MUMBAI: In an industry known for cutthroat competition, Mumbai’s ad world hit pause on rivalry for one night of pure creative synergy. Portfolio Night 2025, hosted by BBDO, DDB Mudra Group and TBWA India, wasn’t just about portfolios; it was about passion, purpose, and a pinch of personality.
Organised by The One Club for Creativity, the global event gathered students, recent grads and young professionals for a high-energy evening of one-on-one portfolio reviews. In fast-paced 15-minute sessions, hopefuls met top creative directors, got real feedback, and maybe even their big break.
DDB Mudra CCO Rahul Mathew, called it a necessity, not just a vision. “Our only real asset is talent. Events like this help us find, mentor and protect it, and that benefits everyone.
Each participant faced multiple rounds of reviews, rated on ideas, execution, originality, variety, consistency, presentation, and yes, attitude. But it wasn’t all critique and scorecards; it was also about connection.
FCB Group India digital creative partner Kartikeya Tiwari, said he looks beyond the basics, “I look for courage and personality. Most portfolios are skilful, but what stands out is soul.”
For FCB Group India CCO Neville Shah, the future needs boldness, “Some portfolios were too perfect. We need work that surprises us, that makes us say, ‘What is this?’”
Meanwhile, Leo Burnett national creative director Vikram Pandey (Spiky), found hope in the next generation’s openness to technology. “The ones embracing AI are the ones shaping the future. AI won’t take jobs, people who use AI well will.”
Among the buzzing crowd was Shivani Unnikrishnan, a student at École Intuit Lab, who left the night inspired, “It was our first time, and we learned so much. Meeting creative directors gave us new perspectives and confidence.”
At the close of the evening, Kareena and Sumit were crowned Mumbai’s All-Stars. They will now represent the city in the global All-Star programme, competing with winners from around the world. A final win could take them to New York City for a week-long, in-person workshop.
In the end, though, every participant walked away richer, with sharper insights, stronger networks and a renewed sense of creative confidence. Because at Portfolio Night, even rivals agree on one thing: when creativity wins, everyone does.
MUMBAI: Aspiring adlanders, polish those portfolios, your big night is here. ‘The One Club for Creativity’ has opened registrations for ‘Portfolio Night 2025’, with Google on board as exclusive global sponsor. In India, the event will be hosted by BBDO India, DDB Mudra Group and TBWA India. Budding creatives can log in online on 6 October or meet in person on 7 October, with entries closing on 3 October.
Billed as the world’s premier speed-dating event for talent and top creative leaders, Portfolio Night gives young hopefuls the chance to showcase work, receive one-to-one feedback, and even spark their advertising careers.
This year, Google is setting the live brief for the Portfolio Night All-Stars competition. Winners will earn a coveted trip to New York in 2026 to present their campaign during The One Club’s creative week.
On the jury are some of the most celebrated names in Indian advertising, including Josy Paul (BBDO India), Kainaz Karmakar (Ogilvy India), Abhijit Awasthi (Sideways Consulting), Russell Barrett (TBWAIndia), Swati Bhattacharya (Lightbox), Rahul Mathew (DDB Mudra), and Ashish Khazanchi (Enormous), alongside a long list of national creative heavyweights.
With humour, hustle and a shot at global glory, Portfolio Night 2025 promises not just feedback, but a foot firmly in the door of advertising’s big league.
MUMBAI: The world gold council has launched a new campaign in India, aiming to reposition gold jewellery as part of daily life rather than an accessory reserved for weddings and festivals.
Titled ‘The moment is gold’, the campaign targets Gen Z and Millennials, encouraging them to see gold as a reflection of modern lifestyles and as a symbol of small but meaningful moments.
“Our campaign is about creating a new social currency for gold, one that resonates with younger generations,” said world gold council, head of marketing, Arti Saxena. “From a personal victory to a moment of connection, these ‘gold moments’ deserve to be celebrated with the enduring beauty of gold.”
