ITV

Category: People

  • McCann Worldgroup hires Abhishek Chaswal as executive creative director

    McCann Worldgroup hires Abhishek Chaswal as executive creative director

    MUMBAI: McCann Delhi hires Abhishek Chaswal as executive creative director. He has got 16 years of experience and has worked in the advertising field with agencies like Result McCann, Percept, Euro RSCG, Leo Burnett, Cheil & Contract. His last tenure was with Enormous. 

    Chaswal has dealt various clients clients such as OLX, MobiKwik, Urban Clap, Lenskart, Mahindra Rise, Tata Docomo, Delhi Daredevils and Samsung TVs to name a few. 

    “I welcome Abhishek to McCann. He is an experienced professional with a real keen eye for the craft. I am sure he will strengthen the formidable creative team in Delhi where we already have Prateek Bhardwaj our NCD and Kapil Batra – creative head Delhi, leading an exceptional team,” said McCann Worldgroup India chairman APAC and CEO & chief creative officer Prasoon Joshi.

    Chaswal had worked with Contract for the Docomo business, and played an instrumental role in the brand’s popular ‘Bhalai ki Supply’ campaign. Chaswal is also credited for leading the ideas on Max New York Life Insurance’s ‘Czechoslovakia’ ad.

    Commenting on his appointment the new director said, “Joining McCann feels like a high school reunion as I’m meeting some of the best people I have worked with over the years, here. In fact, it doesn’t feel like that I have joined a new place. Working with this supercharged team is going to be fun for sure (Thank God for black coffee J). I’m glad I could get this opportunity at the right time in my career where I can, working along with leaders like Prasoon Joshi and Prateek Bhardwaj, create significant value for some of the biggest brands in the country.”​

  • Alia Bhatt to endorse Sunfeast Dark Fantasy

    Alia Bhatt to endorse Sunfeast Dark Fantasy

    MUMBAI: Sunfeast Dark Fantasy aspires to take its business to new heights on the back of its association with Alia Bhatt. The premium cookie brand from ITC Foods has signed the Bollywood star as its brand ambassador.

    The brand expects this collaboration will turn its campaign theme of “Can’t wait, won’t wait” more exciting. With this campaign, the brand aspires to position itself as the ultimate dessert indulgence.

    To leave more impact among consumers, the brand has teamed up with Gauri Shinde for the new TVC. The video indicates how one cannot wait to treat themselves with this sinful indulgence of choco-filled cookie along with the line of brand tagline “Can’t wait, won’t wait”.

    “With Dark Fantasy’s new communication we are providing a unique proposition of making an easy yet delightful dessert using Dark Fantasy cookies. I am confident that Dark Fantasy’s association with Alia Bhatt, will only build the excitement about our innovative offerings and enrich consumer experiences about the product,” ITC Foods- Confections COO Paritosh Wali said.

    The TVC shows how Alia gets tempted to have a Sunfeast Dark Fantasy cookie while the background score ‘is that you on my mind’ sets the tune.

    “The association of Sunfeast Dark Fantasy and Alia Bhatt is a match made in heaven. In Alia we found the perfect fit as far as seamlessly bringing alive the irresistibility and spontaneity of consumption goes. This association is the perfect next step towards further entrenching the story of an irresistible indulgence, and towards demonstrating the versatility of occasions that the brand can address,” FCB ULKA CEO Nitin Karkare commented on the campaign.

  • Ogilvy terminates worldwide CCO Tham Khai Meng

    Ogilvy terminates worldwide CCO Tham Khai Meng

    MUMBAI: Over the last six months, a handful of agency leaders have lost their jobs due to misconduct. The latest to join the list is from as agency Ogilvy. The company terminated its chief creative officer Tham Khai Meng after employees complained about unspecified violations of company policy, according to an internal memo from CEO John Seifert.

    Meng had the role at the WPP firm since 2009, a role that effectively ended after a two-week investigation memo Seifert sent to his staffers globally.

    Seifert did not specify the nature of these complaints in the memo but did state that he “found these complaints serious enough to appoint external legal counsel to investigate the matter”.

    After stating that the subsequent investigation “concluded that Khai’s behavior was a clear breach of our company values and code of conduct,” Seifert confirmed that his employment with Ogilvy was terminated with immediate effect.

    Khai joined Ogilvy in 1999 and went on to become one of advertising’s most visible, creative thought leaders. He was promoted to worldwide CCO and co-chairman in 2009 and served as the public face of one of the world’s oldest ad agencies.

