ITV

Category: Media Agencies

  • WPP Media South Asia hits reset with new leadership councils and client-first gameplan

    WPP Media South Asia hits reset with new leadership councils and client-first gameplan

    MUMBAI: WPP Media South Asia has officially turned the page on its GroupM chapter with a sweeping leadership overhaul, as it embraces a sharper, integrated model under WPP’s global media reset.

    The network’s new direction was internally announced this week, marking a bold step toward unified media, measurable outcomes, and future-ready innovation across India and South Asia.

    At the core of the transformation is a newly minted Executive Committee (ExCo), led by four presidents of client solutions — Priti Murthy, Ajay Gupte, Amin Lakhani, and Navin Khemka — who will jointly shape strategy, execution, and client delight across verticals.

    Supporting them is Vishandas Hardasani, continuing as chief finance officer, ensuring compliance and commercial rigour.

    In new, focused roles:

    ●    Upali Nag steps in as president – strategy, tasked with steering high-impact client programmes.

    ●    Vishal Jacob takes charge of Choreograph as president, scaling data and tech capabilities.

    ●    Ashwin Padmanabhan, now chief operating officer, will turbocharge execution across media buying, commerce, content, and sports.

    ●    Praseed Prasad, as president, growth & marketing, will focus on emerging categories, SMBs, startups and lead mOutcome initiatives.

    In tandem with the ExCo, WPP Media South Asia also launched the WPP Media Leadership Council (WLC), featuring a high-powered bench including Ajey Mehta, Atique Kazi, Ruchi Mathur, Shekhar Banerjee, Snehi Jha, Vinit Karnik, Manini Chakraborty, Namrata Mehra, Muralidhar T, Parveen Sheikh, and Rohit Sule.

    This cohort will focus on cohesion, culture, and capability-building to ensure WPP Media’s new architecture translates to real business wins.

    Prasanth Kumar continues to lead operations in India and Sri Lanka, anchoring both ExCo and WLC as they execute WPP’s new-age blueprint. A chief people officer appointment is also said to be in the works, hinting at a stronger push towards people-first transformation, learning, and leadership.

    With this structural shake-up, WPP Media South Asia isn’t just repositioning for the AI era — it’s building a battle-ready blueprint for the future of media.

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  • WPP OpenDoor brews a digital storm with Panchayat’s Butkun ki Dukaan on Instamart

    WPP OpenDoor brews a digital storm with Panchayat’s Butkun ki Dukaan on Instamart

    MUMBAI: What do you get when you mix a cult web series, a fictional tea shop, and 35 million snack-loving shoppers? A digital innovation that hits right in the feels—and taste buds.

    Prime Video’s Panchayat is back with Season 4, and WPP OpenDoor has pulled off a stunt that’s as grounded as Phulera and as disruptive as Kranti Devi’s election agenda. In a first-of-its-kind move, Butkun ki Dukaan—the iconic pitstop for chai, samosas, and village gossip—has been brought to life as a shoppable digital experience on Swiggy Instamart.

    From 26 June to 3 July, between 4 PM and 7 PM, Instamart users across India have been greeted with a curated snack corner inspired by the show’s desi flavour. Think local favourites, cheeky flyers teasing the Manju vs Kranti election drama, and an app interface that transports you straight into the dusty lanes of Phulera.

    With Panchayat holding strong in IMDb’s Global Top 250 and India’s Top 50 Most Popular Web Series, WPP OpenDoor’s campaign cleverly extends the IP beyond the screen—into homes, phones, and tiffin boxes.
     

  • Aqua Plumbings taps Ogilvy to rebrand bathware with flair, finesse and a splash of storytelling

    Aqua Plumbings taps Ogilvy to rebrand bathware with flair, finesse and a splash of storytelling

    MUMBAI: There’s more to the bathroom these days than soap and solitude.

    For Aqua Plumbings, it’s a canvas for design, elegance and daily rituals—one that now gets a sharp creative partner in Ogilvy.