Backed by GJEPC India and created by BBDO India, the film follows a young man at a concert who spots his girlfriend in the crowd by recognising her jewellery, underscoring gold’s quiet presence in everyday experiences.
“Gold has long been linked with life’s milestones,” said BBDO India, chairman and chief creative officer, Josy Paul. “This campaign reframes that tradition by celebrating the spontaneous, golden sparks of daily life.”
The campaign will run across TV, digital, OTT, CTV, social media and print, with WPP Media as the media partner.
Mumbai: McCain Foods India, a prominent frozen food brands, proudly announces the launch of its latest campaign. ‘Shart Mat Lagana’ celebrating the 100 per cent preservative-free nature of its products. This campaign underscores McCain’s dedication to delivering high-quality and wholesome products that families can trust without guilt.
The ‘Shart Mat Lagana’ campaign revolves around McCain Foods’ unwavering commitment to providing preservative-free products. This commitment is realized through the innovative ‘quick freeze’ technology, showcasing the brand’s dedication to delivering high-quality, preservative-free options to consumers.
McCain Retail head of sales and marketing Aditya Krishna expressed, “At McCain Foods, we have consistently aimed to redefine the frozen food snacking landscape by offering 100 per cent preservative-free products. We have harnessed ‘quick freeze’ technology to preserve the natural taste and freshness of our products. Our latest initiative, the ‘Shart Mat Lagana’ campaign, stands as a testament to this commitment, highlighting our resolve to providing families with delicious and convenient snacking experiences without any concerns about preservatives. We are hopeful that this campaign will resonate with our beloved consumers who prioritize unparalleled quality for their delectable snacking experiences.
The campaign features a compelling TVC conceptualised by BBDO, showcasing a family’s delight in McCain products while emphasizing their preservative-free nature. In the commercial, a skeptical family member places a bet against McCain’s preservative-free claim, only to be pleasantly surprised when proven wrong, demonstrating the trustworthiness of McCain’s products.
BBDO chief growth officer Nikhil Mahajan expressed, “In crafting the ‘Shart Mat Lagana’ campaign, our goal was to showcase McCain Foods’ dedication to preserving natural flavor without the use of preservatives. We wanted to convey not just a product message but an experience of trust and delight. This campaign is a celebration of McCain’s commitment to providing wholesome, preservative-free options, and we believe it will leave a lasting impact on consumers, reinforcing McCain’s position as a leader in quality frozen foods.”
McCain Foods has been a pioneer in innovation, leveraging advanced freezing techniques to ensure its products retain natural flavor and freshness without preservatives. This dedication to quality has made McCain a trusted household name, synonymous with delivering delicious frozen treats and upholding the commitment to providing wholesome, preservative-free options for consumers seeking uncompromised quality in every bite.
The campaign is amplified through TVCs, digital platforms, cinema, radio, community marketing, and some snackable content on social media channels.
Mumbai: Omnicom chairman and CEO John Wren has named Aditya Kanthy as CEO of the newly formed Omnicom Advertising Services group in India. Kanthy will oversee Omnicom’s creative agencies in the region, focusing on talent, cross-agency collaboration, and innovation to drive growth in one of the company’s fastest-growing markets. The respective creative agencies within the group – DDB, BBDO and TBWA – will maintain their current branding in the Indian market.
Omnicom Advertising Services will bring together the power of Omnicom to provide exceptional integrated solutions to meet the needs of clients in India. The group will capitalize on the top talent housed within its leading networks and work in partnership with other Omnicom agencies, such as Omnicom Media Group, to further strengthen Omnicom’s comprehensive offering in India. Omnicom recently announced the creation of large global capability centers with four campuses out of Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Gurgaon.
“This year India will become the most populous nation on the planet. It is an important growth engine for Omnicom. By centralizing the leadership of three creative powerhouses under Aditya, we will continue to build on our agencies’ strong foundations to deliver a wider breadth of capability and scale for our clients,” said Omnicom chairman and CEO John Wren. “Aditya brings deep experience to the newly created Omnicom Advertising Services, and our India operations is primed to thrive under his leadership.”
