Leo Burnett India Elevate Sachin Kamble and Vikram Pandey to Chief Creative Officers
Leo Burnett India, a division of Publicis Groupe India, has announced a change in senior creative leadership with the promotion of Vikram Pandey and Sachin Kamble from national creative directors to chief creative officers for Leo Burnett South Asia. They continue to report to Rajdeepak Das, Chairman of Leo Burnett – South Asia and Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of Publicis Groupe – South Asia.
Sachin and Vikram promoted to chief creative officers
Sachin and Vikram, as National Creative Directors, have played a crucial role in Leo Burnett India’s success story, which has included the company winning awards for its exceptional work on both national and international stages. In their roles as Chief Creative Officers, they will oversee the agency’s creative expansion in each of its three offices—Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru—in order to improve the quality of its work and support the agency’s strategic goals.
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Vikram has spent the last sixteen years working for Leo Burnett. Over the years, he has been tasked with producing work that has disrupted markets and redefined categories. Examples of his work include the launch and creation of Spotify in India, the modern insurance brand Acko, and, most recently, the development of Airtel’s 175 Replayed campaign. He began his career at Leo Burnett as a junior copywriter.
Sachin has been with Leo Burnett for nearly ten years and has contributed to some of the agency’s most notable projects, such as the Bajaj V campaign, for which Leo Burnett won the Cannes Lions for the first time ever in India.
Here’s what they said
Commenting on the announcement Rajdeepak Das, CCO, Publicis Groupe – South Asia and chairman Leo Burnett – South Asia said,
“This is a huge moment for Leo Burnett. Sachin Kamble and Vikram Pandey have both spent years alongside me enhancing our creative talent. They have been my co-conspirators as we led Leo Burnett to its current glory. As leaders, they exemplify the Leo Burnett value system, centred around people and purpose, powered by creativity to deliver impactful work for our clients. There are no two better individuals to lead Leo Burnett’s creative growth and I am looking forward to seeing them create even more magic together.”
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Amitesh Rao, CEO Leo Burnett – South Asia commented,
“We have always believed in offering growth opportunities to our people and both Vikram and Sachin have proven themselves to be incredible talents, well deserving of the promotion. Their calibre and commitment to creative excellence sets them apart from their peers and I am delighted to recognise their leadership as chief creative officers.”
Speaking about the elevation Sachin Kamble, CCO, Leo Burnett – South Asia said,
“For the past decade, we’ve invested heavily in cultivating a creative culture. Our vision is clear: to be the best in the world by prioritising new-age work and championing young talent. For us at Leo Burnet, everything revolves around our Humankind work ethos and ideas which will impact a billion. I’m incredibly excited to take on this new role and feel fortunate to have an exceptionally talented co-captain for this journey.”
Adding further Vikram Pandey, CCO, Leo Burnett – South Asia stated,
“We’ve had a really good run in last 3-4 years. We’ve won top honours at all international award shows, we manage some of the biggest businesses and most sought-after brands, and we have an enviable, talented bunch working with us. I feel we are completely aligned to deliver on the promise of modern creativity and I am absolutely delighted to lead it from the front. There couldn’t be a better partner to do this with, than Sachin, we both go back a long way and the next chapter is only going to be most interesting.”
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Bisleri India is Seeking A New Creative Partner
Bisleri International is seeking a new creative partner. The domestic brand is currently choosing a new creative agency to lead its vision and initiatives, in keeping with its emphasis on Gen Z and sustainability.
According to Campaign India, The brand’s Mumbai office is currently conducting the pitch, in which a number of reputable agencies have already taken part. Ogilvy India, the brand’s current agency, is not taking part in the pitch.
Bisleri’s #DrinkItUp Campaign with creative agency Ogilvy
Deepika Padukone, who recently appeared in the brand’s #DrinkItUp campaign, is seen sipping Bisleri water and dancing to the remix of the legendary cult hit “Jhoom Jhoom Jhoom Baba.” The advertisement was designed by 82.5 Communications, an Ogilvy network-owned specialized agency that was founded in 2019 in India.
Business and Partnerships
For many years, Bisleri International has endeavored to emphasize the importance of staying hydrated. The business has just recently established itself in general trade stores, cafes, restaurants, and retail chains throughout the United Arab Emirates. Along with announcing its status as the official hydration partner of the Indian Premier League teams Delhi Capitals, Gujrat Titans, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, it also supports a number of national sporting events and marathons.
