ITV

Tag: Asheesh Malhotra

  • Capri Loans puts the spotlight on India’s unsung hustlers with #TarrakiKeHaath

    Capri Loans puts the spotlight on India’s unsung hustlers with #TarrakiKeHaath

    MUMBAI — In a stirring new campaign titled #TarrakiKeHaath, Capri Loans salutes the unsung engines of India’s economy — the self-employed, the small shopkeepers, the dhaba owners, the carpenters and countless others who fuel the country’s daily hustle with grit and graft.

    Anchored by actor and brand ambassador Pankaj Tripathi, the campaign zooms in on the hands that toil quietly but relentlessly — stitching dreams, steering livelihoods, and shaping aspirations. Directed by Rediffusion brand solutions, the film is a visual homage to the working hands of Bharat, set to a grounded narration that exudes dignity, warmth, and resolve.

    The campaign isn’t just sentiment — it underscores Capri Loans’ commitment to delivering grassroots financial inclusion. With over 1,100 branches and 7.2 lakh+ customers, the non-banking financial company is doubling down on its core mission: making credit accessible to those often overlooked by traditional banks.

    From MSME loans and gold loans to affordable housing finance, Capri Loans is backing India’s enterprising middle with tech-enabled solutions that go beyond just lending — combining data science, AI, and empathy to make borrowing faster, smarter and more human.

    “At Capri Loans, we don’t just finance livelihoods — we fuel aspirations,” said Capri Loans head marketing, Nishant Gehlot. “Capri Loans is committed to democratizing credit and bringing financial services to those who have long been underserved. #TarrakiKeHaath is a tribute to individuals whose contribution to the economy is vital yet often overlooked. This campaign reflects our brand’s ethos of inclusivity, access, and trust — values we live by in our journey to empower every Indian hand that dreams of growth. Pankaj Tripathi has been our brand ambassador for 3 years now, and his association not only lends more relatability to the narrative, but also strengthens brands connect with our audience.”

    Echoing the sentiment, Rediffusion Brand Solutions national creative director Pramod Sharma added, “The idea for #TarrakiKeHaath emerged from what we see around us every day—millions of Indians working with quiet dignity and extraordinary resilience. The creative expression focuses on their hands, which bear the mark of both toil and hope. Capri Loans’ vision to empower this segment gave us the perfect canvas to tell these stories with emotional truth and impact.”

    Adding further, Rediffusion Brand Solutions executive director Asheesh Malhotra said, “At Rediffusion, our strategy for #TarrakiKeHaath was rooted in creating an emotional connection with Capri Loans’ core audience—unsung professionals driving Bharat’s growth. By focusing on their hands, we symbolized both their resilience and aspirations. This campaign is designed to deepen Capri Loans’ brand equity, especially in urban and semi-urban markets, while reinforcing its commitment to democratizing credit. Through authentic storytelling and powerful visuals, we have positioned Capri Loans as a true enabler of growth and dreams for India’s hardworking individuals.”

    #TarrakiKeHaath will roll out across television, print, and digital platforms in multiple languages, aiming to drive deep emotional resonance in both metros and Bharat’s heartland. With its grounded storytelling and laser-sharp media plan, Capri Loans hopes to win more than visibility — it wants to win trust.

    Because in India’s growth story, it’s not just the big names that matter — it’s the calloused hands behind every small win.

  • Next by Rediffusion names Asheesh Malhotra as executive director

    Next by Rediffusion names Asheesh Malhotra as executive director

    MUMBAI: Next by Rediffusion has roped in Asheesh Malhotra as its executive director. Asheesh joins the Rediffusion group from Dentsu. The launch of Next was announced by Rediffusion on 15 August.

    With over 25 years of experience in the advertising industry, Asheesh has worked in leadership roles at Dentsu, Ogilvy, Lowe and Bates. He has straddled strategy and business functions on global & local businesses alike. He helped launch India’s first private life insurance company, ICICI Pru. He led global business hubs for Castrol and BP across Europe, Asia and also the business of Unilever beverages.