  • Eros Digital’s Rishika Lulla Singh bags women leadership award

    Eros Digital’s Rishika Lulla Singh bags women leadership award

    MUMBAI: Eros Digital CEO Rishika Lulla Singh has bagged an award for her proven leadership in the industry. Under her guidance, Eros International’s digital venture has touched new milestones as wells as contributing close to 25 per cent of Eros’ overall revenues.

    The leader, who has been instrumental in spearheading the growth and development of Eros Now, has won the award for ‘Women Leadership in Industry’ at the recently concluded ‘Times National Awards for Marketing Excellence’.

    “I am honored to receive this award and strive to influence other young talent in the industry. Having said that, the growth of Eros Digital is a combined effort and not achieved by one person. Eros as a company has always allowed me and my team the flexibility to work in an open environment and it is their fortitude and passion which allows such possibilities to turn into reality,” she said.

    Other than this prestigious award, Eros Now also won an award for the movie Munna Michael in the digital advertising award category. The movie won the award for Best Social Media Marketing Campaign.

  • Mercedes-Benz India appoints Martin Schwenk as new MD and CEO

    Mercedes-Benz India appoints Martin Schwenk as new MD and CEO

    MUMBAI: Mercedes- Benz has appointed Martin Schwenk as the new managing director and chief executive officer for Mercedes-Benz India. Schwenk, who is currently the chief financial officer of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co Ltd in China, will take over from Roland Folger from 1 November. Folger will be taking over the role of managing director, sales and marketing, Thailand and Vietnam, and will also be the CEO of Mercedes-Benz Thailand.

    On his appointment, Schwenk said, “Having worked across in different countries and functions, I am extremely excited for my forthcoming responsibility to head the dynamic India market. India’s rich cultural diversity, the young population, the diverse customs, different languages and topography together with its importance as a future economic powerhouse; makes it a compelling market to grow the business. It is a privileged opportunity for me to head the business of the most iconic and successful luxury motoring brand, in one of the most vibrant markets in the region. With my experience across various business divisions, I am looking forward to pursuing the ‘Indian story’ further and make the foundation of Mercedes-Benz even stronger in India. We have a fantastic winning team comprising our people and investors with proven records, and I am eager to be part of this winning team,” as quoted by Financial Express.

    The new MD has been working with this company for more than 12 years. Schwenk joined Mercedes- Benz in April 2006 as the head of finance and controlling East London Plant. Schwenk began his career at Daimler in 1992, through the Mercedes-Benz Trainee Programme, has an engineering degree from the University of Stuttgart. 

    Also Read:

    Mercedes-Benz India to excite with fascinating festive campaigns

    Mercedes Benz S-Class arrives through airport OOH ads

  • WPP accuses Martin Sorrell of unlawfully using information

    WPP accuses Martin Sorrell of unlawfully using information

    MUMBAI: Martin Sorrell’s attempt to acquire Dutch production house MediaMonksh has run into rough weather with WPP accusing its former boss of unlawfully using confidential company information in the acquisition process.

    According to the reports, the company allegedly called in lawyers after Sorrell’s new company, S4 Capital, announced a bid for MediaMonks – a company he encountered during his tenure of WPP.

    The Guardian reported that WPP’s lawyers have told Sorrell that a MediaMonks buyout is unlawful because it would use information gathered during his course of employment with WPP, and would “likely be in breach of confidentiality obligations”.

    Meanwhile, it has been suggested that the acquisition would jeopardise Sorrell’s long-term share award, valued at around $41m, over the next five years.

    The bidding war comes after Sorrell indicated to investors that he would not seek to compete with WPP following his departure.

    Founded in Holland in 2001, the creative production house Media Monks currently has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Singapore, Shanghai, Stockholm, Dubai and Sao Paulo.

    Also Read:

    History TV18, Fyi TV18 to get dedicated Tamil channels

    Infinite shows in demand due to storyline, viewership

    Sun TV bullish on dubbed international content for kids

  • Prashanth Challapalli elevated to COO at Leo Burnett Orchard

    Prashanth Challapalli elevated to COO at Leo Burnett Orchard

    MUMBAI: The Leo Group has elevated Prashanth Challapalli as the chief operating officer for Leo Burnett Orchard. 

