The marketing services agency set up by former Lowe Lintas group captains Amer Jaleel and Virat Tandon, Curativity Brand Partners has appointed Aarti Srinivasan as Head of Creative and Neha M Dhanani as Head of Business.
Said Tandon: “Aarti’s creative brilliance and Neha’s dynamic experience make them invaluable additions to our leadership team. In them we have found the leaders who are both capable and hungry to build a future facing marketing services agency. With so many brands vying for the consumers’ attention across multiple media, the traditional methods of brand building are not working. What brands need is an “Ownable Distinctiveness” that can be delivered through various touch points. We are confident that with our model of access to the best of the independent talent, Aarti and Neha will foster a new culture of collaboration in the service of delivering to the promise of distinctive brand work that’s ownable.”
MullenLowe Group has announced the appointment of S Subramanyeswar, aka Subbu, as the Group Chief Executive Officer of MullenLowe Lintas Group India, effective immediately. MxMIndia was the first to report on Amer Jaleel and Virat Tandon moving on.
In a strategic realignment from the previous model, all functions of the group will now report to Subbu. In addition, Subbu will continue to directly lead the Strategy function for the Group in India and maintain his role as Chief Strategy Officer for the MullenLowe APAC region.
Alex Leikikh
Speaking about the new era, Alex Leikikh, Chairman of MullenLowe Group and Executive Vice President of Interpublic Group, said: “During these transformative times where we are all facing many challenges, I believe, there is no better person to lead MullenLowe Lintas Group than Subbu. He is a proven leader with hard-core strategic skills, business imagination and the ability to bring people together. Subbu has a global perspective on how brands, communication and technology will intersect in the future. He’s also a big believer in brand purpose. This combination is exactly what we need as the company enters the next chapter.
As we move into this new era, I want to thank Amer Jaleel and Virat Tandon for their dedication, passion and leadership throughout the years for us and all of our clients. I wish them the best on their next endeavours.”
Since joining the company in 2011, Subbu has played a leading role in MullenLowe Lintas Group becoming the No.1 agency in India and APAC, and No.2 globally on the Effie Index ranking. MullenLowe Lintas Group was also awarded ‘Agency of the year’ several times at India and APAC Effies, and by Tambuli, Campaign South Asia, Ad Age, and WARC with Subbu helming the leadership from the strategy end.
Excited about his new responsibility Subbu said, “Lintas is one of those extraordinary institutions to have truly impacted Indian society for decades through big, bold, culture-leading ideas based on a decisive stand taken by the brand. I couldn’t be more honoured to have been given the charge to lead the company at a very important time. The opportunity that lies ahead in an ever-expanding world of possibilities is limitless, but to seize it, we must focus precisely, move at a rapid pace, and be transformational. A big part of my job is to widen our creative and strategic aperture to innovatively apply technology and talent to solve new problems for clients, for people, and the world at large. I’m excited, grounded on the challenges, and upbeat, all at once.”
Every few years, just as one thinks the ship is sailing rather smoothly, there is a surprise announcement of the big bosses of Lintas moving on.
It happened with R Balki, Joseph George, Arun Iyer and now the duo of Amer Jaleel and Virat Tandon. Jaleel has been Group Chief Creative Officer and Chairman of the MullenLowe Lintas Group and Tandon has been Group CEO. They are, like their predecessors, reported to be turning entrepreneurs. They had taken charge in September 2018.
Subramanyeswar S, popularly known as Subbu, who has been the long-standing Chief Strategy officer – Asia Pacific & Head of Global Planning Council of MullenLowe Group is said to be the new Group CEO.
When contacted, Jaleel said he was on vacation. A representative of the the Mullen Lowe Lintas Group told MxMIndia that there is no announcement made so far
MullenLowe Lintas Group has launched a book to showcase what it callsits purpose-led brand building philosophy – ‘Brands to Stands’. The book has been authored by S. Subramanyeswar (Subbu), Chief Strategy Officer – Asia Pacific and Head of Global Planning Council, MullenLowe Group
The book has learnings from brands such as Tata Tea, Surf Excel, Havells, Axis Bank, Swiggy, Lifebuoy, Bajaj Avenger etc. It also features a prologue by film-maker and former Chairman & CCO of MullenLowe Lintas Group – R Balki, and an epilogue by Harish Bhat, Brand Custodian, Tata Sons.
Commenting on the occasion, Amer Jaleel, Group CCO and Chairman, MullenLowe Lintas Group said: “Our work has been spoken of at various forums and awards separately because it’s always been brand-linked, client-linked. It deserved to be celebrated together because when you see just a fraction of what Lintas has produced over the years you can see the patterns of our thinking, the volume of our contribution to the world of marketing and the scale of our impact on the work being churned out today.”