    Asheesh has over the years won the prestigious Effie awards for Unilever, ICICI Pru, Mondelez in India and APAC regions. He has also worked on the launch of Royal Enfield Meteor and Classic and Malabar Gold’s Brides Of India campaigns.

    Additionally, he teaches marketing and advertising students at institutes like SP Jain and Northpoint Center of Learning. He is also on the advisory councils of a couple of universities, and an active member of Intach.

    Asheesh did his schooling at St Edwards in Shimla and went on to pursue his higher studies at Delhi University. Thereafter, he attended the New York Film Academy and studied film and content development. Asheesh is also a certified apple orchardist having grown up in the pristine Kullu valley.

    Welcoming Asheesh Malhotra to Next by Rediffusion, Rediffusion group managing director Dr Sandeep Goyal said, “In Asheesh, we have a true blue-blooded professional who has worked across categories, domains, brands and geographies. I have personally worked with him during his earlier stint at Rediffusion when he was handling the Taj hotels business nearly 20 years ago. We again worked together when he led the Toyota business in Bangalore at Dentsu. Asheesh is client-focused, strategically strong and very good with creative teams. The assignment at Next by Rediffusion is just right for him – a combination of innovation and experience”.

    “This is my second innings at Rediffusion. I love the easy informality at the agency. Also, the wide canvas afforded everyone to do their best. Next by Rediffusion is a rare opportunity for me to create a completely new metaphor in advertising and communication. All soonicorns and unicorns, despite their size and apparent success, need a lot of help with brand building and ideation. We will do just that at Next by Rediffusion”, added Asheesh Malhotra.

    Asheesh Malhotra will be based in Mumbai. Next Rediffusion aims to have offices pan-India in the next 18-24 months.

  • Dentsu India ropes in Asheesh Malhotra to head Mumbai division

    Dentsu India ropes in Asheesh Malhotra to head Mumbai division

    MUMBAI: As part of its strategic intent to bolster operations, Dentsu India has roped in Asheesh Malhotra to head its Mumbai office. He will report to Dentsu India CEO Simi Sabhaney.

    With over 20 years of experience across leading agencies including Mullen Lowe Lintas Group, Bates CHI Partners and Ogilvy, Asheesh has been instrumental in building brands such as Unilever, Mondelez , ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, Castrol, BP, and Toyota.

    His last stint was as executive director at PointNine Lintas, Mullen Lowe Lintas Group. He has also won accolades like the Effie’s, Kyoorius, and Spikes in India and the Asia Pacific region.

    On his appointment, Sabhaney said, “We are truly delighted to have Asheesh come on board to lead the Mumbai operations. His experience of having led omni channel functions makes him the perfect choice in line with our growth strategy and the changing media landscape.”

    Commenting on his new role, Malhotra said, “My focus will be on building new partnerships and growing our existing client relationships. I believe that the age of transformation (from traditional to digital or vice versa) is over. If you haven’t hopped on to that wagon yet, you best not. You cannot be running an agency with a siloed mindset. DAN, with its true One P&L structure, has integration at its core and it brings together the best of creative minds, media, data and technology to bring the best ideas and value to our clients. In today’s context, this is true integration and I am truly excited to be part of this journey.”

  • GolinOpinion appoints Asheesh Malhotra as ED

    MUMBAI: Asheesh Malhotra has parted ways with advertising to pursue a career shift. He leaves his role as president at Bates CHI & Partners to join GolinOpinion, the PR division of PointNine Lintas, as the executive director. This marks a significant shift for Malhotra, who’s spent his entire career in creative agencies, as he ventures into the landscape of PR. At GolinOpinion, he will lead the strategic planning function and oversee the agency’s social media centre-of-excellence, the Bridge.

    PointNine Lintas CEO Vikas Mehta said: “Convergence of marketing disciplines is here to stay. An omni-channel marketing plan today is incomplete without elements like advocacy and conversations. To stay relevant, PR firms need brand practitioners in addition to PR experts. Asheesh has built blue-chip brands while working with India’s two most respected agencies, Lowe Lintas and Ogilvy. We’re delighted to have him back in the Lintas family and look forward to his contribution in further strengthening PointNine Lintas’ PR service-stack.”

