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Tag: S. Subramanyeswar

  • Sudhanshu Vats to helm Asci in landmark 40th year

    Sudhanshu Vats to helm Asci in landmark 40th year

    MUMBAI: Pidilite Industries managing director Sudhanshu Vats has been elected chairman of the Advertising Standards Council of India (Asci) at its 39th annual general meeting, taking charge as the country’s advertising regulator-by-consensus enters its fourth decade.

    MullenLowe Global chief strategy officer S Subramanyeswar  moves in as vice-chairman, while industry veteran Paritosh Joshi of Provocateur Advisory becomes honorary treasurer.

    Founded in 1985 as a voluntary self-regulatory body, Asci is recognised by the Cable TV Act, Doordarshan, All India Radio and several key regulators. Its consumer complaints committee enjoys extraordinary acceptance for a voluntary code: in FY 2024-25, compliance hit 98 per cent for print advertising, 97 per cent for television and 81 per cent for digital. The supreme court has repeatedly cited Asci’s role in consumer protection.

    Vats said the council’s job has “never been more important” as advertising mutates with technology and new formats. “Our responsibility is to ensure advertising is executed with integrity—centred on the product promise, respectful of the community and mindful of consumers,” he told members. “Self-regulation provides guidance to the industry and assurance to the public. The simple principle is to keep the consumer’s interest front and centre.”

    Outgoing chairman Partha Sinha called his tenure “a comma in a sentence that keeps unfolding”. Over the past years, he said, Asci has “moved from being a watchdog to an enabler of responsible communication—partnering, not just policing,” and stepped “firmly into the digital arena, because responsibility cannot lag behind technology.”

    To mark its fortieth year, the council unveiled an ambitious agenda:

    * AdWise literacy drive – training more than a million schoolchildren to identify, question and evaluate advertising messages, reducing their vulnerability to misleading or harmful pitches.
    * Gen-Alpha research – an ethnographic study of children born into the touchscreen age to craft a framework for responsible advertising to the next generation.
    * New city offices – expansion of Asci’s physical footprint to Bengaluru and Delhi to deepen engagement across India.
    * Legal knowledge hub – a comprehensive online resource on advertising codes and laws, developed with leading law firm Khaitan & Co.
    * Podcast partnerships – a new series with The Logical Indian and Marketing Minds to spread awareness of responsible advertising.
    * Visual commitment badge – a mark members can display in their communications and on websites to signal adherence to the Asci code.

    Asci’s influence has widened well beyond complaint adjudication. The Asci Academy now drives education and thought leadership through masterclasses for marketers, faculty development programmes in media and advertising colleges, and a pre-production advisory service that helps advertisers check compliance before campaigns go live—avoiding costly post-release fixes.

    In recent years the council has published widely cited white papers on dark patterns, artificial intelligence in advertising, the depiction of masculinity and the trust deficit around digital influencers. It has issued pioneering guidelines on influencer conduct, cryptocurrency, green claims and gender stereotyping, earning two global awards for leadership in self-regulation.

    Looking ahead, Vats said Asci will “strengthen global partnerships and knowledge exchange with peer bodies worldwide, and invest in research, innovation and frameworks that respond to the realities of digital-first advertising.”

    For a voluntary body that began as a modest industry code, the next chapter promises to be anything but quiet.

  • ASCI Board appoints Partha Sinha as new chairman

    ASCI Board appoints Partha Sinha as new chairman

    Mumbai: Post the board meeting held today following the 38th Annual General Meeting, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) appointed Bennett Coleman & Company Ltd chief brand officer & president, Partha Sinha as the chairman of the ASCI Board of Governors for 2024-25. Pidilite Industries Ltd managing director Sudhanshu Vats, was appointed vice-chairman, and Lintas India Private Ltd Group CEO & chief strategy officer-APAC, S. Subramanyeswar was appointed hon. Treasurer.

    Sinha comes with a rich and vast experience with top organisations such as Bennet Coleman, Ogilvy, Publicis, BBH, McCann, and Citibank, along with his stronghold of brand marketing, media, and communications.

