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Tag: Raj Kamble

  • Raj Kamble takes the chair as ANDYs’ first Indian Asia head

    Raj Kamble takes the chair as ANDYs’ first Indian Asia head

    MUMBAI: When it comes to big ideas, Raj Kamble now has the best seat in the house. The founder & CCO of Famous Innovations has been named the Asia Chair for the 2026 ANDYs Regionals, a first for India in the award show’s history.

    Joining Kamble on the global roster of Regional Chairs are Yaa Boateng (Africa), Youri Guerassimov (Europe), Josefina Casellas (LATAM), Emma Robbins (Pacific) and Federico Fanti (SWANA), forming a jury line-up that spans every creative corner of the globe.

    Far from a run-of-the-mill awards programme, the ANDYs Regionals flip the script: entry is free, with fees kicking in only if the work is shortlisted for the global show. And the track record is enviable 90 per cent of ANDYs-winning ideas later go on to win at Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Clios and other heavyweight festivals.

    “I’m thrilled to be chairing the Asia Jury at this year’s ANDY Awards Regionals. The ANDYs have always stood for fearless creativity and bold ideas. With 90 per cent of this jury having served as Jury Presidents at shows like Cannes Lions, D&AD and The One Show, we have the chance to not only recognise but also advocate for groundbreaking work from Asia. Let’s push creative boundaries together and make waves on the global stage,” said Famous Innovations founder & CCO Raj Kamble.

    By design, the ANDYs are more than a gong show, they’re an advocacy platform for creativity, ensuring winning work doesn’t just get applauded regionally but also gains momentum globally. With Kamble at the helm for Asia, expect some bold ideas from the region to earn their rightful place on advertising’s world stage.

  • Jury duty or ad brief? Raj Kamble lays down the real test of creative craft at Goafest

    Jury duty or ad brief? Raj Kamble lays down the real test of creative craft at Goafest

    MUMBAI: It was less red carpet, more war room as Famous Innovations founder & CCO Raj Kamble took centre stage on Day three of Goafest 2025. Speaking at the session titled ‘What Ignited the Jury Room?’, Kamble broke down the behind-the-scenes chaos, chemistry, and cold truths of judging at one of the industry’s most-watched award marathons.

    With over 500 entries to sift through in just three days, Kamble said the pressure was nothing short of a creative crucible. “You have 15 restless judges, limited sleep, and 30-second coffees. It’s not glamorous. It’s gladiatorial”, he quipped, setting the tone for an unfiltered dive into how work truly gets weighed.

    At the heart of his message was a blunt reminder: industry cliques still exist. “Networks can feel like cartels. But craft can still break through if it punches above its weight”, Kamble remarked. He urged creators to think of their case study videos not as routine documentation but as persuasive pitches. “It’s your best ad – and the jury is your target audience”.

    In a time-crunched jury room, the first few seconds can make or break a campaign. Kamble emphasised, “Hook them in the first seven seconds. Don’t save your best for last – they may not get there”.

    He challenged the cookie-cutter rulebook too. “There’s no law that says your case study has to be two minutes long. If your story needs three, take it. If it needs one, be sharper”.

    Most importantly, he differentiated between ideas and execution. “A strong idea can fail because of poor storytelling. Show the change, not just the communication”.

    Closing his talk, Kamble urged agencies to honour both their ambition and their audience. “Don’t just chase a Lion. Chase impact. That’s what gets the jury talking”.

  • Ad Club names Deshpande, Chakravarty, Kamble and Khazanchi as jury chairs for Abby Awards 2025

    Ad Club names Deshpande, Chakravarty, Kamble and Khazanchi as jury chairs for Abby Awards 2025

    MUMBAI: The adland gods are assembling—and they’ve got a brief to judge. The Advertising Club has unveiled a glittering lineup of jury chairs for the Abby Awards 2025 powered by One Show, naming four creative titans to lead key categories ahead of India’s most anticipated industry celebration at Goafest this May.

    The new jury cohort includes Ashwini Deshpande, Ashish Chakravarty, Raj Kamble, and Ashish Khazanchi—each a bonafide heavyweight with enough trophies to sink a conference table.

