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Tag: Amitesh Rao

  • Ikea rolls out the rainbow rug with ‘Welcome everyone with Pride’ campaign

    Ikea rolls out the rainbow rug with ‘Welcome everyone with Pride’ campaign

    MUMBAI: Ikea India is kicking off Pride Month with a splash of colour and a bold message—everyone is welcome, starting right at the front door. Its new campaign, ‘Welcome Everyone with Pride’, reimagines the humble doormat as a symbol of allyship with the launch of ‘PILLEMARK’ — a rainbow-coloured mat that’s part décor, part declaration.

    Created by Leo India, the accompanying film puts the mat at the centre of the story — showing how a simple object can quiet the questions many LGBTQIA+ individuals face when entering new spaces: Will I be accepted? Am I safe here? The answer, in this case, is literally underfoot.

    Commenting on the video, country integrated media manager, Jayendra Gupta said, “At IKEA, we believe that a true sense of home goes beyond four walls; it’s about feeling accepted, respected, and free to be yourself. With PILLEMARK, we are encouraging people to take a small but powerful step to show that their homes are safe spaces for all. This film is an invitation to every ally, every neighbour, every family to open their hearts, their homes and welcome everyone with pride.”

    “The idea was to enable people to feel welcome even before the door opens. And with PILLEMARK, we got that opportunity. Our attempt was to turn the everyday welcome mat into an everyday movement for inclusion so India could turn their quiet belief into a visible sign of allyship,” said Leo India national creative director Pravin Sutar.

    The campaign is picking up steam on social media, with creators and community voices joining the chorus and showing off their rainbow welcome. Because at Ikea this Pride, it’s not just about opening doors — it’s about opening minds.

     

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    A post shared by IKEA India (@ikea.india)

     

  • Amitesh Rao’s Leo India celebrates topping Warc’s creative rankings for 2025

    Amitesh Rao’s Leo India celebrates topping Warc’s creative rankings for 2025

    Mumbai, 26 March — Leo India has thundered to the top of the global advertising world, clinching the No creative agency 1 spot on the Warc Effectiveness 100 rankings for 2025 with a creative arsenal that’s part marketing magic, part cultural phenomenon.

    The agency’s P&G Whisper’s “The Missing Chapter”,  PepsiCo Lays “Smart Farm,”  Flipkart’s billion-visit masterstroke, and  Mondelez Oreo’s nostalgia-fuelled “#BringBack2011” have all featured in Warc’s top 100 campaigns of the year!

    CCO Publicis Groupe south Asia & chairman Leo South Asia Rajdeepak Das  and  CEO, Leo South Asia, Amitesh Rao shared their thoughts on this remarkable achievement. 

    “Being recognized as the most effective creative agency in the world is incredible because it underlines our core belief that true creative thinking is a force that can effect change for people, for the planet, and for business,” they said. “This is a testament to the culture at Leo India, the talent that calls Leo home, and our amazing clients who, together with us, continue to believe in the power of creativity to impact a billion.”

    “This underlines our core belief that true creative thinking is a force that can effect change for people, for the planet, and for business,” the agency added in a Linkedin post. 
     

  • Acko CMO Ashish Mishra celebrates Grand Effie 2024 win

    Acko CMO Ashish Mishra celebrates Grand Effie 2024 win

    MUMBAI:  Acko’s marketing team, led by chief marketing officer Ashish Mishra, celebrated a remarkable victory at the Effie Awards India 2024, clinching the prestigious Grand Effie, one gold, and three silver awards. The team also secured third place in the overall points tally.

    The Acko Insurance Team

    The standout campaign, Health Insurance ki Subah ho gayi Mamu, featuring the iconic characters Munna and Circuit, was hailed as one of the most innovative marketing efforts in the insurance sector over the past decade.

    Mishra expressed gratitude to Leo Burnett India, including key contributors Abhimanyu, Shailee Raghav, Ashish Spiky, Amitesh Rao, and Rajdeepak Das, for their creativity and collaboration in delivering this industry-defining work.
     