    Sinha expressed a compelling vision for ASCI. “Being the chairperson of ASCI is both an honour and a profound responsibility, especially as our industry is under greater scrutiny by our stakeholders. With rapid changes in the digital environment and the emergence of new challenges. ASCI is committed to not just keeping up but to staying ahead. Deploying technology and AI to monitor errant advertising as well as putting our might behind preventive measures will be our focus in the days to come. This will ensure that creativity and responsibility coexist, creating an ecosystem that values consumers and encourages innovation.”

    Reflecting on his term, outgoing chairman Saugata Gupta said, “Leading ASCI through a period that witnessed significant development and change has been a privilege. This year has been marked by historic milestones, including the formation of the ASCI Academy, which has become a cornerstone in promoting responsible and progressive advertising. Our commitment to training and capacity building, creating new direction via our thought leadership work, reflects a culture of responsibility from the ground up.”

    ASCI has made great progress in terms of its achievements and strategic initiatives during the year, reinforcing its commitment to the proactive work since the start of ASCI Academy. The Academy’s expansion is an important aspect of ASCI’s initiatives, and it is quickly becoming an active proponent of industry training and education. Since its inception, the Academy has expanded to encompass over 75 alliances and, through its training and education, successfully impacted 33,300 new and emerging professionals, firmly anchoring ethical principles deeply within the advertising community.

    ASCI has also actively engaged in research and thought leadership through collaborative projects. Notable among these were partnerships with Khaitan & Co. on a white paper on the influence of generative AI on advertising, with the UN Women- led Unstereotype Alliance and lead research agency Kantar on D&I in India, as well as with Lexplosion for an in-depth understanding of privacy and data protection.”

    In the past year, ASCI actively co-hosted and participated in several stakeholder and government consultations to address and discuss issues like dark patterns, green claims, and surrogate advertising.

    ASCI updated and introduced new guidelines on an array of categories this year, including deceptive patterns, charitable cause marketing, and green claims ads, among others. These changes keep the ASCI Code current in the face of the changing industry dynamics and consumer expectations.

    ASCI’s rigorous complaint redressal and monitoring operations this year included processing over 10,000 complaints and reviewing over 8,200 advertisements, affirming its role as a vigilant guardian of the advertising industry.

    ASCI remains dedicated to advancing ethical, inclusive, and transparent advertising.

  • MullenLowe Group elevates S Subramanyeswar as APAC chief strategy officer

    MullenLowe Group elevates S Subramanyeswar as APAC chief strategy officer

    MUMBAI: MullenLowe Group announced the elevation of S Subramanyeswar to chief strategy officer for the Asia-Pacific region. He will continue to lead strategy for brands at MullenLowe Lintas Group (India) as its group chief strategy officer.

    Subramanyeswar, better known as Subbu, joined Lowe Lintas in 2011 as national planning director, and has since led strategic initiatives for multiple brands across the clients that the group works on in India. He has spent two decades plus in advertising and marketing, having worked at Wipro, Publicis, Rediffusion Y&R, and Saatchi & Saatchi in the markets of India, US and UK. He joined Lowe Lintas in 2011.

    Subbu has been awarded ‘South Asia Planner of the Year’ for two consecutive years – 2014 and 2015 by the world-renowned Campaign magazine. He has authored and won 130+ Effectiveness awards at India Effies, APAC Effies, Tambuli, Asian Marketing Effectiveness, WARC and the globally distinguished Jay Chiat by 4A’s. He has also been on the jury of Jay Chiat, APAC Effies, AME, WARC, Tambuli and India Effies.

    Subbu is a passionate believer and practitioner of purpose-inspired brand building. His breakthrough ‘Brands to Stands’ thinking, methodology and frameworks have been adopted by many of the brands that MullenLowe Lintas Group steers in India.

    Subbu will be based in Mumbai, India, as he takes up the Asia-Pacific charge with immediate effect.

  • Mullen Lowe Lintas Group bags Grand Prix at Warc for Idea

    Mullen Lowe Lintas Group bags Grand Prix at Warc for Idea

    MUMBAI: Idea’s Cellular’s ‘No Ullu Banoing’ ad campaign by Mullen Lowe Lintas Group has won the $5,000 Grand Prix at the WARC Prizefor Asian Strategy awards.