    Elephant co-founder & director Deshpande takes charge of the design category. A pioneering force in India’s design scene, Deshpande has spent 35 years building one of the country’s most respected independent design consultancies. With a résumé thicker than a Pantone swatch book, she’s judged Cannes Lions, The One Show, Spikes Asia, and LIA, among others. She currently serves on the jury for Singapore Good Design Awards 2025 and mentors start-ups via TiE.

    McCann Worldgroup executive director & India head of creative Chakravarty will lead the Audio jury. The man’s got over 500 awards under his belt—One Show, Cannes, Clio, D&AD, you name it—and has chaired or served on nearly every awards jury worth attending. Known for blending big ideas with brand precision, Chakravarty brings sonic sensibilities and sharp storytelling instincts to the panel.

    Out of home and ambient? That’s Kamble’s turf. Famous Innovations founder & CCO has made a career out of smashing boundaries—from Lowe London to BBDO New York to founding one of India’s most disruptive independent agencies. His awards shelf holds over 150 trophies including Cannes and One Show golds, and his agency has bagged South Asia Independent Agency of the Year nine times in a row. Now that’s a media buy with ROI.

    Enormous Brands managing partner & CCO Khazanchi takes charge of the Direct category. He’s the brain behind iconic brand launches like Tata Sky’s Jingalala and Lenskart’s first major campaigns, with over 300 national and 50 international awards to his name. Known for his sharp eye on consumer insight and startup flair, Khazanchi is no stranger to turning simple ideas into scaleable results.

    The Abby Awards 2025 powered by One Show will take place on 21–23 May at the Taj Cidade de Goa Heritage and Horizon, as part of Goafest 2025—jointly hosted by the Advertising Agencies Association of India and The Advertising Club.

  • Pallavi Chakravarti, Raj Kamble and Mayuri Nikumbh appointed as jury chairs for Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show

    Pallavi Chakravarti, Raj Kamble and Mayuri Nikumbh appointed as jury chairs for Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show

    Mumbai: Pallavi Chakravarti, founder and CCO of Fundamental, Raj Kamble, founder & CCO of Famous Innovations and Mayuri Nikumbh, head of design at Conran Design, join as jury chair for Diversity, Equality and Inclusion category, Out of Home and Ambient category, and Design Category respectively, at The Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show.

    Pallavi Chakravarti, founder and CCO of Fundamental has been appointed jury chair of Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show in the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion category.  

    In the creative business for two decades now, Pallavi became independent in 2023. Her agency Fundamental has created work for Airtel, Adidas, WhatsApp, Facebook, Parle Products, Marico and more, all in under a year. In her previous stints across Saatchi, Grey, JWT, Taproot Dentsu and DDB Mudra, she has worked on Instagram, McDonald’s, Pepsi, Uber, J&J, Unilever, P&G and local giants like Times of India, ITC and Star Sports.

    Pallavi featured among the 200 most-awarded ECDs in 2021 in The Drum World Creative Rankings and closer home, in the 2022 edition of Wonder Women 100 by Indian Television Dot Com, a list celebrating leaders in creative arts.

    From shows like Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Adfest Asia Pacific, Spikes Asia, Kyoorius and The Abbys to effectiveness awards like Effies and Appies, her work has been recognised everywhere. With hundreds of metals to her credit, Pallavi was also the recipient of the Best Ad Screenplay plaque at the prestigious 2015 Dadasaheb Phalke Film Festival.

    Pallavi has served on many juries over the years – at Cannes Lions, Dubai Lynx, New York Festival, Global Awards, Gerety Awards, Kyoorius Awards and the Abbys, across categories like Film, Outdoor, Direct, Radio and Integrated Advertising.

    She also mentors young talent through various industry initiatives. Psychology, theatre and music make her tick, both on the job and off it.

    Raj Kamble, Founder & CCO of Famous Innovations has been appointed Jury Chair of Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show in the Out of Home and Ambient category.

    Raj Kamble is a gold medallist in design and art from Sir JJ School of Arts. His 25-year career has taken him from Lowe India to Lowe London, Lowe New York, BBDO New York and back to Mumbai as Managing Partner, BBH India. During this time, his work for brands like Stella Artois, Unilever, Nestle, P&G, Saab, Diageo, Vaseline, Burger King and Google has achieved both critical acclaim and business results.

