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Category: Leo Burnett’s

  • Leo Burnett’s Venkat Mallik to join Level Up! as MD

    MUMBAI: After a one and a half year stint with Leo Burnett as national director, Venkat Mallik has put in his papers at the agency to join a new gaming company called Level Up! in the capacity of managing director.

    Mallik’s last day at Leo Burnett will be 5 January, 2005 and he is slated to join Level Up! on 14 January, 2005.
     
     

    Level Up! is the first Filipino online gaming publisher with presence in three countries namely Philippines, Brazil and India. In India, the company has pioneered the first massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG). For the first time, thousands of players from all over the country can play together in a virtual world, in real time, over the Internet.
     
     

    The first game that the company has introduced in India is called Ragnarok Online, which has already begun its free Beta testing period to adapt to the local style and culture, including technical testing for connections to the game. The service will officially launch in early 2005.
     
     

    Speaking about the same to indiantelevision.com, Mallik says, “Gaming is a new craze around the globe and we are looking at tapping the youth in a big way with our games. Our first game – Ragnarok – teaches strategy, word skill, reading comprehension and unlike other games, is not just about violence. It also has universal appeal to boys and girls alike.”

    Talking about his shift from Leo Burnett, Mallik says, “Just like in an ad agency, here too a significant amount of brand building is involved and we will be looking at creating online and offline relationships with our target group.”

    Level Up! is headquartered in Manila and was started by a group of entrepreneurs based out of Philippines. In India, the company has a presence in four cities – Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Chennai. Mallik says, “As of now we are present in four cities but we will be looking at extending our operations to the other metro and non-metro towns of India.”

    While the gaming business is only a few years old, it sure is becoming the next big thing. Mobile gaming has already picked up pace in the country and online gaming is not far behind, with Reliance Web World gaining steady popularity among the youth. Mallik’s game plan, on the other hand will be to ‘level up’ to the challenge.

  • Leo Burnett’s Tutssel is jury chairman for YoungGuns Awards

    SYDNEY: This year, YoungGuns continues its tradition of having one of the most internationally diverse juries brought together for any award show. Leo Burnett USA’s Vice Chairman and Deputy Chief Creative Officer Mark Tutssel will serve as Jury Chairman. As an international award show receiving entries from around 48 countries each year, YoungGuns understands the importance of each region, including North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Oceania, being represented on the jury.
     
     

    The YoungGuns award is one of the ‘youngest’ among international awards. Entry to these awards is restricted to those under 30 years of age. The idea is to provide “a platform of expression for young advertising and communication professionals”.The call for entries for this year’s awards opened on 1 July.

    YoungGuns’ Jason Williams was quoted in an official release saying, “The jury is the key to any award. With YoungGuns, our jury is truly international. Its quality, experience and unique perspective are the reason that people enter and also why the award has so much credibility.

    “Mark brings a guiding hand that will inspire and create confidence within the YoungGuns entrants that our jury continues to be one of the best.”

    Tutssel said, “Advertising thrives on the infusion of fresh blood into agencies. I love the drive, the relentlessness and the insatiable enthusiasm of young creatives. To them, there’s always a better, bolder, fresher, more ingenious answer. They’re the ones who will keep you, and your agency, eternally young. That is why I am proud to be involved with YoungGuns”.

    Under Tutssel’s creative direction from 1999 through 2001, Leo Burnett/London won 130 major creative awards. During that time, both Heinz and McDonald’s were named “Advertiser of the Year” in the United Kingdom. In 2001, the agency was the number one creative agency in the U.K. and the most awarded agency in the world at Cannes, in television, winning three Gold Lions. Tutssel was also one of the two most awarded creative directors in the world in 2001.

    Leo Burnett Worldwide is also the 2003 YoungGuns Student Award sponsor. Through the sponsorship, the winning student will receive a three-month placement at a Leo Burnett Worldwide office, offering the student an outstanding opportunity to begin his or her advertising career in a prestigious agency.