has decided to say goodbye to advertising after a three decade-long career in the industry. The move was announced earlier today, through an internal communication, to the employees of MullenLowe Lintas Group, India.

     

    Said Alex Leikikh, Global CEO – MullenLowe Group:  “Balki has been the architect of the stellar agency we have in India today. He leaves behind an operation that’s successful and future-ready, a leadership team that’s perhaps the strongest of any agency in India, and a culture that he shaped along the way while himself leading by example. While we will miss his infectiously passionate presence, we wish him even greater success as a film-maker.”

     

    Majority of Balki’s advertising years have been spent at the MullenLowe Lintas Group, India where he currently holds the role of Group Chairman. He joined the agency (then known as Lintas) in 1994, in its Bengaluru office.

     

    Speaking of his decision, Balki said, “We’ve been planning this for some time now. It’s been a long process of succession planning that concludes with my move. The agency is at its strongest today and I leave feeling satisfied, proud and excited. We have a fine leader in Joe and two world-class creative champions in Amer and Arun. The agency has given me more than 22 years’-worth in opportunities, growth, values and most of all, some friends-for-life.”

     

    Joseph George, Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group, who has worked closely with Balki through all of the 22 years says, “It is impossible and even foolish to try and replace someone like Balki; so we planned the transition differently. As early as July 2015, we put in place, a management structure that would help us move forward as an organisation, while also maximizing the potential and aspirations of great individuals we have. Balki and I have tried to think this through every step of the way, and it’s reached a place where we feel the agency is ready for today, and tomorrow.”

     

    Balki started his career in Mudra, before moving on to Lintas, a place that he went on to make his home for over two decades. While with the agency, he’s been the brain behind several globally acclaimed campaigns and brand ideas. Under his leadership, MullenLowe Lintas Group has consistently retained its spot as one of India’s top agencies and a training ground for some of the best advertising minds of the industry.

     

    Talking further on the decision: “There is no bigger happiness than to see a thought actually work the way you had fantasised. Lowe was a thought am proud of.”

     

    We’ll miss you, Balki.

     

  • The WARC 100 study focuses on marketing that makes a difference, driving business performance or changing consumer behaviour, and the rankings are compiled from over 2,200 winning campaigns from 87 different global competitions

    Warc rates MullenLowe Group India top creative agency, again

    By A Correspondent

     

    The WARC 100, an annual ranking of the world’s 100 best campaigns and companies based on their performance in effectiveness and strategy competitions, has named MullenLowe Lintas Group, India the top creative agency in the world. The agency is the first to claim the number one position for two consecutive years. Following at number two is Droga5, NYC with Ogilvy, NYC being ranked number three. Additionally, the MullenLowe Group global network has retained its 4th place position as Top Creative Network for the second year in a row.

     

    The WARC 100 study focuses on marketing that makes a difference, driving business performance or changing consumer behaviour, and the rankings are compiled from over 2,200 winning campaigns from 87 different global competitions.

     

    Joseph George

    Commenting on the achievement, Joseph George, Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group said, “2015 was a milestone year for the agency with over 60 awards for creative effectiveness alone. This year too began well for us, being declared the Agency of the Year at Effies India this January. And now this WARC 100 recognition 2 years in a row further demonstrates the primacy of delivering ROI for our clients as our singular pursuit, as indeed in our belief in the type of work we want to deliver for our clients.”

     

    Adding to its list of achievements, of the three campaigns that have been selected from India in the Top 20, two of them were from MullenLowe Lintas Group. ‘Kan Khajura Tesan’, which was ranked number one last year remained in the rankings at number nine this year while Idea Cellular’s campaign ‘No Ullu Banaoing’ was ranked number 17. Havells Appliances ‘Respect Women’ also managed to find a place in the table as it was ranked number 25 in the list.

     

    The above recognition builds on the recent success that has been witnessed by Mullen Lowe Lintas Group which has a host of accolades against its name including Agency of the Year 2015 by Effie India, the Most Effective Agency in APAC by Effie Effectiveness Index, The Agency of the Year – AMES 2015, The Agency of the Year – U&AP Awards 2015, Runner-up International Agency of the Year by Ad Age and also put up India’s best ever performance at the Jay Chiat Awards twice in two years.

     

    The WARC 100 is a ranking of advertising and marketing campaigns that have worked. WARC tracks advertising competitions around the world – all of which require entrants to show the business impact of a campaign, rather than solely recognizing the campaign’s creativity.

     

  • During his tenure as Group CEO in India, Joe has led the agency to huge success within India, across the APAC region and on a global stage

    Mullen Lowe Lintas India’s Joseph George takes on additional South & Southeast Asia duties

    By A Correspondent

     

    Lowe veteran, Joseph (Joe) George, currently Group CEO of the Mullen Lowe Lintas Group in India, adds South & Southeast Asia responsibilities to his current remit. The appointment is effective immediately, and Joe will report to Alex Leikikh, Global CEO, Mullen Lowe Group.