Kanthy, currently CEO of DDB Mudra Group, began his career in Mudra in 2003 as a strategic planner, taking on various responsibilities over the years including Chief Strategy Officer, a role in which he helped shape India’s most successful independent advertising agency into an Omnicom-owned integrated marketing communications group. As the new leader of Omnicom Advertising Services India, he will further strengthen Omnicom’s presence and ensure all of our capabilities are extended to our top clients.
Speaking about this development, Aditya Kanthy said, “Omnicom is the most creative global network in the world. Our agencies represent the enduring power of creativity to build brands and businesses. I look forward to bringing the might of the Omnicom network to clients in India and continue to attract the best creative talent in one of the most exciting markets in the world.”
Mumbai BBDO, the global marketing and communications agency synonymous for its work on many of the world’s most famous brands hosted an exclusive client event in India this week.
The event marked the unveiling of key insights from the latest study on brand purpose in Asia, which was carried out under the agency’s BBDO Voices insights program by BBDO Asia. The study explores the relevance and impact of using brand purpose as an approach to brand positioning and uncovers important by-country nuances that marketers in the region need to navigate to build their brands successfully across markets in the region.
BBDO Voices, now celebrating its 13th year, has provided valuable insights and thought leadership to brand marketers, planners, and creatives in China. This latest study marks the expansion of the program’s coverage to also include other key Asian markets such as South Korea, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, and India.
BBDO Asia CEO TzeKiat Tan highlights the pivotal role of India in the Asian brand landscape, owing to its rapid population growth and dynamic market. She stated, “India holds great significance for us, and in a market as dynamic as this, it’s essential for brands to embrace diverse cultures and consumer perspectives for success. The insights from this study provide us with valuable knowledge to building a strong brand presence in markets like India.”
BBDO India CEO Suraja Kishore added, “The report is revealing in the fact that unlike in developed nations, in developing countries like India people expect brands to go beyond selling. Indian consumers want brands and companies to do their best for the ecosystem they deal in, e.g. if you are an automobile brand then consumers expect you to also look at how can you improve the quality of roads, or how can you enhance safety on the roads or clean toilets on the highway. We believe that brands can have a meaningful impact on society and culture. BBDO Voices will further help marketers, brands and companies build effective purpose-driven brand narratives beyond their own gain when wanting to connect with consumers in India.”
Speaking about BBDO Voices, BBDO India chairman and chief creative officer Josy Paul said “People are looking for meaning not brands. By combining the quantitative data and intelligence of BBDO Voices with the emotional data and deep listening understanding of BBDO India, we can deliver greater connection, conversation and conversion for brands.”
According to BBDO Asia’s latest report, Asian consumers actively seek brands that align with their values and address critical societal topics, such as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), and women empowerment.
Among the four major trends identified to watch are:
1. Climate change to likely speed up the importance of brand purpose. Environment and sustainability issues are the leading social topic Asian consumers want brands to champion the most today. As the effects of global warming intensifies, more consumers will look to brands to embrace a sense of urgency and be part of the solution rather than the problem. When this happens, brand purpose will significantly impact brand and customer relations much more than now.
2. Brand purpose will become De Riguer for marketers as Gen Z Asian consumers come of age and take over society. While traditional mindsets and narratives still persist in the region, those under 25 demonstrate progressive voices on issues like LGBT+ acceptance and advocacy. They will expect brands to be their voice, and brands that do not stand for a social purpose will lose social currency.
3. Brands will increasingly have the same accountability as quasi-government bodies. This is especially true in the developing regions of Asia where consumers are 20 per cent to 40 per cent more likely to have sought out brands due to its perceived impact on society. Here, citizens expect brands to step up and fill gaps which public governance systems often cannot. In this sense, consumers in developing parts of Asia will continue to expect brands to embrace the same agenda as governments.
4. Brand purpose is Asia will have Asian characters. Brand purpose in Asia can never exist in a vacuum. Among those who bought a purpose brand within the three months prior to the survey, 6 out of 10 also bought it for its functional characteristics. To be relevant to the region’s consumers, a brand purpose narrative will always need to be rooted in what the product or service is supposed to functionally deliver. It also needs to be supplemented by rational/functional content along the customer journey.