    Acko Insurance

    He further acknowledged the contributions of Acko’s marketing and business teams, noting the support of Rupinderjit, Amit, Chirag, Rohin, Gaurav, and Harish from health, and Mayank, Akhilesh, Kanish, Ajay, and Amol from auto. Special thanks were extended to Sanjeev, Varun, Animesh, and Vishwanath for their guidance.

    Mishra praised team members Nitin, Prateek, Vipin, Lavanya, Gargi, Dushyant, Sanjeev, and Prakhar, calling them “rockstars” and urging them to continue scaling new heights.

    The victory marks the culmination of a five-year journey for the Acko marketing team, reinforcing their reputation for pushing creative boundaries in the insurance industry.

  • Leo Burnett India announces the elevation of Vikram Pandey and Sachin Kamble as chief creative officers

    Leo Burnett India announces the elevation of Vikram Pandey and Sachin Kamble as chief creative officers

    Mumbai – Leo Burnett India, part of the Publicis Groupe India has announced changes to its senior creative leadership with the elevation of  Vikram Pandey and Sachin Kamble from National Creative Directors to Chief Creative Officers for Leo Burnett, South Asia. They will continue to report into Publicis Groupe – South Asia and Chairman CCO and Leo Burnett – South Asia Rajdeepak Das.  

    As national creative directors, Sachin and Vikram have been an integral part of Leo Burnett India’s success story which includes the winning of accolades across national and global platforms for its outstanding work. As Chief Creative Officers, they will lead the creative growth for the agency across its offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru to elevate its creative output and contribute to the agency’s strategic initiatives.

    Commenting on the announcement, Das 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.”

    Adding further, Leo Burnett – South Asia CEO Amitesh Rao said, “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, Leo Burnett – South Asia CCO Sachin Kumble 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, Leo Burnett – South Asia CCO Vikram Pandey said, “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.”

    Pandey has been with Leo Burnett for the past 16 years. He started as a Junior Copywriter at Leo Burnett and over the years, he has been responsible for creating market-moving, category redefining work, be it launching and creating brand Spotify in India, making Acko a new-age insurance brand or more recently developing one of Leo Burnett’s most awarded campaigns – Airtel’s 175 Replayed.

    Kumble has been with Leo Burnett for almost a decade and has been instrumental in creating some of the agency’s biggest work, including the Bajaj V campaign for which Leo Burnett went on to win India’s first effectiveness award at the prestigious Cannes Lions. 

  • Leo Burnett India onboards Anirban Roy as chief strategy officer

    Leo Burnett India onboards Anirban Roy as chief strategy officer

    Mumbai: Leo Burnett India, part of  Publicis Groupe India has strengthened its senior leadership team by appointing Anirban Roy as chief strategy officer. Anirban will report to Leo Burnett – South Asia, CEO Amitesh Rao. The appointment comes from the agency’s unprecedented growth and success in India.

    Commenting on the announcement, Leo Burnett, South Asia CEO Amitesh Rao shared, “The appointment of Anirban is a significant milestone for the agency as it brings together cohesive strategic leadership to Leo Burnett which will play a critical role in our growth ambitions. Anirban brings a wealth of experience, great leadership acumen and a tenacious commitment to excellence which will not only benefit our existing brand partners but help us drive our new business growth plans. He has a proven track record of success, and I am sure that given our diverse set of brands, partnered with his expertise, will set the bar high for the future.”

    Leo Burnett, South Asia CCO, Publicis Groupe, South Asia & chairman Rajdeepak Das added, “What sets Leo Burnett India apart is our approach to creativity – which has always been rooted in people and purpose. Anirban’s appointment reinforces our commitment to our strategic approach to creativity. I would like to welcome Anirban to the Leo Burnett family.”

    Commenting on his appointment, Leo Burnett India chief strategy officer Anirban Roy said, “Leo Burnett is a remarkable brand which has steadily built a pool of top tier talent, creative momentum and has earned a reputation for doing award-winning work that moves the market. These ingredients, along with the stellar leadership team & the enviable client roster is what drew me to Leo Burnett. I am excited to see what we can do together to unlock fame and growth for the brands we serve.”