    One of the most awarded and globally recognized Indians in advertising, Raj has over 150 awards to his name including several Cannes and One Show gold.

    In 2013, he founded an independent creative agency – Famous Innovations. Today, Famous is a 200+ people agency across Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi, and holds the title of nine-time winner of South Asia Independent Agency of the Year in a row, as well as Digital Agency of the Year, Design Agency of the Year and Green Agency of the Year.

    Raj is a frequent lecturer at institutes such as the Kellogg Institute of Management and Columbia University. He is the Director of Miami Ad School in India. He is part of a think tank with the Government to make India WiFi-friendly.

    He plays a prominent role in shaping the future of education in India as part of the Board of Governors at the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, the Board of Governors at MIT-Pune and the Academic Advisory Board at the National Institute of Design

    Mayuri Nikumbh, head of design at Conran Design has been appointed Jury Chair of Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show in the Design Category.

    With a strong belief in the power of design to convey authentic stories that help transform businesses as well as influence consumer behaviour, Mayuri has led award-winning projects and contributed to the success of both startups as well as well-established brands.

    An alum of IIT Bombay with a career spanning over two decades, she currently leads the creative vision for Conran Design Mumbai which she helped establish in the middle of the global pandemic. Within three years of its inception, Mayuri has helped win notable businesses and awards including Campaign Agency of the Year, Transform Asia and IDA Awards.

    Mayuri has been voted as one of India’s 40 under Forty go-getters in the creative field by Impact magazine. She has also represented India at the Asia-wide collaborative project ‘Colours of Asia’- which culminated in a unique exhibition at the Hong Kong Design Institute which went on to win the Design for Asia Award.

    Amidst numerous other representations as a leading voice for design, Mayuri has been on the jury panel for Spikes Asia awards, Kyoorius Design Awards as well as all major local festivals. She will also be at Cannes this year as a part of the Design Lions jury.

    Mayuri strongly endorses the practice of working towards the sweet spot of consumers’ and clients’ problem-solving needs. She believes good designers make good citizens that enable a meaningful way of life.  

  • Raj Kamble selected for D&AD 2024 jury

    Raj Kamble selected for D&AD 2024 jury

    Mumbai: Famous Innovations founder and CCO Raj Kamble has been selected to be on the D&AD 2024 Jury. The prestigious D&AD Awards are the pinnacle of recognition in advertising and creativity.

    Kamble, who was the first Indian to receive a D&AD in-book at the start of his career, will be on the Press & Outdoor Jury alongside several global stalwarts of the industry.

    With over 150 awards to his name, Kamble is one of the most celebrated figures in advertising from Asia, and Indian to win the maximum D&AD Pencils, including one for his work titled ‘The Applegram’ last year.

    The Awards are scheduled for May 2024 in London. 

  • Abbys 2022 onboards five more jury chairs

    Abbys 2022 onboards five more jury chairs

    Mumbai: The jury chair at Abbys 2022 has roped in five more eminent jury chairs on Thursday. It is being assembled gloriously with stalwarts of the advertising industry, both national and global. The five new Jury chairs will be judging the awards along with international judges.The jury comprises:

    Ayappa KM

    Early Man Films director and partner Ayappa is an accomplished writer and director of commercials, documentaries and television series. His work has been highly awarded at both Indian and international festivals including Cannes and D&AD. Ayappa is known for his offbeat directing style and unusual casting. Other awards won by Ayappa include Spikes, AdFest, Abbys and Kyoorius.

    Devika Prabhu

    Disney Star business head, kids & infotainment Devika is also onboarded. She oversees the content and communications initiatives across the bouquet of six kids and infotainment channels- Disney Channel, Hungama TV, Super Hungama, Disney Junior, Disney International HD, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild and Fox Life. She is responsible for shaping the overall creative vision and driving the content and communications strategy.

    ALSO READ: Abbys 2022 onboards six adland executives as jury chairs

    Geet Rathi

    TBWA design & creative director Geet heads design duties for TBWA Design By Disruption. She is Campaign Brief 2020 Asia’s eighth most awarded creative in India. Geet has been on the jury at One Show Design in 2021 and the Cannes Young Lions & Clio Health and Cannes Lions Jury in 2019. Geet is the founder of Blink To Speak TBWA India Design Lab.