    Asheesh joins GolinOpinion from the Ogilvy group where he was the president, Bates CHI&Partners heading its Mumbai and Delhi offices. He was earlier a unit head looking after a large Unilever portfolio as well heading a global hub for Castrol and BP at Ogilvy. A new business junkie, he was also leading the growth agenda for Bates. Prior to that, he spent fruitful eight years in the Mumbai office of Lowe Lintas, leading the ICICI Prudential and J&J businesses.

    As the executive director, Malhotra will report to Ameer Ismail – GoinOpinion president & PointNine Lintas chief growth officer. Ismail said, “A senior professional, strategist and well-respected leader who has worn many hats in advertising is going to lead this audacious vision.”

    Malhotra said, “Credibility of brands, people and institutions is being challenged every day. In this thin-skinned world, PR holds a huge responsibility of being both, a shield and the statesman that shapes conversations, communities and culture.”

    Responsible for a national mandate, Malhotra has joined GolinOpinion with immediate effect and will be based out of Mumbai.

  • Jabong’s ‘Be You’ trumpets unique fashion statements

    Jabong’s ‘Be You’ trumpets unique fashion statements

    MUMBAI: A bearded man flaunting an elaborate and glittery nose-ring, a woman donning a shirt as a ‘pagri’, and a man wearing his jacket as pants. Sounds familiar? No? Well, that’s the point. Or at least the ‘statement’ that Jabong is trying to make with its new 2 minute long video that takes its brand statement ‘Be You’ to a whole new level.

     

    Conceptualised by Bates CHI & Partners, the film takes viewers on a picturesque journey of fashion, style, colour and uniqueness, be it through very obvious stereotype breakers or subtle hints at breaking the mould. Whatever be the complicated collective thought behind the campaign, (left to the viewer’s interpretation), it took the production team five days of prep work and a day of shoot at a ‘desi’ Mumbai studio to churn out this 2 minuter. A forty seconds version of the ad will also run as a TV spot. The quick shoot could also be due to availability of dates from London based award winning film, creative & art director Harvey B Brown of the IndiGo Airlines and Incredible India fame, who shot this ad film.

    Breaking down what his vision behind the campaign was and what he saw through his lens, Brown said, “Fashion can be bold and brave and yet be within reach. Through this campaign, I want to break the stereotypes that limit the very creative expression that is needed to make a truly personalized fashion statement. Beauty in advertising is usually defined to fit set criteria. I wanted our styling to be contrarian and inspirational. So you’ll see young men and women wear shirts as colourful turbans, sweatshirts as pants, men’s trousers as women’s jackets, and so on,” said Brown. Apart from the artfully shot frames, what is hard to miss is the semi ethnic trance like music that plays in the background, scored by well-known music composer and Abby winner Sameeruddin. The mandate from the client was simple, or rather there wasn’t any strict mandate to begin with. But there was an idea. “They were not looking at yet another campaign that talks about the great offers, deals, or the range of the ecommerce site’s inventory; or the advantages of online buying,” spoke out Bates CHI & Partners president Asheesh Malhotra. “Jabong clearly wanted the campaign to speak to the youth directly and bring in their perspective of fashion in the limelight. The campaign emphasises on Jabong’s brand statement ‘Be You’ and be comfortable in their own skin. So here was a client more interested in building a brand through a campaign, rather than a short term quarterly goal of sales,” he shared, adding that the campaign talks in language the youth of today speak, a language that is devoid of bias based on gender, size, ethnicity, etc.

    A recent market research done by MTV titled ‘Many Me Project also spoke of the plurality that exists in abundance in today’s Indian youth, a reflection of which can be seen in Jabong’s campaign. “This campaign marks the beginning of a new chapter for Jabong. Youth today are confident, comfortable in their skin and ready to make bold choices. They want to be fashionable, yet not be slaves to a trend. You could be skinny, plus sized, bold, meek, short or tall – but you are who you are – and fashion helps you Be You. This campaign celebrates their choices, and makes our brand philosophy much more relevant in the current context. After strengthening our fundamentals in last few months, we are bringing the focus back to our brand,” said Jabong CEO and MD Sanjeev Mohanty.