    Anirban is known for his ability to challenge the status quo & steer brands by keeping things simple yet impactful. He has worked for 21 years across some of the biggest organisations including Ogilvy, McCann and most recently Wieden & Kennedy where he served as head of strategy, India.

    During his career, he has steered brands such as  Amazon, Maggi, Jio 5G, Titan, BMW, Yum Foods, Coke, Sprite and Bingo! – to name a few. His writings have been published in WARC, Economic Times & The Drum. His work has brought in awards at Effies, Cannes, AMEs and D&AD. 

  • Leo Burnett India onboards Rajeev Rakshit as executive director, Bangalore

    Leo Burnett India onboards Rajeev Rakshit as executive director, Bangalore

    Mumbai – Leo Burnett India, part of the Publicis Groupe India, has announced the appointment of Rajeev Rakshit as executive director, Leo Burnett, Bangalore. Rajeev will be reporting to Leo Burnett – South Asia CEO Amitesh Rao and is entrusted with taking the agency forward to the next level across client relationships, solutions, talent and growth. The appointment comes on the back of the agency’s strong partnerships with Bengaluru based clients including Ikea, RedBus, Kingfisher, Heineken, Lenovo, Acko, Flipkart to name a few.

    Speaking about the announcement, Rao said “Leo Burnett is a formidable creative force in Bengaluru with great momentum, energy and ambition, working with some incredible brands, and lucky to have some of the most talented people onboard.  Rajeev comes with a distinctive blend of a future facing orientation, maturity and deep industry knowledge, and we are delighted to have him join us in building on the foundation of our Bengaluru operation to take it to greater heights.”

    Added Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer – Publicis Groupe, South Asia and Chairman – Leo Burnett, South Asia says “The Bangalore team energy is infectious and we currently work with some of the best clients of India from there. We already have Pravin Sutar leading the creative mandate from Bangalore and together with Rajeev who comes with solid hands -on experience, and we are confident of building meaningful solutions for our client partners.”

    Speaking about his appointment, Rakshit commented, “Having had a substantive stint with Leo Burnett in the past, it feels like coming home. The agency’s inspired creativity, portfolio of iconic brands and numerous client success stories has resulted in its staggering momentum and I am excited to be a part of this journey. I have always admired Leo Burnett’s ability to reimagine and redefine industry norms and look forward to collaborating and contributing to propel the agency towards its next significant milestone.”

    Rajeev joins Leo Burnett with over two and a half decades of hands on experience in the field of Upstream Marketing, Strategic Planning, Digital Strategy, Account Management, General Management and Business Head (Country & Region). His last stint was as Group CEO and Managing Partner – Thinking Folks, an independent upstream advertising and marketing solutions organisation. Rajeev has previously worked at Publicis Groupe’s L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett and Publicis in various stints spanning his career.

    He has also worked at JWT/WPP (Global Team Ford) where he was the Managing Partner and India head for GFT an integrated agency created exclusively for Ford; and McCann Erickson India, Saregama (RPG group) and Everest brand solutions. 

  • Amitesh Rao appointed as Leo Burnett South Asia CEO

    Amitesh Rao appointed as Leo Burnett South Asia CEO

    Mumbai: Publicis Groupe South Asia has announced the appointment of Amitesh Rao as the chief executive officer of Leo Burnett South Asia. In this role, Rao’s remit will include all operations of Leo Burnett India including Leo Burnett Orchard, across Mumbai, Gurgaon, Bangalore, Chennai, and rest of South Asia. In addition, he will provide oversight on Publicis Health and Publicis Business. The role will report into Anupriya Acharya, CEO Publicis Groupe South Asia and will work closely with Rajdeepak Das, chief creative officer, Publicis Groupe India and chairman, Leo Burnett South Asia.

    Leo Burnett India has been a premiere, creative powerhouse in the country, known for its iconic advertising and modern, human, and purposeful marketing solutions. Over the last many years, its meteoric rise and trailblazing performance on new business and new-age work has taken it to the top position.

    Rao, with his cross-disciplinary and cross-category experience from various leadership roles, remarkable track record on client businesses and wealth of expertise across technology, data and creativity has been handpicked to lead Leo Burnett South Asia into its next stage of growth and creative ambitions.