    The Mumbai-based bath solutions brand has officially partnered with the ad giant to reshape how India sees and experiences its bathroom fixtures.

    The collaboration marks a push by Aqua Plumbings to deepen its brand narrative in the booming bathware space, where design has gone from function to lifestyle statement. With Ogilvy, part of the WPP Group, Aqua Plumbings aims to elevate its two distinct brands—Plumber Bathware and Aquini—with strategic storytelling that blends luxury, design and consumer aspiration.

    “At Aqua Plumbings, we’ve always focused on quality, innovation, and understanding our customer’s evolving aspirations. Partnering with Ogilvy gives us the opportunity to take that story further—with clarity, creativity, and consistency”, said Aqua Plumbings Pvt. Ltd ED Sudhir Chaudhary.

    Aqua Plumbings operates through two verticals. Plumber Bathware, the flagship range, champions design, water efficiency and smart living—offering taps, showers and accessories with features like motor-driven, sensor-controlled fittings. At the upper end, Aquini caters to India’s ultra-luxury bath segment with sanitaryware and faucets built with high-end materials and European craftsmanship.

    Rooted in European design standards and tailored to Indian expectations, Aqua Plumbings has built its identity on precision, sustainability and form-meets-function. Its push to redefine how Indian consumers perceive bath spaces mirrors a broader shift in how interior luxury is being consumed in the country.

    Ogilvy Delhi (north) president & head of office Prakash Nair added, “This partnership brings together two companies with a shared belief in craft—whether in product or communication. We’re excited to work alongside Aqua Plumbings to build a brand presence that’s both culturally resonant and category-defining”.

    The campaign will aim to build enduring narratives around bathware’s evolution in India, balancing utility with an aesthetic that appeals to the growing tribe of home-upgraders and interior purists.

    As more Indians aspire to have spa-like bathrooms in their homes, Aqua Plumbings and Ogilvy have set their sights on making taps and tiles as much about aspiration as application.

  • Film Gate opens AI-fuelled VFX division at Yas Island to rewrite the future of cinema

    Film Gate opens AI-fuelled VFX division at Yas Island to rewrite the future of cinema

    MUMBAI: Abu Dhabi’s storytelling game just received a high-tech upgrade. Film Gate, a rising player in the MENA region’s media infrastructure, has launched a new visual effects and film technology division at Yas Island’s twofour54. And it’s not just about flashy post-production. This new unit wants to hardwire artificial intelligence into every reel.

    The launch marks a major leap in Film Gate’s journey, with chairman Mansoor Alyabhouni Aldhaheri steering the ship. “The inclusion of AI in our workflow is not simply about innovation – it’s about making production more agile, more accessible, and globally competitive”, Aldhaheri said.

    The initiative brings together a powerful cross-continental collaboration. UK-based Do It Creative Ltd and Big Films Media have joined hands with Film Gate to integrate cutting-edge AI and VFX workflows into content creation. Among the standout tools in their arsenal is Dsync, Do It Creative’s proprietary multilingual lip synchronisation tech, which has already made its mark in a recent awareness campaign. The system uses AI to produce seamless lip-syncing across languages, cutting both dubbing costs and corners.

    Award-winning VFX director and Big Films Media producer Sam Bhattacharjee joins the team to elevate Abu Dhabi’s media output. “Technologies like Dsync allow us to explore new boundaries in storytelling and localisation”, Bhattacharjee said. “Abu Dhabi is leading the way in bringing technology and cinema together”.

    From high-budget features and commercials to educational content, the new division aims to offer full-cycle services. And it’s not only about global expansion-local capacity building remains at the heart of the venture.

    The announcement follows Abu Dhabi’s recent global first of offering Chatgpt access to all UAE citizens, making the emirate a beacon for digital innovation. Film Gate’s latest launch taps directly into that tech-forward momentum.

    “This is only the beginning”, Aldhaheri noted. “We have a strong pipeline of forward-looking projects, and this collaboration allows us to deliver high-quality content while building local capabilities”.
     