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Havas Worldwide India Expands Creative Team with Four ECD Appointments
Havas Worldwide India has expanded its creative team by hiring four new executive creative directors: Arjun Jetly, Neharika Awal, Ajitesh Verma, and Monish Gupta. They will be tasked with enhancing the agency’s creative offering and will be based in Gurugram. They will report to Anupama Ramaswamy, chief creative officer at Havas Worldwide India.
Havas Worldwide India bolsters its creative team
Jetly, who is returning to Havas Worldwide India after leaving Cheil India, previously developed successful campaigns for Durex and has worked with The Glitch, among other agencies. Campaigns for companies like Veet, Mirinda, Doritos, Cadbury, MG Motor, Adobe, Eno, and Horlicks are included in his portfolio. He has won accolades from the ABBYs, Effies, and Cannes Lions.
Awal previously worked for Dentsu for eight years. Prior to that, she was associated with Leo Burnett, Saatchu & Saatchi, Ogilvy, and DDB Mudra. She has worked with brands like Honda Cars, OLX, Biba, Canon, and Dominos and has won Effies and ABBYs.
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Verma has held roles at McCann Worldwide, Wunderman Thompson, BBDO India, and Leo Burnett. He has contributed to projects for Mountain Dew Global, Pepsi Foods, ITC, Britania, Nestle, GSK, Meta, The Times of India, Flipkart, PhonePe, and Swiggy.
Over the course of his career, Gupta has overseen a broad range of brands, including some of the most well-known names in Lifestyle, Fashion, Automobiles, and Hospitality, including Maruti Suzuki, Honda Motorcycles, Citroen, LG, Samsung Phones, Myntra, and Burger King. Gupta previously worked for Leo Burnett, Dentsu, Lowe Lintas, J Walter Thompson, and Cheil before joining.
Here’s what they said
Anupama Ramaswamy, chief creative officer, Havas Worldwide India, said,
“Now is the time for our work to shine. And I can’t think of a better team to lead this than Neharika, Monish, Arjun and Ajitesh. I’m delighted to welcome them into the Havas family. They are a dynamic bunch, brimming with new ideas, each having their own individual strengths, which will not just help the brands we work on but also the teams. I believe in their capabilities and mindset to take Havas Worldwide India to newer heights.”
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Dentsu Creative Names Abhijat Bharadwaj As Chief Creative Officer – Digital Experience
Abhijat Bharadwaj has been named Chief Creative Officer for Digital Experiences by Dentsu Creative India. Abhijat Bharadwaj began his seven-year tenure with CreativeLand Asia as ECD. After that, he was promoted to CCO at the company. Bharadwaj will drive the creative vision, encourage teamwork, and push storytelling to new heights in his role as Dentsu Creative’s new CCO. He wants to produce content that is impactful and specifically catered to the Indian market, with an emphasis on fusing storytelling with his Indian heritage.
Abhijat brings over one and a half years of creative experience
With more than 17 years of experience in advertising, Bharadwaj has proven its ability to blend insightful storytelling with the subtleties of Indian culture to create campaigns that genuinely connect with consumers. Before joining Dentsu Creative, he held prominent roles at Star India and CreativeLand Asia, where he spearheaded successful advertising campaigns and helped establish major sports leagues. Along the way, he has developed strategies for Indian companies like Jet Airways and Dabur in addition to campaigns for multinational behemoths like McDonald’s and MasterCard.
In 2007, he began working for Leo Burnett as a copywriter. Throughout his more than 15-year career, Bharadwaj has collaborated with companies and brands such as McCann Erickson Delhi, Contract Advertising, Black Pencil, and Star India.
Here’s what they said
Abhijat Bharadwaj, in his LinkedIn announcement, stated,
“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at Dentsu Creative – Digital Experience”
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M&C Saatchi Names Rob Doubal and Laurence Thomson as Global CCOs
Rob Doubal and Laurence “Lolly” Thomson, co-presidents of McCann London and chief creative officers of McCann UK, were named M&C Saatchi’s new joint global chief creative officers (CCOs). As it implements its new operating model, M&C Saatchi said the newly created roles will serve as “a central focal point for the group’s creative ambitions and activities.”