    An alumnus of IIM Bangalore, Rao comes with more than 25 years of leadership experience across advertising, marketing and technology entrepreneurship in gaming and simulation. He joins from McCann India where he was the executive director, heading North and West Operations. Prior to this, Rao has also held top positions at TBWA, Rediffusion, and JWT and in his advertising stints worked across markets with marquee clients such as PepsiCo, Airtel, Nestlé, Reckitt, Coke, Mastercard and Nissan.  His marketing and sales experience has been in the Telco and Data space with MTS and RPG.

    Publicis Groupe South Asia CEO Anupriya Acharya said, “I am delighted to welcome Amitesh Rao. We are in an age of constant invention and re-invention and in Amitesh, we found the perfect leader who brings both a thorough appreciation of the power of creativity in building strong brands and an intimate understanding and fluency in diverse languages of technology, gaming, data, and platforms. His easy demeanour and candid attitude are an added asset for clients, our teams and our Groupe’s Power of One agenda. I look forward to working with him.”

    Amitesh Rao said, “I look forward to leading Leo Burnett South Asia in an era where the confluence of technology and creativity is redefining the playing field. With its outstanding creativity and top accolades, a remarkable roster of blue-chip clients and amazing talent pool, the agency offers an incredible canvas. I hope to bring new perspective on client businesses, strengthen seamless solutions and look forward to accelerating growth for Leo Burnett and its clients.”

    Publicis Groupe India chief creative officer and Leo Burnett South Asia chairman Rajdeepak Das said, “Having built Leo Burnett South Asia over the last 10 years and making it synonymous with iconic, inspiring creativity that transforms brands and businesses, I am delighted to find in Amitesh a leader who resonates with LB’s ethos and brings with him strong and diverse experience that can take Leo Burnett South Asia to the next level of success and build on the agency’s stellar offerings. We all look forward to partnering him!”

  • Honda unveils new campaign for utility scooter – CLIQ

    Honda unveils new campaign for utility scooter – CLIQ

    MUMBAI: Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India has rolled out the latest 360 degree campaign – ‘Bade Kaam Ki CLIQ’ for its new Honda CLIQ.

    Developed by TBWA India, the campaign is on air across all popular channels.

    Taking a leap and accelerating the pace of ‘scooterisation’ in the country, Honda introduced CLIQ in the market in June 2017, with an aim to cater to the growing demand from the tier II and III cities in India.

    Honda CLIQ is designed to maximise utility with additional value of comfort and convenience for utilitarian customers.

    The objective of the campaign is to establish Honda CLIQ as a utility vehicle with the tagline of ‘Bade Kaam ki CLIQ’.

    Taking the thought of “Bade Kaam ki CLIQ” forward and targeting rural-urban India for whom value for money holds the highest importance and who look for a practical and convenient 2-wheeler in the 100-110cc segment.

    The campaign took inspiration from some real stories of small town. India’s growth potential is a topic of discussion in every country today, but this growth story is only possible because of one big asset — the emerging Indian who pushes forward every day and fulfils his duties in the hope of climbing up the social ladder.

    One common trait is their progressive mind set and they never consider their work any less important than that of others around them. Therefore, this campaign evokes a sense of pride in emerging India, which pushes the people to move ahead, while beautifully placing Honda CLIQ as the enabler through their journey to success.

    The campaign “Bade Kaam ki CLIQ” focuses on a young IT technician named Bunty who aspires to do bigger things in his life. Bunty is a clear depiction of India’s growth partner who take pride in what they do for others and make a difference to their community. They are the real people of India who push India forward every day.

    Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India senior vice president for sales and marketing Yadvinder Singh Guleria says, “CLIQ is a perfect blend of Practicality, Versatility and value for money. Breaking the price barrier of automatic transmission on two wheels, CLIQ is emerging in the consideration of traditional mind set of the rural motorcycle buyers.”

    “Honda as an automatic scooter leader is taking scooterisation to tier II and III towns and we are happy to partner with them through this campaign,” adds TBWA India executive director Amitesh Rao.

    The campaign will be live on television, print, outdoor, PoS and cinema.