  • SW Network Wins Integrated Digital Mandate for – Fujifilm India instant camera brand instax

    SW Network Wins Integrated Digital Mandate for – Fujifilm India instant camera brand instax

    MUMBAI:  SW Network has landed a picture-perfect win with Fujifilm India, snapping up the integrated digital marketing mandate for its cult instant camera brand, instax Following a multi-agency pitch, the agency will now helm everything from D2C performance marketing and media planning to influencer collaborations, SEO and scroll-stopping creative.

    Leading the charge will be SW Growth Labs, the growth vertical of the agency, alongside SW Creative, which will craft platform-first content and thumb-stopping narratives aimed at Gen Z and Millennial audiences hooked on vintage vibes and tangible memories.

    instax, already a darling of creators, collectors, and cool kids, is capitalising on the global revival of instant photography. With smartphones saturating digital memories, these pocket-sized snap-and-print gadgets have made a comeback—one polaroid at a time. From designer film cartridges to smartphone printers, instax has firmly positioned itself as the go-to for the #aesthetic generation.

    SW Network  cofounder Raghav Bagai shared his enthusiasm on  the partnership: “instax is more than just a camera brand. It is an experience that blends nostalgia with creativity, allowing people to capture and share moments in a tangible way. SW Growth Labs will lead performance marketing and SEO, while SW Creative will drive creative, influencer, creative, and social strategies. Together, we are building an integrated approach to accelerate the brand’s digital growth in India. At SW Network, we believe in the power of data-driven creativity to build meaningful brand connections. We look forward to strengthening brand presence and engagement in the market.”

    Fujifilm India instax division digital marketing manager Shaiphali Galhotra  added, “Our partnership with SW Network is a key step in strengthening the brand’s digital-first approach. By integrating media, social, and performance marketing strategies, we aim to build a stronger, more engaging brand presence while enhancing our D2C experience. We are confident that SW Network’s expertise will drive meaningful results and solidify the brand’s market leadership in India’s instant photography market.”

    With this win, SW Network adds yet another feather to its cap, proving that when strategy meets sentiment, you get more than just clicks—you get keepsakes.

  • WPP Media officially rises from GroupM, blending AI and ad muscle in $60bn makeover

    WPP Media officially rises from GroupM, blending AI and ad muscle in $60bn makeover

    MUMBAI: WPP has pulled the plug on GroupM and plugged in something slicker: WPP Media, its all-new, AI-charged global media company. The move signals a seismic shift in the advertising giant’s playbook, as it bets big on “creative personalisation at scale” in the AI age.

    The newly minted outfit unites more than $60 billion in annual media investment across 80-plus markets and claims to work with over 75 per cent of the world’s top advertisers. Mindshare, Wavemaker and EssenceMediacom aren’t going anywhere—they’re now operating as bespoke agency brands under the WPP Media umbrella, powered by shared tech, data and production firepower.

    At the heart of this revamp is WPP Open, the group’s AI-enabled marketing platform backed by a cool £300m annual investment and heavyweight AI partnerships. It’s billed as the ultimate integration engine—fusing creative, production, data, commerce and media delivery in one turbocharged stack.

    WPP Media CEO Brian Lesser explained: “Consumers already expect advertising to be relevant and engaging and buying experiences to be seamless; those expectations are only going to accelerate in the age of AI. WPP Media is built for a world in which media is everywhere and in everything. By investing in our AI-powered product, integrating our offer with data and technology, and equipping our people with future-facing skills, we’re helping our clients to stay ahead of rapidly changing consumer behavior and unlock the limitless opportunities for growth that AI will create.”

    WPP CEO Mark Read highlighted: “We believe that WPP is the strongest marketing partner for the world’s leading brands in the AI era, where technology and talent converge. The move to WPP Media continues our strategy to simplify and integrate our offer for clients. While GroupM was built for a time when media scale mattered most, WPP Media reflects the power of AI, data and technology and simpler, more integrated solutions.”