    Megha Tata

    Discover South Asia-Warner Bros managing director Megha spearheads several marquee brands for the Discovery network in India including the country’s largest aggregated real-life infotainment OTT platform. In 2020, Discovery India retained its position as the ‘Most Trusted Real-Life Entertainment Brand’ by TRA Research Pvt Ltd for the 10th year in a row. Megha is also the second woman ever to become the president of the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association.

    Raj Kamble

    Famous Innovation founder and chief creative officer Raj Kamble who is one of the most awarded and globally recognised Indians in advertising. He has over 150 awards including several Cannes and One Show Golds. Famous holds the title of seven-time winner of South Asia Independent Agency of the Year in a row. Raj is a frequent lecturer at the Kellogg Institute of Management and Columbia University. He is also the director of Miami Ad School in India.

  • LivGuard launches ‘Smart and Strong, Chale Life Long’ campaign featuring Akshay Kumar

    LivGuard launches ‘Smart and Strong, Chale Life Long’ campaign featuring Akshay Kumar

    MUMBAI: Energy storage brand, LivGuard Energy Technologies, has introduced its current range of inverters and inverter batteries through a 360-degree campaign ‘Smart and Strong, Chale Life Long’, conceptualised by Famous Innovations and starring Akshay Kumar. LivGuard is planning to run the new TVC campaign across national channels, regional channels, in IPL and general elections.

    Addressing the strategic importance of this campaign, LivGuard Energy Technologies Private Ltd CEO Gurpreet Singh Bhatia said, “We are extremely delighted to launch this campaign with our brand ambassador Akshay Kumar in an unseen avatar. The traditional prospect of inverters and inverter batteries has taken a new helm with our inverters and inverter batteries. The consumers will now witness the industry’s first SuperTUFF 3D Grid in batteries, which ensures longer battery life along with deep cycle design, which is ideal for geographies with long power cuts. With smart features of Artificial Intelligence battery charging in inverters, coupled with avant-garde qualities and aesthetic design of the product, we hope that this unmatched proposition will enhance the expectations of the consumers.”

    Famous Innovations founder and CCO Raj Kamble remarked, “Our brief was to bring alive LivGuard's unique combination of smartness and toughness. We chose two iconic personalities that represent these qualities – Einstein and Bruce Lee – and portrayed the same in a visually interesting way. The concept also played on the brand's ambassador, Akshay Kumar's strength as he's a truly versatile performer and was ideal to pull off the same."

  • Van Heusen presents ‘Carry Your World’ campaign with Jacqueline Fernandez

    Van Heusen presents ‘Carry Your World’ campaign with Jacqueline Fernandez

    MUMBAI: Van Heusen, India’s leading power dressing brand from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd has launched a comprehensive `Carry your World’ campaign featuring India’s leading Bollywood star Jacqueline Fernandez across 60 cities for two months.

    The campaign, conceptualised by Famous Innovations, will be featured in multiple mediums such as television, print and online as well. A 40-second video will be launched across digital channels and movie screens and will be supported through diverse print and TV promotions in the coming months.

    The commercial symbolically puts the spotlight on the Van Heusen Woman who is an independent and a modern woman, willing to define life on her own unique terms and make her mark on the world. Armed with a sprightly attitude and a fresh perspective, she uses fashion as a means to show her passion.

    Speaking on the campaign, Van Heusen COO Abhay Bahugune said, “The newest ‘Carry Your World’ campaign celebrates the effortless style that resonates the independent and empowered woman of today. The premise of the campaign seeks to explore the brand’s identity through language and emotion, to shine a spotlight on our newest handbag collection where fashion and functionality meet mobility in every piece. We are proud to associate with Jacqueline Fernandez as she personifies with the brand personality.”

    Commenting on the video launch, Famous Innovations founder and CCO Raj Kamble said, “A power figure, a fashion icon and a go-getter, Jacqueline Fernandez perfectly embodies the ethos of Van Heusen Woman. Our brief was to bring alive the functionality of Van Heusen’s hero bag, which is designed keeping in mind the modern woman’s lifestyle. We started with the insight that the ambitious woman of today is always on the go and the long, dynamic days mean that she needs to be prepared for anything. Therefore, she carries her world with her. We’ve portrayed the same in the film in a visually interesting manner.”