     

    Joe has been with the Lowe network for 24 years – joining Lintas Mumbai in 1991 and spending the next 15 years between the Mumbai and Bangalore offices. Joe took over as the head of the Unilever business in 2006, and successfully led the growth of that business and a few specialist marketing services divisions until his appointment as Deputy CEO in June 2010, and subsequently as CEO in January 2011.

     

    During his tenure as Group CEO in India, Joe has led the agency to huge success within India, across the APAC region and on a global stage. On marketing effectiveness, Mullen Lowe Lintas Group has won over 50 major awards in the last year alone, including being ranked the Most Effective Agency in India and APAC according to the Effie Effectiveness Index 2015, named APAC Agency of the Year at AMES and Tambuli Awards, and winning India’s only Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix at Spikes Asia.

     

    Alex Leikikh, Global CEO, Mullen Lowe Group, commented on the appointment: “Joe is exactly the leader we need as part of our hugely dynamic Asia operation – he is a seasoned professional with a proven track record of growth. A key component of his role will focus on tapping into the resources of the robust India operation that he has built up in order to develop our hyperbundled offering across the Southeast Asia markets.”

     

    Joe added: “I’m absolutely thrilled by the challenge of taking on an additional leadership role within the APAC region for the Mullen Lowe Group. Having worked within the network for over two decades, I clearly love the spirit: distinctive, entrepreneurial, collaborative and creative.”

     

  • The key criteria for winning an award include a great strategic idea; a powerful creative manifestation of the idea; and a clear link between the two

    Mullen Lowe Lintas Group wins big at Jay Chiat

    By A Correspondent

     

    India made its mark at the much celebrated and pursued global platform for strategic excellence – 4A’s Jay Chiat Awards. Two awards were won by India and Mullen Lowe Lintas Group picked up both, at an event in Chicago on October 5, 2014.

     

    This is also the first time, that work from two Indian companies, Havells and Idea Cellular, has won at this award show. In its 19th year, 4A’s Jay Chiat Awards recognize and celebrate brilliant strategic thinking in Marketing, Media & Advertising. The key criteria for winning an award include a great strategic idea; a powerful creative manifestation of the idea; and a clear link between the two.

     

    Noteworthy winners this year include Droga5 that won a Grand Prix for ‘Under Armour – I Will What I Want’, while Gold winners include TBWA Media Arts Lab for its work on ‘Apple iPhone 6, World Gallery’, Publicis NY that won the Gold for ‘Doctors of the World, More Than a Costume’ and Sancho BBDO/Direktor Films that won the Gold for ‘Pepsi, Dew Bottle Tool.’

     

    India’s wins this year came under the category of ‘National Brand Building’ for ‘Idea Cellular – No Ullu Banaoing’ that won a Silver and ‘Havells – Respect for Women’ that won a Bronze. A total of 35 entries were shortlisted at the 4A’s Jay Chiat Awards 2015 across the six categories of Global Campaign, Media, National, Non-profit, Product Service / Creation and Regional.

     

    Commenting on the Group’s performance, Joseph George, Group CEO, Mullen Lowe Lintas Group said, “Jay Chiat is globally acknowledged as possibly the toughest strategy award to win. We are delighted to have won it four times in two years now, something very few agencies in the world can boast of. As an agency group, we continue to obsess over clients’ ROI and wins like this go a long way in further strengthening our belief in this obsession.”

     

    S Subramanyeswar, National Planning Director, Lowe Lintas adds, “We are grateful to the faith that clients put behind our strategies and the resultant creative solutions. The wins at a platform like Jay Chiat is a great reward for the culture of sharp strategic thinking and result oriented creativity we pursue at the agency. With some of the best campaigns that were in contention, we’re glad to have emerged winners for our entries on Havells and Idea Cellular.”

     

  • Virat Tandon named CEO. Shriram Iyer to be National Creative Director

    Mullen Lintas announces top deck, Virat Tandon is CEO, Shriram Iyer is NCD

    By A Correspondent

     

    Following the recent announcement regarding the launch of the new creative agency Mullen Lintas, with Amer Jaleel as Chairman and CCO, Mullen Lowe Lintas Group unveiled more details about the new agency.