Added Virat Tandon, Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group: “Our journey on Brands to Stands started much before the term brand purpose became popular. It is an approach that has helped provide a long-term distinctiveness to the brands and create respect and love for it. The book covers 25+ cases that have set a benchmark in the world of branding and marketing. These ideas have won the effectiveness awards at every level – India, Asia and the world. We have a robust strategy process to arrive at the brand purpose and point of view and the creative mastery to craft that into a narrative that is fresh and yet consistent over time.”
Talking about ‘Brands to Stands, Subbu said, “Marketing will significantly benefit as brands take stands in a world that will no longer stand for a glut of commoditized products and services without any meaning. Our book ‘Brands to Stands’ floats an idea that inspires brands and businesses to embrace this fresh new wave of thinking by showcasing how some of India’s top brands have positively impacted the way society at large thinks and behaves. Each of the brand stories chronicled in the book captures a wealth of marketing wisdom, powerful insights and memorable anecdotes from their respective brand custodians as well as prominent industry experts. The book appeals equally to corporates, entrepreneurs, students and about anyone who wants to elevate the role of brands to ensure that they are in the vanguard of transforming society. This is not a book with an end, but one that prompts a new beginning.”
MullenLowe Lintas Group picked up two Golds and an honourable mention for its work on Lifebuoy and Wheel, respectively at 4A’s Jay Chiat Awards,. It is the only agency from India to win at 4A’s Jay Chiat Awards this year held as a virtual event on September 13, 2021.
Virat Tandon
Said Virat Tandon, Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group said: “4A’s Jay Chiat finds global acclaim and is possibly the toughest strategy award to win. It is a privilege for MullenLowe Lintas Group, India to have won it six times, something very few agencies in the world can boast of. The twin Gold wins for Lifebuoy this year is a great endorsement for the purpose-led work we believe in driving for our brands. A big thank you to our clients at Unilever for wholeheartedly partnering us in our vision for the brand. Kudos also to our colleagues at MullenLowe Singapore, MullenLowe Salt and Weber Shandwick for supporting the ‘H is for Handwashing’ campaign. An honourable mention for another of our strong purpose-led work, the “Ghar se career” project for Wheel is also very encouraging and spurs us to do better.”
Added Sagar Kapoor and Prateek Bhardwaj, CCOs, Lowe Lintas added: “As Lintas, we have always been a passionate practitioner of purpose-led brand-building. While one campaign is of a global scale and the other focuses on the local insights, both have an element of purpose at their core, that has resulted in success for the brands in the marketplace as well as with the audience. Both these brands are super active in their ‘brand do’ and shall continue to do so regardless of awards and rewards.”
Lowe Lintas has announced the elevation of Anaheeta Goenka as its Chief Operating Officer for Unilever, South Asia and Chief Growth Officer. Having spent three decades working at the agency network, Goenka has had a role to play in shaping quite a few large multinational, Indian as well as start-up brands and is a name to reckon with in the industry.
Virat Tandon
Announcing Goenka’s elevation, Virat Tandon, Group CEO at MullenLowe Lintas Group, said: “Ana (as Anaheeta is fondly known) has been a strong management pillar handling several Unilever brands and other business relationships. She has left her mark on so many brands and earned massive respect and love from clients and colleagues alike. Ana has the strategic clarity to steer a brand to success as well as the enthusiasm and fierceness for new business development like no other. I am sure she is the best choice for us to lead the Unilever portfolio as well as the strategic business development efforts of the agency.”
Added Goenka: “It is great to be part of a dynamic ecosystem that operates at a fundamental level with ‘intention’ & ‘attention’ for all its brand work and strategic practice. Here’s to growth emanating from more purposeful work for Lowe Lintas and a healthy dose of disruption along with it.”
MullenLowe Lintas Group has elevated Naveen Gaur to Group COO – Growth and Innovation. This is wef September 1.
The mandate will be to strengthen the areas of marketing services that agencies within the group offer – such as PR, digital, content creation and production, experiential, design, analytics and martech. In addition to this, he will also lead the marketing, reputation and the strategic growth initiatives for the group. He was until recently Deputy CEO of Lowe Lintas.
Amer Jaleel
Said Amer Jaleel – Group CCO and Chairman, MullenLowe Lintas Group: “I’ve worked with Naveen as a partner for over 10 eventful years. He stands firmly proud of owning the intersection on brand and business. And would be fearless in pointing out the lack of either in a piece of work he would be judging. And that shows his innate understanding of both. Naveen remains oddly unserious despite having seen through hundreds of crises. He switches seamlessly and this quality is what Lintas wants to capitalise on to ride into its most transformative phase ever. Naveen will help broaden the scope of what it means to be a brand in the new age.”