With its latest study, BBDO Asia hopes to help marketers, brands and companies build effective purpose-driven brand narratives beyond their own gain when wanting to connect with consumers in this region.
To access the full report and gain valuable consumer insights from each country examined, please click here.
Mumbai: The India Chapter of International Advertising Association (IAA) presented the eighth edition of its prestigious IndAA Awards on 1 September at a ceremony hosted at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai.
ABP Network and Sony Pictures Network were the co-partner while Network18 and Jio Cinema were the associate partners for the event.
The awards to honour real advertising that creatively cut through to the market before it could impress the all-client jury saw work by 15 creative agencies take the top honours across 18 product and service categories and one special category.
The awards saw 102 campaigns being shortlisted of which, by design, only one in each category was awarded. In case of close contests the jury awarded joint winners after much deliberation.
Among creative agencies, Leo Burnett, MullenLowe Lintas Group and Ogilvy won three IndIAA Awards each, representing the very best work in that category. BBDO, DDB Mudra and TBWA won two awards each.
Other creative agencies and creators to win an IndIAA Award were Grey Group, Kehat Kabira Pictures, McCann Worldgroup, Publicis Worldwide, Rediffusion, SG Media, Talented, The Script Room, The Womb and Tilt Brand Solutions.
Two HUL brands were among winners, in the Food & Beverage and Personal Care categories. HDFC Life won in Insurance while HDFC Mutual Fund won in Banking & Finance.
Jury chairman and Nestle India chairman & MD Suresh Narayanan said “In my fifth year as the jury chair, I feel intimately acquainted with this room and honoured to be among some of the greatest creative minds in the country- – advertising gurus, communication experts, and marketing wizards.
Narayana presented a short poem titled ‘Jury Chair ka Sambodhan,’ “a reflection of his five years in this esteemed role.” He then went on to recite a few lines of the same in Hindi which received a hearty applause from the audience.
IAA president Avinash Pandey sheds light on how the IndIAA Awards exemplify creative excellence and have set the gold standard for creative awards in India. He stated, “It’s been an intriguing year for arguably the most active industry association of its kind. We’ve demonstrated that our industry can be a catalyst for change, particularly in breaking gender bias. We celebrate the winners reflecting the growing synergy between associations and showcasing the remarkable impact of the communication industry. The positive feedback from young leaders has been heartening, and our industry’s enthusiasm for AdAsia remains strong. We’re organising a delegation led by Sam Balsara for AdAsia 23 in Seoul, the largest event of its kind in Asia.”
IAA IndIAA Awards chairman, Abhishek Karnani said, “IAA Awards are unique because you can’t “enter” them.” A group of seasoned journalists shortlisted 102 campaigns across 19 categories from over a thousand ads. This accomplishes two important goals- first, it ensures that only genuine work is presented to the jury, keeping scam ads at bay, second, it truly democratises the creative process by not charging an entry fee, making fundraising for this grand event a challenging task.”
He further said, what sets the IAA awards apart is that they are judged by senior marketers who own and invest in the brands. We showcase the transformative power of communication for our beloved country and society, embodying IAA’s unwavering belief in the ability of communication to drive change.
IAA honoured Ayushmann Khurrana as the “Most Disruptive Brand in Entertainment Industry”. On questioning his criteria while choosing a Brand, he replied, “I believe before taking on a brand it resonates with the credibility of my films. Credibility is everything. I think only going with commercials will be very myopic. My father once told me, ‘Goddess Saraswati comes before Goddess Lakshmi. I always go like that. If you earn respect, nothing like that.”
Speaking about being an outsider in Bollywood, he said that the first choice had to be truly different and clatter-breaking. “I’ll never get a second chance being an outsider. So it’s all about the choices you make eventually. Everybody is hard-working and talented. It’s the kind of opportunities you get and firmly success is nothing but when preparation meets opportunity,” he avers.
The Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) felicitated the all-India winners of its maiden Changemakers For Good Awards at the IndIAA Awards 2023. These meaningful awards are to salute those individuals and companies in the communication space who have used their talent to make the world a better place.
The winners for the four categories were:
● Advertising (for transformational messages) – Lowe Lintas for their International Women’s Day 2022 entry.
● Government (for transformational messaging by a Government arm). –RK Swamy Associated for State Bank of India.
● Industry Leader (someone who led societal change in the last few years).- CVL Srinivas, Country Head, WPP Group.
● Innovation (where technology or approach made the difference) – Lowe Lintas for International Women’s Day 2022.
Mumbai: Milkbasket has rolled out a new campaign in partnership with BBDO India. The campaign spreads the message that no matter what life throws your way, one thing is for certain: there’s always a way to save the day. Through six short videos, BBDO India captures and brings to life a number of everyday life scenarios we can all truly relate to, from weight gain to unexpected invited guests to the unfortunate consequences of a night out—sure to make anyone smile.
Speaking about the association, Milksbasket co-founder Yatish said, “Milkbasket, as a brand, represents reliability and convenience. We always strive to live up to our promise of an assured delivery of daily essentials by 7 a.m. every morning, come what may. Our customers frequently express how much Milkbasket has simplified their home management. That’s why we wanted to develop a fresh new campaign that honoured how our customers feel about us and how much we care about them and their daily lives. I wanted a refreshing take on our everyday life scenarios—something that is crisp, short, witty, and memorable. I am glad about the work put in by our brand team and BBDO on this campaign. I believe this campaign would leave behind millions of smiles.”
Adding to it, BBDO chief growth officer and general manager Nikhil Mahajan says, “Milkbasket has a very unique offering, solving a problem that probably every household faces. That, combined with our age-old tradition of having essentials bought or delivered early in the morning, makes for a great positioning platform that’s high on both relevance and relatability. As we scale up the service across multiple cities, the task of hyper-localising the brand and finding cultural roots in the everyday behaviour of our TG is the key opportunity and objective that we are going after. We are working very closely with the team at Milkbasket to create a national power brand that is truly regional in its behaviour. It’s been a super exciting journey, and I’m looking forward to the results this campaign brings to the business.”
Talking about the creative thought, BBDO Delhi chief commercial officer Krishna Mani said, “This insight of making mornings good came from the personal experiences of the team working on the brand. Everyone in the team is a frequent user of the Milkbasket app, and they swear by it. The feeling of waking up and finding your Milkbasket packet at your door, complete with everything you need for the day, just makes mornings that much better. Good morning should really be said because it’s a good morning!”
Mumbai: In the hope to create awareness and ease the pressure faced by delivery executives of quick commerce who are tasked to complete their orders quickly, Ralco Tyres, one of India’s leading automotive tyre brands, has introduced a new initiative titled #NoPressureDelivery.
The initiative, which is put in place by BBDO, urges users to make a simple change – by writing ‘No Pressure Delivery’ as part of their delivery instruction thereby lifting the pressure on the rider to deliver the users’ order in a rush. Also, this way, the apps would know that users are willing to wait for a little longer ensuring the safety of the rider.
Launched through a short video featuring actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood, the brand empathises with delivery executives who spend most of their working hours on roads braving uneven roads, rains, traffic and risk of accidents. The brand highlights that pressure should be applied to tyres and not people.
The initiative is a follow-up to the year-long campaign that highlights Ralco Tyres’ ability to handle extreme pressures of the roads. Reacting to the campaign, Ralson India director Manjul Pahwa said, “At Ralco, we make tyres that can handle any and every pressure, so we understand the pressure that delivery executives go through each day. “No Pressure Delivery” is an initiative that we hope will help ease the pressure on the delivery riders and spark a much-needed conversation.”
