A Legacy Like No Other

The only royalty that India ever had is no more with us, and with a career spanning across various roles till his last breath, Sir Arun Nanda was serving on the boards of some of the largest companies in India and was a close confidant to some of the country’s largest business houses.

But let’s take a step back and understand the journey of this incredible one-of-a-kind personality who truly created India’s best independent agency and had over 25 years of ruling the roost. He, along with Ajit Balakrishnan and Mohammed Khan, started Rediffusion in 1973. These were very interesting times for the agency. This was India’s true-blue hottest creative shop, an independent agency, and what really differentiates royalty in the founder is that he worked with some of the country’s finest brands and actually played the catalyst in making them brands.From the very beginning, he knew his calling was to create “magic.”. It’s about the harmony you create to attract people, and he did this time and again. For nearly three decades, Rediffusion won countless creative awards and redefined the industry.

 

The King Brand Maker

For many new to this field now and those who have picked careers in advertising and marketing, he was the ultimate King Brand Maker. He played a key role in building brands such as Parle, Airtel, GPI, Colgate, and Taj Hotels, among many others. He also created Lakmé, originally part of the Tata Group, and laid the foundation for its success before it was acquired by Hindustan Unilever. He added the famous “Zing Thing” to Gold Spot, making it a cult brand that millions grew up drinking.

The Power of Music and Sensory Appeal

He had a deep understanding of the sensory, and with his passion for various musical instruments, he was one of the first to work closely with the legendary and only A. R. Rahman. Together they created for “Garden Vareli Woman,” a brand ahead of its time in Indian retail, and the iconic Airtel jingle—the tune that is one of a kind in the world and perhaps the most recognised jingle of all time in Indian advertising.

Getting the pulse of the Indian consumer through music, sounds, or even just lines was what he gave to so many of us.

Defining Campaigns of an Era

For anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s, some of the most unforgettable lines and campaigns that became woven into India’s cultural fabric, and went on to build some of the nation’s biggest brands were born from the symbiotic partnerships and deep understanding that Sir Arun Nanda brought to his work.

The iconic “Give Me Red” for Eveready gave the youth a new way to express themselves. “Whenever you see colour, think of us” for Jenson & Nicholson paints became an outdoor classic.  Long before Gillette arrived in India, his decades of work with Colgate cemented its leadership in oral care. He also created a wave for Palmolive with the line “Palmolive da jawaab nahin” with India’s cricket captain then, Kapil Dev.

Creating Miracles with Brands

Terribly creative, intuitive, but also with a massive understanding of what a brand should seek in terms of sales, profitability, and more, he created miracles. One of them was launching India’s first automobile brand meant for the Indian family—Maruti Suzuki. The Maruti “wings” logo seen on every car was designed by Rediffusion in 1982, while he was creating a new wave for Indians to move up from two-wheelers or the earlier Fiat/Ambassador.

He was a perfectionist. It was a habit he set for his client servicing and account planning teams to carry a diary, meant simply to listen to the client and make notes. In a world of no AI then, he would decode client problem statements, expectations, and objectives into creative thinking. This art of making notes and deeply understanding one’s client has stayed with at least a hundred people who are now independent founders of their own agencies.

The Tata Connection

His close friendship with Sir Ratan Tata gave rise to some of the Tata Group’s most iconic brands. Taj Hotels is a shining example, where Sir Ratan Tata and Sir Arun Nanda worked together to shape a world-class hospitality brand. The Taj Club was born over a coffee meeting between the two and later expanded into concepts like Inner Circle, Chambers, and Epicure.Clearly, it was the royalty within him and his belief in making consumers feel royal that led him to think of such concepts.

For another Tata brand, Tata Sky, he coined the still memorable line: “Laga dala to life jhingalala.”

Ahead of the Curve

Everything he did was ahead of the curve. He worked closely with national leaders, including Rajiv Gandhi, and was responsible for the winning campaign of the Congress in 1984.

He was deeply passionate about being an independent agency and working by his own rules. Even after 52 years, Rediffusion still stands independent. Around 2010, when WPP tried to bully its way in, Mr. Nanda stood his ground in a head-on fight with WPP’s Sir Martin Sorrell. He eventually bought out WPP’s stake in Rediffusion in 2018, reclaiming the agency. This is something that often happens with independent agencies, and Sir Arun Nanda had the courage to give it back.

Style, Substance, and Mentorship

Being the royalty that he was, he was passionate about the location of his offices and how it looked- be it in Bombay, Delhi, or Kolkata. For him, class and elegance were non-negotiable. He shared one of the longest and most trusted partnerships with Sandeep Goyal, now Chairman of Rediffusion. The agency remains a legacy of entrepreneurship and independent thinking, creating more industry leaders than perhaps any other agency.

A Personal Reflection

With lakhs of us in the industry, I happened to do a summer research project while I was in college, and I still remember how warm and hospitable he was to a 19-year-old me then. Later, as luck would have it, I joined Sir Ajit Balakrishnan when he was building his dream of Rediff on the Net—what it was called then, later Rediff.com. I had the opportunity to evangelise Rediffusion brands digitally and had incredible interactions with Sir Arun Nanda on some of his dearest brands: Colgate, Citibank, Eveready, Taj Hotels, Maruti, and more.

I learned so much working with him and many others he trained in strategy and execution. He truly loved his people. That is why many who left to work at other agencies often came back—he made you feel comfortable and at home.

India has lost one of its greatest. Sir Arun Nanda has left behind a legacy we will always cherish, fondly remember, and remain blessed by.