    Reiterating the same thoughts, Malhotra elaborated, “Today’s youth have an opinion and they are not afraid to speak it out. And fashion to them is about being comfortable in their own skin and making a statement as well. Otherwise, there really isn’t anything differentiating the many options we have to buy clothes online. You go to Koovs, you go to Myntra, you go to any other site under the sun, and buy the same piece of cloth. What differentiates Jabong is its understanding of the youth’s sense of fashion. Consumers can buy a full cloth and chose to wear just the sleeve, and Jabong is cool with that. That’s what’s ‘Jabong’ about their fashion statement.” This isn’t the first time an online retail brand has opted to take up the ‘bold’ approach. Going bold also has its downside. Trying too hard to steer clear of the stereotypes can be dangerous. It can altogether put you in another box of ‘different for the sake’. “It’s not about rebelling against or for a certain cause. Or forcefully connecting fashion with homosexuality or treatment of pregnant women in our society just for the sake of the stir it will create,” pointed out Malhotra, heavily hinting on Myntra’s ‘Bold Is Beautiful’ campaign.

    Does dressing models in attractive and eye-catchy clothes, and painting them in bold colors achieve that much needed reasoning behind ‘breaking stereotypes’?, we asked Malhotra. “Our focus was fashion and the spectrum that it covers. Sure, there is a lot of extremes shown in the video. We didn’t want to go out of our way to show extremes in fashion, but until and unless we depict a cross section of people with unique fashion sense that is natural for them, we we would miss the nerve of the campaign,” Malhotra justified. Bates CHI & Partners won the account for Jabong’s creative mandate not too long ago in March, and has already planned to go long term with the brand. The agency already has another video in store, shot and ready to be released by first week of July.

  • Jabong’s ‘Be You’ trumpets unique fashion statements

    Jabong’s ‘Be You’ trumpets unique fashion statements

    MUMBAI: A bearded man flaunting an elaborate and glittery nose-ring, a woman donning a shirt as a ‘pagri’, and a man wearing his jacket as pants. Sounds familiar? No? Well, that’s the point. Or at least the ‘statement’ that Jabong is trying to make with its new 2 minute long video that takes its brand statement ‘Be You’ to a whole new level.

     

    Conceptualised by Bates CHI & Partners, the film takes viewers on a picturesque journey of fashion, style, colour and uniqueness, be it through very obvious stereotype breakers or subtle hints at breaking the mould. Whatever be the complicated collective thought behind the campaign, (left to the viewer’s interpretation), it took the production team five days of prep work and a day of shoot at a ‘desi’ Mumbai studio to churn out this 2 minuter. A forty seconds version of the ad will also run as a TV spot. The quick shoot could also be due to availability of dates from London based award winning film, creative & art director Harvey B Brown of the IndiGo Airlines and Incredible India fame, who shot this ad film.

    Breaking down what his vision behind the campaign was and what he saw through his lens, Brown said, “Fashion can be bold and brave and yet be within reach. Through this campaign, I want to break the stereotypes that limit the very creative expression that is needed to make a truly personalized fashion statement. Beauty in advertising is usually defined to fit set criteria. I wanted our styling to be contrarian and inspirational. So you’ll see young men and women wear shirts as colourful turbans, sweatshirts as pants, men’s trousers as women’s jackets, and so on,” said Brown. Apart from the artfully shot frames, what is hard to miss is the semi ethnic trance like music that plays in the background, scored by well-known music composer and Abby winner Sameeruddin. The mandate from the client was simple, or rather there wasn’t any strict mandate to begin with. But there was an idea. “They were not looking at yet another campaign that talks about the great offers, deals, or the range of the ecommerce site’s inventory; or the advantages of online buying,” spoke out Bates CHI & Partners president Asheesh Malhotra. “Jabong clearly wanted the campaign to speak to the youth directly and bring in their perspective of fashion in the limelight. The campaign emphasises on Jabong’s brand statement ‘Be You’ and be comfortable in their own skin. So here was a client more interested in building a brand through a campaign, rather than a short term quarterly goal of sales,” he shared, adding that the campaign talks in language the youth of today speak, a language that is devoid of bias based on gender, size, ethnicity, etc.

