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Tag: Saatchi & Saatchi

  • L&K Saatchi & Saatchi gets Atin Wahal to head North & East regions

    L&K Saatchi & Saatchi gets Atin Wahal to head North & East regions

    Mumbai: L&K Saatchi & Saatchi India has strengthened its leadership team and has announced the appointment of Atin Wahal as Executive Vice President – North & East. He will report to Paritosh Srivastava, MD of L&K Saatchi & Saatchi.

    Wahal takes over the role from Devraj Basu who has moved on from the agency.

    Atin’s arrival is a homecoming of sorts as he was part of Publicis Ambience as Sr. VP until two years ago. He has worked on a host of businesses like Skoda, Zee, Citibank, Times Network, Sony Liv amongst others in his earlier stint.

    Wahal joins L&K Saatchi & Saatchi from BBDO India where he was EVP and Head of Mumbai office and worked for brands such as Visa, Idea, Whatsapp, Bumble, HP, Ariel and many more. Apart from these two agencies, Atin has also had a promising stint with Sony Entertainment and other agencies viz 

    Welcoming Wahal to the agency, Paritosh Srivastava commented: “I’ve known Atin for some time now and happy to have him on the leadership team at L&K Saatchi & Saatchi. Delhi and Kolkata are very important offices for us with an amazing set of clients that we are very proud to partner. It wasn’t an easy search but we think Atin with his vast experience, professionalism, way with people, energy,  resourcefulness and familiarity with the Groupe agenda will make him succeed. 

    Would also like to thank Devraj for doing a fantastic job for a very long time for the agency. We will always be grateful for his contribution and wish him the very best for the future.” 

    On joining the agency and also the challenges that lay ahead for him, Atin Wahal said: “Publicis Groupe has been at the forefront of offering integrated services and it’s this new age thinking that has pulled me back to the Groupe again. 

    I am thrilled to be a part of the new and energised L&K Saatchi & Saatchi with Paritosh at the helm. I am certain that we will be writing some success stories soon, riding on ‘Power Of One’ for our clients. 
    I do believe that in the today’s context and environment it’s not about the challenges that we will face but the opportunities that we will create for our clients and brands.”

    Wahal has nearly 18 years of Advertising & Media experience, after completing his post-graduation from Symbiosis he has since explored the magical world of brand storytelling. He has worked on numerous brands across categories and regions including Automobiles, FMCG, Consumer Durables, Broadcast, Telecom, OTT, Pharmaceuticals, BFSI, eCommerce etc. 

    He has played an influential role and has been associated with some successful campaigns such as Ariel- #SonsSharetheLoad, Skoda- ‘Power Should be beautiful’, KBC- ‘Gyan hi Aapko Apka Haq Dilata Hain’, Zee TV- AAj Likhenge Kal, along with the brand launches of Asian Paints- Royale Play, Indian Idol Juniors, Sony Liv, Skoda Kodiaq and very recently Bumble. 

  • Anil Nair joins VMLY&R as India CEO

    Anil Nair joins VMLY&R as India CEO

    MUMBAI: Global marketing agency VMLY&R today announced the appointment of Anil Nair as CEO, VMLY&R India. Based out of the Mumbai office, he will report to VMLY&R Asia co-CEO Tripti Lochan, who is based in Singapore. He will oversee VMLY&R’s India operation, driving growth and building on VMLY&R’s fully integrated service offering spanning creative, technology and data services.

    An influential marketing industry leader, Nair brings with him more than 24 years of advertising and digital experience, most recently as CEO (digital) and managing partner for Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi India.

    Nair was a part of the founding team at Law and Kenneth (L&K) Communications in 2002. He is recognised for his role in helping build Law & Kenneth Communications from the ground up into India’s largest independent agency, prior to its merger with Saatchi & Saatchi in 2014. Since that time, Anil has been responsible for growing the Saatchi & Saatchi business and integrated practice in India, with a focus on strategic planning, brand stewardship, and digital transformation.