    In his new role, he will report to Leo Burnett managing director – India and chief strategy officer – South Asia Dheeraj Sinha and Leo Burnett managing director – India and chief creative officer South Asia Rajdeepak Das.

    Challapalli replaces Mahuya Chaturvedi, who is moving on from the organisation. He will be based out of Leo Burnett Orchard’s Mumbai office.

    Welcoming him to his new mandate, Sinha said, “One of Prashanth’s greatest assets is his knowledge and experience in driving Power of One solutions, tapping into all the Publicis Groupe companies to bring the power of creative, digital, data, content, shopper marketing, media, PR, production and entertainment to solve business problems. As we build brands and businesses that talk to consumers who live in a digitally-enabled world, Prashanth’s significant experience in this domain will be highly valuable. I have known Prashanth to get into the details of the business and lead from the front. I am convinced that he will add value to our client’s businesses and take Leo Burnett Orchard to new heights.”

    Excited about the road ahead, Challapalli said, “Leo Burnett Orchard has a great set of brands and people. It is the perfect canvas for me to build the Power of One story further. The last 18 months of my role in the group as the chief integration officer have given me a really good understanding of the skill sets we have built across different specialisations. I am really looking forward to bringing these together for our clients at Leo Burnett Orchard.”

    He has been an integral part of the group since the last 18 months as the chief integration officer for Leo Burnett South Asia, driving the integration agenda for key clients such as Google, P&G, McDonald’s and TVS Motorcycles. 

    Out of his 20 years’ experience, he spent the first 11 years in agencies such as Ogilvy, Lowe, Y&R, Dentsu & Publicis Ambience handling brands like Lakme, Fair & Lovely, Pepsodent, FedEx, Marico, Tetley and Exide. In 2009, he started Jack in the Box Worldwide, one of the most awarded digital agencies in India with campaigns like Kolaveri, Pepsi IPL and 7Up to its credit. He then ran iContract for four years winning big brands like Google, YouTube, Amazon, Kindle, Dettol, Durex, Vaseline, Hotstar and Kissan, amongst others.

  • Omnicom elevates Jyoti Bansal, Shavon Barua

    Omnicom elevates Jyoti Bansal, Shavon Barua

    MUMBAI: Omnicom Media Group has strengthened the leadership of its media agency, PHD India, having promoted Jyoti Bansal to the role of CEO and Shavon Barua to chief client officer.

    The promotions follow the exceptional growth and performance of the agency over the past few years under these leaders’ tenures.

    An engineering and MBA graduate, Bansal joined Omnicom Media Group in 2009 to lead its new business initiatives and when PHD India was established, she was appointed to lead the new agency. Under her leadership, the agency has continued to climb from strength to strength, winning global, regional and local accolades for its innovative approach to communications planning. As CEO, Bansal will focus on expanding PHD’s footprint in India through continued digital transformation and innovation in the media space.

    Barua joined PHD in 2015 as managing partner to work on the Hindustan Unilever business from the agency’s Mumbai office. Over the past three years, she has played an instrumental role in growing the business, gaining invaluable experience that she will now leverage in her new role. As CCO, Barua will now work closely with Bansal to further develop PHD’s market-leading and award-winning client offering.

    Speaking on the promotions, Omnicom Media Group India CEO Harish Shriyan said, “With a unique leadership mix of Jyoti’s media prowess and Shavon’s creative background, PHD India has soared to incredible heights over the past few years, becoming one of India’s most acclaimed media agencies. These well-deserved promotions will ensure PHD India continues to scale new heights, as they continue to find a better way for their team, clients and partners.”

    “Over the years, we have built a highly differentiated offering in the market, rooted in a culture of smart strategic thinking and creative innovation,” said Bansal. “From a young challenger brand in the market to winning Media Agency of the Year, the last five years have been an exhilarating journey. I look forward to continuing forging a future-ready agency, helping clients’ future-proof their businesses and working with the team to produce more industry-leading work.”

    Barua added: “At PHD, our mission has always been about ‘finding a better way’ to produce innovative communications solutions work for our clients. In my new capacity, I look forward to combining gamification techniques with hard-core strategic principles to spark further innovation and deliver stronger business results for our clients.’’

    The promotions are effective immediately.

  • Coverfox signs Taapsee Pannu to promote insurance

    Coverfox signs Taapsee Pannu to promote insurance

    MUMBAI: Insure-tech platform, Coverfox.com, has launched its new TVC ‘Cover Karo, Kaam Aayega’, featuring Taapsee Pannu as the brand ambassador.