     

    All of its three shortlisted entries won multiple laurels at the awards leading the India and South Asian leg.

     

    ‘Idea Cellular: The fool-proof internet service’ won a Grand Prix, a Gold and also picked up a cash prize of $5000, making it a second year in a row.

     

    Of the other two shortlists, ‘Havells: A woman is not a home appliance’ won silver and Local Hero Special Award cash prize of $1000 while ‘Tata Tea: From packaged good to packaging good’ won a bronze award at the event.

     

    Lowe Lintas national planning director S Subramanyeswar said, “It is amazing to see our work being appreciated on a world renowned stage like WARC. This consistent recognition amplifies and glorifies our belief in creating authentic and relevant work that works in the marketplace. We carried on from our excellent standing last year where we won both the Grand Prix and also the first Special Prize ever. We thank the jury for bestowing this honour once again on us. We hope to keep raising the bar.”

     

    The Warc Prize for Asian Strategy is the annual competition to find the region’s best strategic case studies. Into its fifth year, the free-to-enter Prize is Asia’s leading showcase for incisive strategic thinking in marketing, with a $10,000 prize fund for winning papers. The 2015 edition of the awards event was held in Mumbai on 29 October, 2015 and attended by prominent advertising and marketing professionals.

     

    This year, a total of 39 entries were shortlisted with more than half of these coming from India. With 21 case studies, entries from India made up for a chunk of the total while China/Hong Kong and Singapore each contributed four entries and the Philippines three. Overall, the award platform received more than 130 entries from across the Asia Pacific region and the shortlists came from eight markets and from a mix of major networks and local independent agencies.

  • Lowe Lintas + Partners wins Agency of the Year at APAC Tambuli Awards

    Lowe Lintas + Partners wins Agency of the Year at APAC Tambuli Awards

    MUMBAI: Lowe Lintas + Partners has won the Agency of the Year award for the second year at the ninth Asia-Pacific Tambuli Awards. 

     

    The agency picked up a haul of 21 awards including the special Carmencita Esteban Platinum Award, two Grand Prix, 14 Golds, three Silvers, and one Bronze. With this, Lowe Lintas + Partners has tripled its own tally as compared to the past year.

     

    Driven by the agency’s performance, Lowe Lintas + Partners’ holding company, IPG was named Network of the Year, while Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUL) was declared the Advertiser of the Year. In all, Mullen Lowe Group bagged 33 metals in the final tally.

     

    The only regional award of its kind, the Asia-Pacific Tambuli Awards honours brands that deliver business results while promoting a positive societal value— brands from around Asia that celebrate human truths, inspire purpose, and effect real change.

     

    Lowe Lintas + Partners CMO Vikas Mehta said, “Given our focus on effectiveness and brand building philosophy of doing-well-by-doing-good, Tambuli remains a special award for us. Agency of the Year, two years in a row is humbling. We have our clients and the Tambuli jury to thank. I’d like to congratulate the University of Asia & Pacific for another successful edition of the Tambuli Awards.”

     

    Lowe Lintas + Partners picked up these awards for its work across a large spectrum of brands including Havells, Tata Tea, Kissan, Lifebuoy, Clinic Plus and Kan Khajura Tesan.

     

    Lowe Lintas + Partners national planning director S Subramanyeswar added, “What we have achieved this year is truly special, and we have the jury to thank for acknowledging our work. We have been perfecting our performance across effectiveness awards consistently and our achievement at Tambuli is testimony of the unmatched competence that we had been dreaming of for some time.”

     

    Click here for list of winners

  • AMES 2015: Lowe Lintas + Partners bags 10 awards, Maxus India wins 5

    AMES 2015: Lowe Lintas + Partners bags 10 awards, Maxus India wins 5

    MUMBAI: The Asian Marketing Effectiveness & Strategy (AMES) Awards 2015 declared Lowe Lintas + Partners as the Agency of the Year in the Effectiveness category.

    After bagging the maximum number of shortlists from India (17), the agency managed to win a total of 10 awards comprising four Silver and six Bronze trophies.