    Lochan said on his appointment, “We are committed to cultivating truly connected brands that generate real ROI for our clients and their clients. Anil comes to us with the right vision and experience to make this happen, marrying strategy with an understanding of the brand, digital, and commerce. He boasts an exemplary record for driving agency excellence and innovation while exhibiting a deep understanding of the Indian marketplace. This is an exciting time for VMLY&R as we continue to flourish in India, and I can think of no one better to lead the way.”

    Commenting on his appointment, Nair said, “At a time when consumer behaviour and demand continues to evolve in line with advancing technology, VMLY&R. with its “marketing-company meets creative-agency” rigour, represents a breath of fresh air for its clients via a service offering which is arguably the most relevant, necessary, and contemporary in the market today. It’s an honour to join the VMLY&R family at such an exciting time, and I look forward to playing my part in VMLY&R’s continued success story in India.”

    Nair joins the agency in the wake of a flurry of senior hires in recent months, following the appointment of Kevin Lobo as executive creative director, VMLY&R India, and Sujay Kar as commerce group lead, VMLY&R SEA & India.

  • Saatchi & Saatchi Focus rechristened to Publicis Health & Publicis Business

    Saatchi & Saatchi Focus rechristened to Publicis Health & Publicis Business

    MUMBAI: Building on the Publicis Groupe philosophy of Power of One, with customers at the centre of everything they do, Saatchi & Saatchi Focus, an award-winning; specialist knowledge-based communication agency has officially been rechristened to Publicis Health & Publicis Business. Its B2B, IT, Talent and Healthcare communication expertise over the last 20 years will add to Publicis Groupe’s comprehensive offerings to clients, which include creative, digital, PR, activation and production services, as well as media and digital transformation.

    Publicis Health will support the health and wellness verticals for the agency and would function out of its offices in Mumbai and Bangalore. It currently services an array of clients including Novartis, Sanofi, Abbott, Wockhardt, Clinton Foundation among others. Meanwhile, Publicis Business will cater to the B2B, IT and Talent space and would operate out of its office in Bangalore. It manages clients such as Bosch, AIS, ICICI Bank, Coats, thyssenkrupp, Sonata Software, Infosys among others.

    Speaking on the development Publicis Worldwide India managing director Srija Chatterjee said, “This initiative is an indication of our focus on being seen as an integrated solutions provider offering full-service capabilities under one roof. In keeping with the Power of One philosophy, the new entities will work seamlessly across our offices and assist in enhancing brand advocacy and growth of our Healthcare and B2B clients in India.”

    Saatchi & Saatchi Focus has been around for over two decades catering to the communication requirements of B2B clients who understood their business processes and were able to provide sales support. It later branched out into talent branding and healthcare verticals. The agency works with several IT, engineering, and pharma & healthcare majors across the country and overseas.

    Publicis Health is one of the four critical pillars as part of the Groupe’s core global strategy. Its goal is to create attitude-changing dialogues around health & wellness. Further, its mission is to deliver ideas of purpose that compel positive actions by the target audience towards better health. The unit comprises a diverse talent pool that thrives on relevant insights and remains intellectually curious to put out life-changing communication in the marketplace.

    Publicis Business works across Publicis Groupe clients to offer specialised solutions that are category-leading in the marketplace. The unit has been steadfast in its purpose of providing relevant, original, and impactful communication to its clients over the years.

  • Praveen Kenneth launches ‘Ek Desh, Ek Hum’ platform

    Praveen Kenneth launches ‘Ek Desh, Ek Hum’ platform

    MUMBAI: The founder of Law&Kenneth and former chairman Law&Kenneth | Saatchi & Saatchi, Praveen Kenneth, has launched the platform ‘Ek Desh, Ek Hum’ with a video that stresses on the ‘Stronger Together’ theme.

    The launch video has been directed by noted filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar while the music has been scored by Dhruv Ghanekar and the lyrics have been penned by Ishita Arun. It shows a young nation awakening to the need to come together.

    Elaborating on the intent of the campaign, Praveen Kenneth said, “What we are conveying is not new. It’s simple, it’s obvious. We all know the magic of India is the amazing diversity of its people, across cultures and religion. Our life is fuller, vibrant, expanded, thanks to our Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Jain, Buddhists friends, brothers, and sisters. I believe this is the underlying strength of our nation. The important thing, however, is that we need to keep bringing this back into the center stage of conversation and consciousness.”