    It’s not just about the tech, though. The company says it’s doubling down on people—investing in learning and development to future-proof talent for the AI-powered marketing world.

    Points out Read: “Our vision for the future is clear – marketing that is informed by data, led by seamlessly connected teams of brilliant people, and full of new opportunities for our clients.”

    To spread the word, WPP is rolling out a cross-channel B2B blitz aimed squarely at CMOs and C-suite suits. The message: AI is here, it’s hungry, and it needs humans to thrive.

    In true WPP flair, the relaunch isn’t just a name change. It’s a brand makeover, a tech upgrade, and a culture reset—all rolled into one. As the world’s biggest advertisers brace for an AI tidal wave, WPP Media is positioning itself as the surfboard.

  • Shamik Guha takes charge at EssenceMediacom: From baby oils to big brands

    Shamik Guha takes charge at EssenceMediacom: From baby oils to big brands

    MUMBAI: Shamik Guha has swapped healthcare for high-stakes hygiene as he steps into the role of general manager – client services at EssenceMediacom, where he’ll now steer the media strategy for FMCG titan P&G.
    From baby oils to baby steps in data science, Guha’s journey reads like a masterclass in media evolution. With over 18 years of industry hustle—spanning Emami, Lintas, OMD, Dabur, Abbott, and now EssenceMediacom—he’s worn every media hat from planner to P&L boss.

    At Abbott, he helped nutritional juggernauts like Pediasure and Ensure bulk up in market share, while tightening cost controls and orchestrating full-funnel media. Before that, his time at Dabur saw him blend Ayurveda with mass-market savvy, launching new SKUs and managing crores in baby and women’s health categories.

    From pushing IPL impact buys at Freecharge to stoking strategy at Dabur and crunching data at Seagull, Guha’s career has been one long pitch-perfect campaign. Now, with P&G’s mighty portfolio on his media menu, expect the playbook to only get sharper
    .
    New gig, same hustle. Shamik Guha’s back on the agency side—and he’s not playing small.

  • Nisha Didwania steps up as senior vice president at Zenith

    Nisha Didwania steps up as senior vice president at Zenith

    MUMBAI:Nisha Didwania has levelled up at Zenith, taking charge as senior vice president in April 2025. After steadily climbing the ranks at the agency, this move marks the next big chapter in her 18-year journey through India’s media maze.

    From dissecting brand briefs to decoding media trends, Nisha’s expertise lies in crafting integrated strategies that don’t just meet KPIs but knock them out of the park. At Zenith, she leads one of the region’s largest accounts, driving seamless planning, activation, and future-facing AOPs. Her track record includes everything from pushing digital transformation to rallying high-performance teams and orchestrating cross-functional magic.

    Before this, Nisha held leadership roles at Motivator, Carat, Accenture, and Maxus—where she’s practically done it all: new biz wins, media efficiency hunts, stakeholder tangoes, and even flipping traditional mindsets to integrated powerhouses.

    Known for her no-fuss, all-focus style and ability to build future-ready teams, Nisha isn’t just riding the media wave—she’s steering it.

  • Ashish Singh hops over to Starcom as vice president after a long Mindshare innings

    Ashish Singh hops over to Starcom as vice president after a long Mindshare innings

    MUMBAI: Ashish Singh, a seasoned digital strategist with close to 20 years in media and marketing, has joined Starcom as vice president. The move comes after a rewarding 6-year run at Mindshare, where he last served as principal partner.

    Ashish’s career reads like a masterclass in Indian media evolution — from steering digital growth at Mindshare and Carat, to shaping strategies at Omnicom, Isobar, Hungama, and even a pre-digital era stint at Naukri.com.

    From new business pitches to integrated digital solutions, Ashish has been the go-to guy for driving revenue and innovation. His impressive resume includes managing marquee accounts, building digital roadmaps, leading pitch wins, and mentoring teams across verticals.

    With this power move to Starcom, industry insiders are watching closely as Singh aims to script a fresh growth story at the Publicis-owned agency. Let the planning wars begin.