    A recent market research done by MTV titled ‘Many Me Project also spoke of the plurality that exists in abundance in today’s Indian youth, a reflection of which can be seen in Jabong’s campaign. “This campaign marks the beginning of a new chapter for Jabong. Youth today are confident, comfortable in their skin and ready to make bold choices. They want to be fashionable, yet not be slaves to a trend. You could be skinny, plus sized, bold, meek, short or tall – but you are who you are – and fashion helps you Be You. This campaign celebrates their choices, and makes our brand philosophy much more relevant in the current context. After strengthening our fundamentals in last few months, we are bringing the focus back to our brand,” said Jabong CEO and MD Sanjeev Mohanty.

    Reiterating the same thoughts, Malhotra elaborated, “Today’s youth have an opinion and they are not afraid to speak it out. And fashion to them is about being comfortable in their own skin and making a statement as well. Otherwise, there really isn’t anything differentiating the many options we have to buy clothes online. You go to Koovs, you go to Myntra, you go to any other site under the sun, and buy the same piece of cloth. What differentiates Jabong is its understanding of the youth’s sense of fashion. Consumers can buy a full cloth and chose to wear just the sleeve, and Jabong is cool with that. That’s what’s ‘Jabong’ about their fashion statement.” This isn’t the first time an online retail brand has opted to take up the ‘bold’ approach. Going bold also has its downside. Trying too hard to steer clear of the stereotypes can be dangerous. It can altogether put you in another box of ‘different for the sake’. “It’s not about rebelling against or for a certain cause. Or forcefully connecting fashion with homosexuality or treatment of pregnant women in our society just for the sake of the stir it will create,” pointed out Malhotra, heavily hinting on Myntra’s ‘Bold Is Beautiful’ campaign.

    Does dressing models in attractive and eye-catchy clothes, and painting them in bold colors achieve that much needed reasoning behind ‘breaking stereotypes’?, we asked Malhotra. “Our focus was fashion and the spectrum that it covers. Sure, there is a lot of extremes shown in the video. We didn’t want to go out of our way to show extremes in fashion, but until and unless we depict a cross section of people with unique fashion sense that is natural for them, we we would miss the nerve of the campaign,” Malhotra justified. Bates CHI & Partners won the account for Jabong’s creative mandate not too long ago in March, and has already planned to go long term with the brand. The agency already has another video in store, shot and ready to be released by first week of July.

  • Asheesh Malhotra joins Bates CHI&Partners as Mumbai head

    Asheesh Malhotra joins Bates CHI&Partners as Mumbai head

    MUMBAI: Bates CHI&Partners has appointed Asheesh Malhotra as president and head of its Mumbai office.

     

    Malhotra will report to CEO Srikanth VS and will work closely with chief strategy officer Sourabh Mishra and chief creative officer Manmohan Anchan (Maac), NCD Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar and other members of the management team to drive the India growth agenda.

     

    Srikanth said, “Asheesh is one of the most talented people in our business today. In particular, he shines at growing existing client relationships and winning new business. His appointment is key to our growth agenda, by demonstrating fully our ability to deliver ‘Big Ideas for Ambitious Brands’.”

     

    Malhotra with 18 years of experience, including his term with Ogilvy Mumbai from where he moves to Bates CHI&Partners, saw him leading the business on the largest Unilever portfolio  – the beverages division for south Asia. Besides Unilever, he also led the Castrol lubricants global hub in India, BP corporate and a clutch of financial businesses – Bank of India, SBI Life Insurance and Federal Bank.

     

    Anew business junkie Malhotra said, “Bates CHI&Partners is a true blue new model agency. It breaks the traditional mould of ‘in-house only talent and resources’, and instead practices true collaboration by pulling together the best resources that the world has to offer, especially in the disciplines of digital, social and retail. As a result, we can offer solutions that are designed to break through more quickly, thus saving clients loads of media bucks. Recent interactions with clients have reaffirmed the need for such a nimble and creative agency model.”

     

    From 2001 to 2009, Malhotra worked at Lowe Mumbai where he headed the Prudential Life Insurance brand since its inception in India.