    The 30-second creative uses drama, wit and clear messaging, drawing inspiration from day-to-day real life situation, to connect with today’s youth. Executed by Suresh Triveni under the RPF banner, the intent of the campaign is to establish the need for insurance in everyday life and showcase the insurance portfolio available on coverfox.com

    With this campaign, Coverfox aims to introduce consumers to a smarter way of buying insurance. With its algorithm-based recommendation and a world-class product, the company wants to change the way insurance is sold in India. The new India emerging today is digital savvy and values independent thinking. Millennials want to make their own decisions and not be told what to buy. Having technology and product as its strength, Coverfox is poised to encourage the youth and emerge as a platform of choice when it comes to insurance.

    The campaign touches upon all the three verticals of insurance i.e. motor, health and life. The creative subtly indicates the promise of Coverfox, of making insurance simple and fast. It also leaves you with a thought provoking messaging ‘Cover Karo, Kaam Aayega’, which reminds you that insurance is a necessity and not a luxury.

    Coverfox CEO Premanshu Singh says, “Today, there is an increasing number of men raising their voice on issues like financial independence of women, their safety and equality. Hence, it is imperative to present a message that addresses these concerns in unison. And the fact that the creative addresses the serious issue of eve-teasing, which needs to be nipped in the bud, is a great feat achieved by the creative team.”

    Actor and brand ambassador Taapsee Pannu adds, “I loved the fact that the company is encouraging women of today to take matters in their own hands, even the financial ones. Coverfox has been able to make a mark in the online industry and is today seen as a trusted online insurance platform. I was surprised to meet such a young team who are working to make insurance easy.”

  • Publicis.Sapient boosts digital business transformation capability with exec hires

    Publicis.Sapient boosts digital business transformation capability with exec hires

    MUMBAI: Publicis.Sapient, the digital business transformation hub of Publicis Groupe, has recently appointed two new executives from the global retail and technology giants Tesco and Amazon as it grows its capability to help clients build businesses of the future.

    Tilak Doddapaneni will take the position of global head of engineering at Publicis.Sapient. Prior to this, Doddapaneni was online engineering director at Tesco. In his new role, he will report to Publicis Groupe lead digitalbusiness transformation and CEO Nigel Vaz.

    Rakesh Ravuri, who has held a succession of senior engineering roles at Amazon, will join as chief technology officer for programming languages and cloud and global head of engineering for retail. He will play a key leadership role in Publicis.Sapient’s extensive operations in India. Ravuri will report to Doddapaneni. Both Doddapaneni and Ravuri are Sapient alumni.

    Publicis.Sapient EMEA and APAC CEO Nigel Vaz said, “I’m delighted that Tilak and Rakesh will be joining Publicis.Sapient on our journey to build our engineering capability as part of our product engineering approach to deliver digital business transformation for our clients. Tilak has exceptional pedigree as a senior leader driving transformational change for one of the world’s biggest retailers through an appreciation of the power that technology and engineering have, as well as an understanding of how to apply that in the evolution of product and experience.”

    “His wealth of experience makes him the right person to lead the implementation of our agile engineering model globally. Rakesh comes to us having recently successfully led the engineering team that developed Amazon delivery, one of the most significant revenue generating businesses for a global technology and retail leader,” he added.

    Commenting on his new role Doddapaneni said, “As someone who is passionate about engineering and running large software systems, I am excited to return to Sapient, which continues to lead the way as a digital transformation company that uniquely combines strategy, experience and engineering disciplines to help clients reimagine and transform their businesses for a digital age. Building a company that has, develops and attracts world-class engineering talent is what has brought me back to Sapient.”

    Pubilics.Sapient chief technology officer Rakesh Ravuri said, “The industry is at an inflection point and technology has moved from support role to the driver’s seat. Sapient is right at the centre of this, with its focus on digital business transformation. I am excited to have a chance to play a leading role in the engineering transformation both for Sapient and its clients.”

    Doddapaneni will lead the entire technology delivery community across Publicis.Sapient globally. In addition to client success and engineering and delivery excellence, he will focus on the talent development, performance metrics, and breakthrough engineering practices required by digital business transformation clients in their modern test and learn environments.

    Ravuri brings a wealth of knowledge in cloud platforms, service design and agile engineering gained as director of software development at Amazon.