Virat Tandon
Commenting on the elevation, Virat Tandon, Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group said: “We are living in very exciting times as we see shifts in the entire marketing landscape. This presents us with a great opportunity to extend our services across the spectrum of creative solutions eco-system. Naveen is a stalwart in the advertising business and is an entrepreneur at heart. There can be no one better to lead the agencies in developing and growing this eco-system. We will be looking at serving our existing clients better by using our “Hyperbundled” creative solutions process to bring all the specialist services around the client goals. At the same time, this eco-system will also develop their own independent clients and growth agenda. I am very excited to see Naveen take up this role.”
Talking about the elevation, Gaur said: “Growth and value creation drive me. I am honored that the Group has entrusted me with this role and responsibility to make some bold moves and create future leading offerings and take the Group to the next level. I am looking forward to doing new things that will make me sleepless again.”
MullenLowe Group has announced the elevation of S Subramanyeswar (better known as Subbu) as Chief Strategy Officer for the Asia-Pacific region. He will continue to lead strategy for brands at MullenLowe Lintas Group as its Group Chief Strategy Officer.
Since joining Lowe Lintas in 2011 as National Planning Director, Subbu has led major strategic thoughts or shifts for multiple brands across the clients that the group works on in India.
James Fox
Speaking about his elevation, James Fox – Global Chief Strategy Officer, MullenLowe Group said: Subbu’s promotion is much deserved as he is one of the finest marketing minds in the region. He is a true leader for his team and his clients, helping them achieve new heights professionally and commercially. I am very proud to have Subbu as part of the global planning council, leading MullenLowe Group’s strategic charge across Asia-Pacific countries.”
Virat Tandon
Added Virat Tandon – Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group, India: “In the 10 years that he’s been at MullenLowe Lintas Group, Subbu has played a huge role in not just improving and innovating the planning product, but forging strong partnerships with colleagues at the agency, clients and academia. Not to forget his big role in putting us on the global map of effectiveness! Having worked very closely with him over the last 10 years, I have to say that he is clearly one of the top brand strategists in the world. I am extremely happy that Subbu will take his amazing brand of strategic planning beyond South Asia and into all of Asia-Pacific.”
Excited about his new role within MullenLowe Group, Subbu said, “I’m honoured, humbled and fired up. It’s a huge opportunity and that’s very exciting. At the same time, I’m also grounded on the challenges that lie ahead. And it is that trip and the constraint that also brings out the passion and fierce obsession in me, to do great culture-leading work. I’ll take the rich learning that I had in my ten years at MullenLowe Lintas Group – India, an ecosystem or the fulcrum of marketing, forward.” Subbu will be based in Mumbai, India, as he takes up the Asia-Pacific charge with immediate effect.
GolinOpinion will be rebranded as Lintas Live with immediate effect and will be part of MullenLowe Group’s global communications network which includes U.S. based agency MullenLowe PR – voted Global Creative PR Agency of the Year in the Holmes Report 2017
Lintas Live will be a digital-first creative PR agency Lintas Live also announces the appointment of Sarvesh Raikar as its Creative Head.
Amer Jaleel
Speaking about the launch, Amer Jaleel, Group CCO and Chairman, MullenLowe Lintas Group said: “From Mumbai Police to Starbucks, every brand wants to throb with its own energy and charisma, stay part of conversations by streaming its thoughts, it’s consciousness to its franchise. We deconstructed and re-built our PR organisation to not just reflect the current times but to lead the thinking for times to come. And recognising the need to be digital in our behaviour but creative at our core we have at the tip of Lintas Live one of our brightest RCOs Sarvesh Raikar who is possibly India’s most experienced and celebrated brand creatives to head a PR company. We recognise that brands should lead from PR into campaigns and that creative thinking will evolve PR into becoming seamless and inextricable from marketing.”
Virat Tandon
Added Virat Tandon, Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group: “In today’s digitally interconnected world, opinions get formed not only through the news media, but through influencers, experts, leaders, bloggers, celebrities and all other individuals and communities who have a voice and want to use it. Moreover, corporations, leaders and brands have to operate real-time in this “always live” world. Lintas Live will be able to provide our clients with agile, proactive and “always live” PR and communications solutions. I am quite confident that this new offering will be quite the game- changer for our clients.”
Ameer Ismail
Talking about his new role, Ameer Ismail, President-Lintas Live said, “Golin has been an outstanding partner and we will always cherish our many achievements and learnings together. Our PR practice in India has gone from strength to strength and this rebrand is a bold move in our evolution. I’m excited about the relevance of our new offering to brands, marketers and leaders in these changing times. Being part of the MullenLowe Lintas Group has given us a unique opportunity of drawing on the core of our creative skillsets. We are confident of being able to deliver ideas and solutions that are bold and impact worthy in a digital age.”