    In all, the Indian agencies put out a sterling performance by winning 31 trophies this year. The Indian contingent was led by Lowe Lintas + Partners, who with a rich haul of 10 trophies emerged as the agency with the largest number of wins from not just India but also in the Asia Pacific region.

    The awards tally of Lowe Lintas + Partners includes:

    Commenting on the performance put up by the agency, Lowe Lintas + Partners CEO Joseph George said, “After being declared earlier this year by WARC as 2014’s Most Effective Agency in the World, this performance at the AMES last night is a further confirmation of what we and juries around the world believe what we are good at – delivering disruptive creative solutions that work in the mind and in the market. We look forward to carry this momentum and performance right through the year!”

    Lowe Lintas + Partners national planning director S Subramanyeswar added, “We thank the jury for acknowledging our work and giving it due recognition from a host of entries across the Asia Pacific. This appreciation for effective work gives us the opportunity to do more. We would like to build on this momentum and hope to beat ourselves next year again.”

    On the other hand, global communications consultancy firm Maxus won five awards at the Asian Marketing Effectiveness and Strategy Awards. The ceremony, which took place on 3 June, saw over 600 entries. India had a total of about 15 shortlists across different agencies out of which six were from Maxus India. Maxus India won two silvers and one bronze award for Tata Tea Power of 49 Campaign and two bronze awards in the data analytics and retail analytics categories too.

    Maxus south Asia managing director Kartik Sharma said, “Maxus has always made strong, enthusiastic and consisted efforts to achieve the best and future ready in a digitally competitive market where every agency is striving for better than the best. We at Maxus believe these wins have given us an overall and stronger edge in the market, helping us bring unlimited satisfaction to our existing clients and bring new clients into the fold. We are of course ecstatic about the wins! We would like to share the credits with Tata Tea who have believed in the idea and the entire team who has put in the hard work over the years. These wins also prove beyond doubt that Maxus has an undying spirit of wanting to deliver the best for our clients always and keeping them involved at the levels without any hesitation.”

    This year, out of a total of 1100 entries and 289 shortlists, the juries awarded trophies to 144 winners from 10 countries – three Platinum, 26 Gold, 45 Silver, 75 Bronze trophies. Country-wise, it was India that took the lead with 31 wins followed by China at 26 and Australia with 24 wins. 

  • India leads shortlists race at Asian Marketing Effectiveness & Strategy Awards

    India leads shortlists race at Asian Marketing Effectiveness & Strategy Awards

    MUMBAI: The shortlists for the 13th edition of the Asian Marketing Effectiveness and Strategy Awards perched India at the top with maximum shortlists across the APAC region. With 63 shortlists to its credit, India leads the table followed by China, which has 52 shortlists to its name and Australia with 41.

     

    This was after the AMES Awards received a total of 1,100 entries of which a total of 289 entries were shortlisted.

     

    Already leading the tally for the region, India received a huge boost in numbers through Lowe Lintas + Partners that recorded 17 shortlists for the country. Mindshare India followed with 11 shortlists, while PHD recorded seven shortlists.

     

    The highlight of the performance by Lowe Lintas + Partners was it bagging 15 shortlists in the Effectiveness category, which is the highest for any agency in the APAC region.

     

    The categories against which the entries were shortlisted include: Effectiveness, Media Strategy, Digital Strategy, Data & Analytics, and E-commerce – which was a new category introduced this year reflective of its growth & dominance in the APAC region.

     

    The Asian Marketing Effectiveness and Strategy Awards honour clients and their agencies for marketing strategies that deliver solid results to transform businesses and brands. The annual awards are evaluated by a panel of top client and agency professionals who review the submissions against stringent criteria to determine the winners.

     

    Commenting on the good show put up by the agency at AMES 2015, Lowe Lintas + Partners national planning director S Subramanyeswar said, “AMES is one of the most prestigious effectiveness awards in the Asia Pacific region for strategies that deliver results and transform businesses for brands. With 17 shortlists, we’ve managed to profile India as the market that breeds innovative strategies that deliver on campaign effectiveness across diverse product categories. We’re hopeful of pulling off a good show on the awards night.”

     

    The AMES 2015 Awards will be held on 3 June 2015 at the Grand Hyatt Singapore along with the AMES Conference scheduled on the same day.