Ralson India vice president- marketing communications Yogeshwar Sharma, added, “In an era dominated by social media, Ralco Tyres has chosen to bring to the fore social and human angles of certain deserving subjects of commerce and trade. Risk to the life of delivery boys in meeting tight timelines is one subject which Ralco has recently raked up for social conversations through philanthropist Sonu Sood. We hope this drive leads to a social change and the concept of ‘No Pressure Deliver’ catches up to bring respite to the growing community of delivery boys.”
Speaking of how the idea came to light, BBDO India chief creative officer Hemant Shringy said, “When we joined hands with Ralco more than four years ago, together we crafted the brand’s ideology of ‘Tread New Paths’. And with each piece of work we’ve done since, we attempted to make a difference. With #NoPressureDelivery the brand takes a thought leadership stance. While it’s amazing that there are constant innovations and new offerings in the world, it’s important to pause and think, do we really need this? Is this sustainable? No Pressure Delivery is a humane plea in the tech-enabled world.”
BBDO India general manager & executive vice president Priyanka Rishi added, “We believe brands can impact societal narratives. Hence, we keep a sharp look-out for evolving behaviours that might need to be questioned, reshaped or reframed. In today’s context, #NoPressureDelivery is one such important conversation. Grateful for brave client partners at Ralco Tyres who hold the same belief and want to drive positive change.”
Delivery riders face immense pressure to deliver your order in few minutes. Help reduce the pressure on them by writing #NoPressureDelivery as your delivery instruction. Because at #RalcoTyres, we believe that pressure should be applied on tyres, not people. pic.twitter.com/WSHonENxMi
Mumbai: WhatsApp has launched the India edition of its global brand campaign to create awareness about its interlocking layers of protection that offer people more privacy and control over their conversations while messaging.
The campaign focuses on educating users on WhatsApp’s built-in layers of privacy protection that have been added over the years, including three new privacy features: leaving groups silently; controlling who can see when you’re online; and screenshot blocking for ‘view once’ messages.
The new features were announced earlier this month as part of a global campaign, adding to a host of existing privacy features and demonstrating how WhatsApp’s multiple layers of privacy controls come together to provide users more protection when having a truly private conversation when messaging.
Conceptualised by BBDO India and directed by Prakash Varma, the campaign film brings alive a heartwarming exchange between a father and son in an intensely personal moment, showing how WhatsApp’s built-in layers of protection allow them the privacy and security to have a meaningful conversation when it matters the most.
Embed Link: https://youtu.be/EcEZCWyfFCc
The film depicts WhatsApp’s promise and strength of “privacy” through features like end-to-end encryption, two-step verification, and hidden online presence, enabling the duo to express themselves freely despite being surrounded by crowds in a restaurant or football stadium.
Talking about the campaign, Meta India director-marketing Avinash Pant said, “At WhatsApp, privacy is in our DNA and over the years, we have consistently added layers of protection through product-features that empower people with more control over their messages. This is our way of extending awareness and assurance to our users on how the new and existing built-in layers of protection help you message freely without compromising on your privacy.”
He added, “We want users to know that they always have a safe and private space on WhatsApp, no matter where they are! We feel it’s a great privilege that two billion people around the world trust WhatsApp to deliver their personal messages every day, and this campaign is an affirmation of WhatsApp’s continued commitment to protecting their private conversations.”
Commenting on the campaign and its creative treatment, BBDO India chair and chief creative officer Josy Paul said, “WhatsApp’s mission is to connect the world privately, and this campaign captures the essence of people feeling empowered to have private conversations even during vulnerable moments because their messages remain protected and secure.”
Speaking on the film, he said, “The film demonstrates WhatsApp being that ‘safe space’ for people like the father and son who have a very private and emotional conversation amidst hordes of people. You don’t know the exact exchange between the characters, you can’t see their messages because they’re private, but the simple shots of crowds disappearing, doors locking, CCTVs turning away, demonstrate how WhatsApp’s privacy features continue to provide the much-needed intimacy and protection throughout their most private moments.”
Over the coming weeks, WhatsApp aims to educate users on each privacy feature through short films, which will highlight their benefits and the steps to activate them, so that users can take advantage of WhatsApp’s built-in layers of protection.
