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Tag: Kamlesh Pandey

  • Features some of the ad industry’s biggest stalwarts who have worked at Rediffusion

    Rediffusion toasts ex-employees in campaign to celebrates 50 Years

    By Our Staff

     

    Surprise! Surprise! An ad released by Rediffusion last week features Mullen Lowe Lintas India’s Group CEO, Virat Tandon. In fact Tandon is the hero of the ad. Why?

     

    Because Rediffusion is starting its ‘50 Years’ celebration, 24 months in advance. And every month over the next 24 months, Rediffusion will release an ad celebrating a former employee who has gone on to achieve success and fame in advertising, and beyond. Virat Tandon, who joined Rediffusion in 1993 as an Account Executive in their Delhi office and worked on Caltex, AT&T, Sony, Shell and Atlas Cycles, has the honour of being the first to be featured in his alma mater’s celebratory campaign.

     

    Explains Diwan Arun Nanda, Chairman & Founder of Rediffusion:  “Rediffusion has a proud history not just of the clients and brands it has handled over the past 48 years, but also the talented professionals who worked at Rediffusion over the years and left their indelible stamp on the agency. This campaign celebrates our stars who spent some part of their professional innings at Rediffusion, and then moved on to attain stature and esteem in the ad industry, media, movies, academia, and more. This campaign toasts their success, and thanks them for having been part of Rediffusion’s incredible journey of nearly five decades,”

     

    The second ad in the series features Kamlesh Pandey, who has recently come back to the agency as Legend In Residence. Pandey joined Rediffusion in the mid-70s and was the most awarded Copywriter of that era – with iconic lines like “Whenever you see colour, think of us” for Jenson & Nicholson, “Hum Red & White peene walon ki baat hi kuchh aur hai” for Red & White cigarettes, “The Zing Thing” for Gold Spot that made him famous. Pandey went on to head programming at Zee and is well known as a Bollywood script writer, including penning films like Rang de Basanti.

     

    Some of the ad industry’s biggest stalwarts have worked at Rediffusion. From Harsha Bhogle who joined the agency in client servicing straight from IIM Ahmedabad, and went on to become a famous cricket commentator, to India’s current cricket team coach Ravi Shastri who headed Showdiff, Refiffusion has many famous alumni. The current President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), Anupriya Acharya worked at Rediffusion over a decade ago. India’s No. 1 media man, Prashanth Kumar, the CEO of Group M started as a rookie in media at Rediffusion nearly 25 years ago. Actor Rahul Bose headed creative at Rediffusion Mumbai in the mid-90s while celebrated Creative Director Bobby Pawar too spent some of his younger days at Rediffusion’s Readymoney office writing copy. Havas’ Country Head Rana Barua and Times of India’s President Partha Sinha are both Rediffusionists.”

     

    Added Dr. Sandeep Goyal, Managing Director of Rediffusion: “So sparkling is our galaxy of superstars that choosing just 24 to feature in the campaign is going to be a tough task. I worked with Virat Tandon when I was Branch Head of Rediffusion Delhi. It is so satisfying to see Rediffusion youngsters like Virat bloom into leaders of the industry. Rediffusion has been a veritable University of Indian Advertising and we are proud to be celebrating our contribution through this communication.”

     

    The campaign has been ideated and written by Pramod Sharma, Executive Creative Director, Rediffusion Mumbai.

     

  • The iconic creative whiz Kamlesh Pandey will be a 'Legend in Residence'

    Can Kamlesh Pandey help Rediffusion get its mojo back?

     

    By Our Staff

     

    Rediffusion has announced the return of its most famous alumnus, Kamlesh Pandey, as ‘Legend in Residence’. Pandey, who has nearly 45 years of experience in advertising, 35 years in films, and 30 years in television is an awardwinning bilingual writer. He was Creative Director at Rediffusion from 1976 to 1992. And returned again in the late 90s and early 2000s for a short innings. He is 72 and will join the agency on June 1.

     

    Some of the copy lines written by Pandey are legendary: ‘Whenever you see colour, think of us’ (Jenson & Nicholson), ‘Hum Red & White peenewalon ki baat hi kuchh aur hai’(Red & White cigarettes), ‘Palmolive da jawab nahin’ (Colgate Palmolive), ‘When it can’t be done, it must be done’ (J&N Corporate), ‘Gimme Red!’ (Eveready), ‘Annu taazgi de’ (Tata Tea) and many many more. Pandey entered the CAG Hall of Fame in 2005.

     

    Said Diwan Arun Nanda, Chairman & Founder of Rediffusion who recently sold the agency to senior advertising professional Sandeep Goyal. “I am delighted that Kamlesh Pandey is back home to Rediffusion. I have the fondest memories of working with him on some of India’s most acclaimed campaigns. Pandey commands a first-hand experience, and a deep insight into the lives and aspirations of the people of India. Which is why his thinking for brands is rooted in reality, and his creatives are always memorable,” adding: “Pandey will help the younger talent at Rediffusion to understand consumers better, think differently and write differently”.

     

    The industry has been abuzz with the development. While one former agency honcho remarked: “Brilliant idea – so Sandeep,” crediting Goyal for doing a smart one to bring back some of the lost glory.

     

    Another former agency captain was less charitable: “He’s been brought in many times in the last 25 years to resuscitate an ailing Rediff. Famous Rediff magic trick. It’s like bringing Mohammed Khan back somewhere as legend in residence.”

     

    So what will Pandey do in the agency? According to Dr Sandeep Goyal, Managing Director, Rediffusion, as ‘Legend in Residence’, Pandey will interact with Rediffusion clients. “[He] will discuss emerging consumer trends and help figure where the maximal opportunities exist in both Bharat and India; and how best to pivot brand communication for a real and enduring connect with consumers of tomorrow,”

     

    Commenting on his return to Rediffusion as ‘Legend in Residence’, Pandey added: “One way, it feels like ‘Back to the Future’. A lot has happened in Rediff since I left Rediff – Rediff managed to shake off the appendages of ‘Y&R’ and ‘Dentsu’ and returned to its original heart, mind and soul, the fearless spirit and the creative precipice that drove it in late 70’s through 90’s, the values that never left me long after I left Rediff and romanced Bollywood with some success. And now it’s great to be back. Great to be with Arun, Ajit and Sandeep. Great to be home among those who managed to get the best out of me, and those who are currently giving their best to take Rediff to a future that could be the pride of the past”.

     

    When Goyal took over Rediff, one expected him to come up with some moves like these to get into the limelight. Finally, of course, getting a fresh set of big ticket clients and getting back the freshness in the advertising will finally decide on whether this and other moves will work for the aggression which a typical Sandeep Goyal operation promises to bring in.