  • Monster.com’s new campaign urges users to find work-life balance

    Monster.com’s new campaign urges users to find work-life balance

    MUMBAI: Job search portal Monster.com has launched an integrated communications campaign as the Official Supporter of #WorkLifeBalance. The campaign will go live across India, Gulf, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The objective of this campaign is to raise greater awareness around issues concerning #WorkLifeBalance in a humorous way. The campaign is led by a series of films, conceptualised by Famous Innovations and directed by Rajesh Krishnan (Soda Films).

    Famous Innovations founder and CCO Raj Kamble commented on the campaign, “Work-life balance is a burning issue in India’s corporate culture today and the new generation of professionals sees it as the utmost priority. Through this campaign, we wanted to position Monster.com as a proud supporter of Work-Life balance and therefore help the brand be seen as one that understands what the millennial workforce wants. We chose to do so in a light-hearted yet striking way.”

    Monster.com chief marketing officer (APAC and Gulf) Anshul Punhani said, “In our journey to build brand preference, it is important for us to put forth how Monster.com is relentlessly working towards ensuring that job seekers and recruiters not just find better, but faster. Recently, we conducted a region-wide survey, ‘Understanding Work Life Balance’, and 60 per cent of Indian working professionals surveyed rate their current work-life-balance average to terrible. What makes it noteworthy is that 45 per cent of the respondents were from non-metros cities where work-life balance (WLB) is supposedly a lesser issue. Amongst the many other insights what comes through for us is the impinging need to understand the concept of work-life balance and define it well. The campaign is around the way the millennial workforce views this priority. We’re completely in tune with India Inc’s emerging corporate milieu and it is these insights set us apart from any other brand in the industry.”

  • Haier says to turn things straight in latest campaign

    Haier says to turn things straight in latest campaign

    MUMBAI: Home appliances and consumer electronics brand, Haier, has launched a new TV commercial featuring its revolutionary range of Bottom Mounted Refrigerators (BMRs). 

    Conceptualised around the theme of ‘India, Ab Seedhe Ki Aadat Daal Lo’, the TVC brings alive the differentiated proposition of Haier’s BMR technology in a creative way with a vision to resonate with the masses.

    Featuring glimpses of a busy Indian city, the commercial showcases how people have over time developed a habit of doing things their own way instead of following the right way. Be it trivial issues like attending phone calls in silent spaces like a yoga class or bigger concerns such as bribing officials to ensure our work gets done, we are always looking at ways of getting around the rules with ‘jugaad’. Bound together with the track, ‘Yahan Ulti Ganga Behti Hai, Reverse Mein India Rehti Hai’, the TVC reaches its climax with the narrator asking India to give up living in reverse (ulti aadatein) and embrace Haier’s revolutionary BMRs as their new refrigerator of choice. 

    The new TVC will run across 60 TV channels including leading national, regional, general interest, music, sports and news channels in eight languages.

    The commercial draws from the value add and benefits of using a BMR as against the traditional refrigerators, equating the use of the latter with numerous ‘ulti aadatein’ India has. With a BMR, consumers get the benefit of having the refrigerator part on top and the freezer placed at the bottom, to reduce the need for users to repeatedly bend while accessing commonly used items from the refrigerator.

    Haier India president Eric Braganza says, “Haier has been a pioneer of the BMR technology in India and around the world. We introduced the technology in India in 2007 with the ‘Ulte ko Seedha’ campaign and since then there have been several product design and technology changes in line with our efforts to create the perfect solution meant for today’s modern contemporary families.”

    Famous Innovations founder and CCO Raj Kamble adds, “The competition is aggressively marketing features in this category. Having done that with Haier BMR already last year, we now wanted to take things to the next level. These little upside down things that we Indians do are wrong but also quite endearing, because it’s just so us! It’s a light take on our ‘ulti aadats’ that, one of which i.e. bending down to get things from the fridge, is being corrected by Haier. Hence, the idea – “India, Ab Seedhe ki aadat daal lo!”

    Following a 360-degree approach, Haier will run all its marketing initiatives via various platforms such as electronic, print, OOH, digital and social, in-store branding, press, broadcast etc.