Golin’s operations in India will now report through IPG’s Constituency Management Group in line with Golin operations elsewhere.
Added Darren Burns, President of Asia for Golin: “We thank Ameer and his team for a productive partnership over the last five years and we look forward to ongoing collaboration with the Mullen Lowe team within our IPG family. India remains an important market for us and we will continue to evolve our business there under the Golin brand.”
Titan Company Limited has launched an industry collective titled #LetsGetIndiaTicking to kickstart the wheels of the economy.
Commenting on the campaign, Suparna Mitra, Chief Executive Officer, Watches and Wearables Division, at Titan Company Limited said: “Many economists have spoken of the need to revive the demand side of the economy. This is where we felt our vast repertoire of experience in brand communications can serve a larger purpose. The thought that struck us was – can we do something to encourage each and every individual to do their bit to get the economy out of its slumber. #LetsGetIndiaTicking is the germination of that seed of an idea, which we hope transpires into a movement and a clarion call to revive livelihoods and the economy.”
Lowe Lintas Bangalore has orchestrated the film. Commenting on the campaign, Virat Tandon, Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group, said: “The intricate connections between moving parts make for an extremely evocative symbolism between the country’s top watch brand and the economy. Our Bangalore team was quick to both discover this link and weave it delightfully in with Titan’s iconic signature music, to create what can only be described as a symphony of idea and inspiration. As the nationwide #Unlockdown initiated by the government rekindles economic activity, the campaign comes as a beacon of hope and positivity for all.”
Lowe Lintas has announced the launch of Kaam Wapasi, a tech platform built to help migrant workers get back to work and at the same time assist employers with access to a pool of readily available workers. Companies like Zee Network, Bharti Airtel, Axis Bank, Radiocity and Razorpod have put their weight behind the initiative, that complements the government’s initiative to fuel the Indian economy.
Prateek Bhardwaj
Commenting on the idea, Prateek Bhardwaj, CCO at Lowe Lintas, said: “After all that they’ve been through, migrant workers aren’t ready to return to cities without a sense of clarity and control. They need active projects to return to. Unfinished projects, on the other hand, need workers to restart. Kaam Wapasi is a creative tech intervention to help resolve this stalemate. By connecting migrant blue-collar workers with projects in various cities, we hope to accelerate the unlocking of the Indian economy”.
Virat Tandon
Talking about bringing the idea to life, Virat Tandon, Group CEO at MullenLowe Lintas Group, added: “Creating the technology is just one part of the puzzle for us. We also intend to activate it at scale, and it’s heartening to see so many big brands collaborating with us to deliver that scale. Kaam Wapasi will be accessible to workers across the spectrum and as it grows, we hope that more companies join us in this endeavour”.
MullenLowe Lintas Group has launched an advocacy campaign with ‘Differences Make Us Who We Are’, a diversity and inclusivity statement that is part of a larger initiative focusing on gender identity, sexual orientation, LGBTQIA+ definitions and inclusive language. The group has outlined policies and practices which are inclusive of the LGBTQIA+ community in line with MullenLowe Group and IPG’s global guidelines.
Virat Tandon
Expressing his views about equality and inclusivity, Virat Tandon, Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group, said: “The Pride month is a way to spotlight the importance of diversity and help create much-needed awareness of and sensitisation around this subject, not just in our organisation, but also in our circle of influence. We’ve reaffirmed our commitment to provide a work environment conducive for all and to help include the LGBTQIA+ community through ongoing conversations, workshops, and relevant work. Encouraging diversity enriches our organisation and makes us all better at what we do.”
MullenLowe Lintas Group has rolled out programmes celebrating Pride Month, educating its employees about various aspects of inclusiveness and the importance of LGBTQIA+ inclusivity. Kickstarting the Pride Month is a film collaboration between Mullen Lintas and Chrome pictures.
Heather Gupta
Talking about encouraging and fostering an environment for inclusivity, Heather Gupta, Group HR Director, MullenLowe Lintas Group, added: “We already have a clear commitment to equality for all, and we work hard to ensure a supportive and harassment free environment for our employees. However, we can do more, and our conversations with activists and members of the LGBTQIA+ community this PRIDE month have helped bring real awareness of some of the areas in which we can do better.”
MullenLowe Lintas Group has launched a book to showcase what it callsits purpose-led brand building philosophy – ‘Brands to Stands’. The book has been authored by S. Subramanyeswar (Subbu), Chief Strategy Officer – Asia Pacific and Head of Global Planning Council, MullenLowe Group