     

    Mullen Lintas officially launches on August 1, and will be headquartered in Mumbai with offices in New Delhi (NCR) and Bengaluru. Speaking of the new agency, Joseph George, Group CEO–Mullen Lowe Lintas Group says, “India has birthed several big brands over the last two decades. However, for a long time, the top agency brands have remained largely unchanged. Mullen Lintas is a product of the evolving marketing landscape, and with our “big agency” ambition, we intend to partner brands whose ambitions are driven by a passionate pursuit of leadership by presenting ourselves as a compelling challenger to the likes of Lowe Lintas, Ogilvy and JWT”

     

    Mullen Lowe Lintas Group also announced the appointment of Virat Tandon as CEO of Mullen Lintas. Virat returns to India after a three year stint with Mullen Lowe Group in Singapore where he was Global Business Director for the Unilever brands Lifebuoy and Fair & Lovely.

     

    A part of the network for over a decade, Virat first joined Lowe Lintas at its New Delhi office in 2004 and has undertaken numerous senior and leadership roles in the agency over that time. A Unilever veteran of over 10 brands and 60+ countries, he has worked in India on clients including Maruti Suzuki, Nestle, Dominos, Sony Audio, Dabur, NIIT, ITC, GSK, Holiday Inn and AT&T; and previously ran Lowe’s healthcare agency in India, LinHealth. Prior to joining Lowe Lintas, he worked with WPP agencies Rediffusion, Grey and Contract.

     

    Speaking of the new agency, Virat says, “Mullen Lintas is born ahead of the curve and intends to remain a mash-up of the enduring and the emerging. Our founding team has the pedigree and the class of massive brand-successes under their belt. Big agencies are today, dealing with the new marketing landscape and adapting their offerings to it. Our advantage is that Mullen Lintas has no such baggage and that allows us to leap-frog this need to change and adapt. We understand that a great brand needs a great narrative that flows seamlessly through screens, experiences, shopping environments and conversations. We will equip ourselves to play a pivotal role for our brands.”

     

    Also joining the Mullen Lintas leadership team is Shriram Iyer, who takes on the role of National Creative Director. Shriram spoke of his new role, “A great ambition for the agency and a wonderful team to work with, I am excited about what we can create. Our approach to enriching our capabilities is what we call ‘core plus one’. While we continue to practice our core skill sets, we will commit ourselves to adding people who bring with them a +1 skill or area of expertise. We believe this is critical and makes us ‘present ready’.”

     

    Currently ECD and creative head for the Delhi offices of Lowe Lintas, Shriram moves to Mumbai in this new role. He has been with the group since 1998 and played various roles in the creative team at Lowe Lintas’ Mumbai and Delhi offices. In his recent role, Shriram has been instrumental in the success of clients such as Google, Micromax, OLX, Hero Motors, Havells and Maruti Suzuki among others. His work on Havells appliances (#RespectForWomen) is among the most awarded campaigns from India at marketing effectiveness award shows. Some of Shriram’s recent campaigns include #SellPhone, ‘no chipkoing’ and ‘Let what you love LIVE’ for OLX; Hawa Badlegi for Havells Fans; and Micromax Canvas and Sliver, both featuring Hugh Jackman.

     

    Amer Jaleel, Chairman and CCO – Mullen Lintas sums it up, “Virat has been a great business partner to me in managing the global mandate on Lifebuoy, and Shriram has been a driving force behind what Lowe Lintas Delhi has achieved in the past few years. I thoroughly enjoy working with both of them and couldn’t have asked for better friends to the start the Mullen Lintas journey with.”

     

  • Other than being the Agency of the Year in the Effectiveness category, the agency has bagged a total of 10 awards comprising 4 Silver and 6 Bronze trophies

    Lowe Lintas + Partners scores again on the Effectiveness roster, Agency of the Year at AMES 2015

    By A Correspondent

     

    The results of the Asian Marketing Effectiveness & Strategy (AMES) Awards 2015 released Wednesday evening see Lowe Lintas + Partners as the Agency of the Year in the Effectiveness category. After bagging the maximum number of shortlists from India (17), the agency managed to win a total of 10 awards comprising 4 Silver and 6 Bronze trophies.

     

    In all, the Indian agencies put out a sterling performance by winning 31 trophies this year. The Indian contingent was led by Lowe Lintas + Partners who with a rich haul of 10 trophies emerged as the agency with the largest number of wins from not just India but also in the Asia Pacific region.

     

    The awards tally of Lowe Lintas + Partners includes:

     

    Commenting on the performance put up by the agency, Joseph George, CEO, Lowe Lintas + Partners said: “After being declared earlier this year by WARC as 2014’s Most Effective Agency in the World, this performance at the AMES last night is a further confirmation of what we and juries around the world believe what we are good at – delivering disruptive creative solutions that work in the mind and in the market. We look forward to carry this momentum and performance right through the year!”

     

    Sharing his comment on the win, S Subramanyeswar, National Planning Director, Lowe Lintas + Partners said: “We thank the jury for acknowledging our work and giving it due recognition from a host of entries across the Asia Pacific. This appreciation for effective work gives us the opportunity to do more. We would like to build on this momentum and hope to beat ourselves next year again.”