M&C Saatchi Appoints Rob Doubal and Laurence Thomson as joint global CCOs
Doubal and Thomson are referred to as “Rob and Lolly” in the industry. They were executive creative directors at Weiden & Kennedy London when they joined McCann London in 2012. In 2019, they were promoted to regional CCOs for the UK. The two met and worked together for four years at Mother London before joining Weiden & Kennedy. It stated that the newly established position was essential to M&C Saatchi’s implementation of its new operating model. It aims to act as a focal point for the group’s creative goals and pursuits. M&C Saatchi was referred to as “an agency with one of the most famous names in advertising history and a legacy of creative brilliance” by Doubal & Thomson, who will begin their new roles later this year.
Rob and Lolly’s distinguished feats
They have created campaigns for companies like Xbox, Just Eat, Microsoft, Aldi, and Sky over the past 20 years. They have managed work that has taken home more than 800 awards from prestigious international exhibitions and over 100 Cannes Lions. According to Simon Gwynn of Campaign, Rob and Lolly “give the impression of guys who have spent plenty of time trying to make each other laugh over the years,” and they acknowledge that they are responsible for promoting a lighthearted and imaginative culture.
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At the end of 2023, Doubal and Thomson came in at number 11 on Campaign’s yearly list of the best UK creatives in the list. Since informing investors in September that it was essential to growth, Byng-Thorne has been seeking to establish a new chief creative officer position for the entire group. Under the direction of Daryl Lee, the global chief executive of McCann Worldgroup, McCann has also been reorganizing its own senior management team. Last year, Javier Campopiano was hired as the global chief creative officer. Furthermore, Regan Warner as executive creative director at McCann London.
Here’s what they said
Rob and Lolly said,
“We couldn’t be more delighted to be joining M&C Saatchi as global CCOs. It’s an agency with one the most famous names in advertising history and a legacy of creative brilliance. A truly iconic brand with some fantastic offices around the world. Driving fame and commerce by leveraging art and creativity is what we love to do and joining the new team with a shared ambition to make M&C Saatchi a global powerhouse with creativity at its core got us very excited. Given the speed of change in our industry, harnessing M&C Saatchi’s ‘brutal simplicity of thought’ philosophy with Zaid and the teams was an opportunity we simply couldn’t turn down. We can’t wait to get started. A truly iconic brand with some fantastic offices around the world. Driving fame and commerce by leveraging art and creativity is what we love to do and joining the new team with a shared ambition to make M&C Saatchi a global powerhouse with creativity at its core got us very excited.”
Executive chair Zillah Byng-Thorne said of the pair,
“Their creative vision combines with a passion for doing the best for clients, and I expect them to make a huge cultural impact on all parts of the M&C Saatchi Group, which will produce world-class creativity and business results.”
Zaid Al-Qassab, the incoming group chief executive, added,
“I was wowed by Rob and Lolly’s passion for innovation and commitment to creative excellence throughout the recruitment process. Their unique way of looking at the world, and track record of success with iconic and category disrupting campaigns, will undoubtedly drive transformative results for our clients.
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GOZOOP Group Awarded Love Depot’s Creative and Social Media Mandate
Love Depot, a pleasure superstore owned by TTK Healthcare Ltd., has awarded the integrated creative and social media mandate to GOZOOP Group, a global independent integrated marketing group. The group’s Mumbai headquarters will handle the mandate. The group’s duties include developing and putting into action a creative strategy for the brand that works across all channels. Using a multi-channel strategy on both traditional and non-conventional platforms, the team will address the issues facing the sexual wellness sector.
GOZOOP bags Love Depot’s Social Media and Creative Mandate
Leading consumer goods company TTK Healthcare Ltd. is the parent company of several well-known brands. These include Eva deodorants, Woodwards Gripe Water, and Skore condoms. It is the first company to introduce condoms in the 1950s and the first Indian company to manufacture them in the 1960s. As such, they are considered the pioneers of the sexual wellness industry. Love Depot promotes inclusivity by offering the best international and Indian pleasure brands to Indian consumers. Moreover, the accommodate a wide range of tastes and preferences. The brand is putting a lot of effort into destigmatizing the category as a whole and offering a one-stop shop for anything pleasure-related to normalize the pursuit of pleasure.
GOZOOP’s recent collaborations
To strengthen its media and branding capabilities, the GOZOOP group recently formed GZPure through a strategic collaboration with Puretech Digital.
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Here’s what they said
Arjun Siva, head of digital and eCommerce for TTK Healthcare said,
“We are looking forward to our partnership with GOZOOP Group and to work collaboratively in this journey of fearlessly pushing the envelope and breaking boundaries. We want to make pleasure accessible for everyone and we look forward to engaging with our audiences through open dialogue and education which will drive acceptance.”
Amyn Ghadiali, president – business and integration, GOZOOP Group commented,
“In today’s tactical and transactional world of marketing, collaborating with Love Depot is a delight. Their dedication to purpose-driven marketing aims to alter the perceptions around pleasure and challenge stereotypes. Excitingly, we’re positioned to pioneer a new category while shattering it at the same time. One-line brief is to simply #BreakTheBox!”
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Leo Burnett India Secures Creative And Strategic Mandate for Birla Opus
Aditya Birla Group has partnered with Leo Burnett India, a division of Publicis Group. It has aligned its creative and strategic mandate in preparation for the launch of Birla Opus. It is one of its largest brands under Aditya Birla Group. Leo Burnett is in charge of leading the strategic, creative, and digital initiatives for their luxury and premium portfolio of brands. Additionally, it will create the brand architecture for Birla Opus, the company’s flagship brand. The multi-agency pitch was competitive, and the account was won. The Leo Burnett Mumbai team will handle it.
Leo Burnett India appointed as the creative and strategic agency for Birla Opus
Leo Burnett India, their communication partner, will develop the creative strategy. Furthermore, it will position its luxury and premium category brands, “Birla Opus,” “Birla Opus One,” and “Birla Opus Calista,” as well as for the overall brand under the interior, exterior, and enamel paints segments.
DDB Mudra secured the mandate for 4 other Birla Opus brands
The DDB Mudra Group declared last week that it had been awarded the mandate for four brands within the Birla Opus portfolio. Four brands in the Birla Opus portfolio—Style (a line of economical paints), AllWood (wood finishes), AllDry (waterproofing), and Prime (institutional)—have selected the agency as their creative partner.
With the introduction of “Birla Opus,” Aditya Birla Group makes an unprecedented INR 10,000 crore upfront investment. This is in the rapidly growing INR 70,000 crore Indian decorative paints market.
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Here’s what they said
Inderpreet Singh, Head, Marketing, Birla Opus, said,
“Birla Opus is a brand that is designed for today’s dynamic and audacious new India. Keeping this in mind we were looking for a partner who would be able to support our vision and craft a narrative that appeals to today’s audiences. We look forward to working with team Leo Burnett.”
Rajdeepak Das, CCO Publicis Groupe South Asia and Chairman Leo Burnett South Asia added,
“Birla Opus is undeniably one of the biggest Brand launches that the country will witness this year. But what’s more exciting for us at Leo Burnett is the drive to bring in the next revolution in the Paint category. We’ve found that the visionary, agile and nimble, Aditya Birla Group, is the perfect partner for creating such revolutions. At Burnett we believe in work that ‘Impacts a Billion’ and we know that Birla Opus with its brand vision will do just that.”
Abhimanyu Khedkar, Executive Director, Leo Burnett India stated,
“An opportunity to work on a brand like Birla Opus comes once in a while. We are excited to help shape the brands roadmap and create groundbreaking work at the cusp of culture, creativity, data, and technology.”
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Havas Names Joji Jacob as Regional CCO for SEA and North Asia
Havas, the international communications agency, has strengthened its position as a leader in North and Southeast Asia (SEA). Joji Jacob has been named Regional Chief Creative Officer for both regions. The choice is consistent with Havas’s aggressive and updated growth plan. Jacob will continue to serve as BLKJ Havas Singapore’s creative partner and co-founder in addition to his new role. It will guarantee that Havas’ artistic pursuits combine innovation and continuity.
Havas appoints Joji Jacob as SEA and North Asia CCO
Jacob will take on full responsibility in his new position for directing the creative direction and making sure it integrates seamlessly into client engagements throughout the region. Jacob is an established figure who chairs Havas’ APAC board and is on the Global Creative Council. Along with other council members, he will work closely to advance creative excellence in local offices and investigate fresh, cutting-edge approaches to storytelling, all with the primary goal of forging deep connections.
Having worked in the advertising industry for over two decades, Jacob’s highlights include major contributions to well-known agencies in Singapore and India. BLKJ, which was co-founded in 2016 and joined the Havas family in 2021, has amassed a distinguished clientele that includes prestigious companies like Great Eastern, the Republic of Singapore Air Force, the Economic Development Board of Singapore, JLL, and many more.
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Career Highlights
Jacob spent nine years at DDB as Group Executive Creative Director before joining BLKJ Havas. The agency became one of the most decorated at major industry shows under his direction, winning multiple awards. Jacob has been named Singapore’s Most Influential Creative Director by the Institute of Advertising Singapore. He has also been named Southeast Asia’s Creative Person of the Year by Campaign for the past two years in a row. Additionally, he has been a member of important juries for prestigious international and regional award shows. These include Spikes Asia, One Show, Cannes, D&AD, and LIA. Havas is taking a major step toward enhancing its creative capabilities. Moreover, it is expanding into Southeast and North Asia with this leadership enhancement.
Here’s what they said
Rana Barua expressed his views stating,
As a network, our united focus is consistently directed towards delivering clients a meaningful experience through exceptional work, achieved by investing in the best talent. Joji, with his extensive experience and creative strength across the region, will enhance our overall creative output, and play a universal role in fostering positive momentum for all markets, building towards the goal of One Asia. This appointment underscores Havas’ commitment to cultivating top-tier creative leadership, driving the creative mandate and signifies a significant stride toward achieving our growth objectives in these dynamic markets.
Joji Jacob on his appointment said,
I’ve spent 20 years as a creative, with the last ten years spent leading a creative business. So, I step into this role not just with experience but also with a beginner’s mindset. Rana and I have been discussing the many plans and ambitions and my job is to help create the conditions that enable our people make the best work of their lives for our clients, and I find myself at the right place and at the right time. Havas is a place where the entrepreneurial spirit thrives, meaning it’s not set in its ways. We can respond to a rapidly changing marketplace with agility which I find exciting. And Rana’s energy is infectious, that’s one bug I’m happy to catch.
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Aunindo Sen Joins As Executive Creative Director At Publicis Groupe ME
Aunindo (Auni) Sen has taken on the role of Executive Creative Director at Publicis Middle East, a division of Publicis Groupe. Alongside Executive Creative Director Tuki Ghiassi, he will share co-leadership of the creative department.
Aunindo Sen appointed as Executive Creative Director, Publicis ME
Sen, a 16-year industry veteran, is returning to Publicis Groupe ME after two years, having served as Senior Creative Director at Leo Burnett ME. He is familiar with Groupe’s emphasis on excellence, and in his new position, he will support the expansion of the agency’s portfolio across verticals and help drive best-in-class work for the agency’s impressive roster of brands.
Aunindo Sen’s accomplishments
He will also contribute to the agency’s goal of transforming talent offerings in the area as part of this. Sen has previously led award-winning regional and global campaigns for multinational brands like Ferrero, Coca-Cola, Mars, Nestle, CPW, Unilever, Dettol, United Nations, and more while working with firms like BBDO, FP7McCann, and JWT throughout the GCC and Asia.
He has won more than 150 regional and international awards. It includes the first Glass Lion for the Middle East and North Africa region at Cannes. It also consists of the Dubai Lynx, MENA Effies, D&AD, and Adfest. Additionally, he recently served on the jury for the Cannes Lions. Furthermore, he was named one of the world’s top copywriters by The Big Won.
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Here’s what they said
Commenting on his appointment, Auni said,
Publicis Middle East is not just an Agency. It’s the name that represents an entire Groupe that has transformed communications globally. As the namesake Agency of the Groupe, we have our work cut out for us. But this is something I can safely say, is the part of the job that I relish the most. With the talent-first focus of Publicis Groupe ME and its Leadership, we are absolutely primed to not only mirror its reputation but to take it to a new level.
Nathalie Gevresse, CEO of Publicis Communications UAE added,
We’re thrilled to welcome Auni back to the Groupe. His return underscores our commitment to attracting and nurturing top talent, setting the stage for an exciting new chapter of growth, creative excellence, and innovation for Publicis Middle East.
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