    He added, “In a daily life which zigzags through understandable difference, disagreements, arguments, and loud and angry debates—which is the beauty of a democracy and always encouraged—the interest of India and Indians, should and will always be the in the centre. The campaign is an effort to bring back these conversations”.

    “Togetherness is strength; this is the singular message that we want to convey,” Kenneth concluded.

    The video is accompanied by a Twitter push that will be hosted on #Ekdeshekhum and will be supported by an extensive TV and Radio support.

  • Sir Martin Sorrell says ta-ta to WPP, Roberto Quarta becomes exec chairman

    Sir Martin Sorrell says ta-ta to WPP, Roberto Quarta becomes exec chairman

    MUMBAI: A first gen entrepreneur of Ukrainian descent, he rose out of nowhere to build the world’s largest advertising group.  And late last night  – amidst investigations into charges of personal misconduct by the WPP board – Sir Martin Sorrell packed up his things and shockingly announced that he was saying ta-ta to the CEO’s position and moving out of the corner office.

    “Obviously I am sad to leave WPP after 33 years. It has been a passion, focus and source of energy for so long,” stated Sorrell in an emotional note to WPP staff.  “However, I believe it is in the best interests of the business …in your interest, in the interest of our clients, in the interest of all shareowners, both big and small, and in the interest of all our other stakeholders, it is best for me to step aside….the current disruption is putting too much unnecessary pressure on the business.”

    He added: “We have weathered difficult storms in the past. And our highly talented people have always won through, always. I leave the company in very good hands as the board knows… Nobody, either direct competitors or newly-minted ones can beat the WPP team, as long as you work closely together, whether by client and/or country or digitally.”

    WPP released a statement stating that the change would become effective immediately and that the advertising behemoth’s chairman  Roberto Quarta would become executive chairman until the company could appoint a new chief executive. Sir Martin would of course assist with the transition.  It added that the 73 year old  would be “treated as having retired” and that his share awards would be “pro-rated in line with the plan rules and will vest over the next five years, to the extent group performance targets are achieved.”

    WPP’s corporate development director and chief operating officer for Europe Andrew Scott and , Wunderman CEO Mark  Read would don the mantle of co-chief operating officers. Said Sorrell in his note: “We have had a succession plan in place for some time. A new generation of management, led by Mark Read and Andrew Scott , are well qualified and experienced in the board’s opinion, to deal with the geographic and technological opportunities and challenges our industry faces”

    “The previously announced investigation into an allegation of misconduct against Sir Martin has concluded,” the WPP statement read. “The allegation did not involve amounts that are material.”

    Born to Jewish parents who were from Kiev, Sorrell began his career in the renowned and trendy ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi (which fashioned winning electoral campaigns for Britain’s conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher) in 1975. He worked closely with the brothers Saatchi (Charles and Maurice) and helped fashion its rapid growth, before going solo and acquiring a shopping basket manufacturer Wires & Plastic Products (WPP).

    He used that firm as a vehicle to gobble up various other global ad icons such as Ogilvy & Mather, Young & Rubicam and another 18 other advertising service providers over three years. WPP today has  130,000 employees in 112 countries, and a market valuation of around 22 billion pounds, or about $31 billion.

    Along the way as his legend grew – so did the amounts he took as payments for his hard labour which caused heartburn to investors and shareholders.  In 2016 when he took a pay packet of 70 million pounds and the empire struck back with protests amongst the community about all his financial excesses.

    And last month  amidst slowing down of revenues and income and the growing clout of the FANGS  – the board commenced an investigation charging Sorrell with personal misconduct and misuse of the company’s assets.

    Sorrell’s last few words in his farewell note will not only tug at WPP staff’s heartstrings but almost anyone’s.

    Said he: “I shall miss all of you greatly. You have given me such excitement and energy and I wanted to thank you for everything you have done and will do for WPP and me. As some of you know, my family has expanded recently, WPP will always be my baby too.As a Founder, I can say that WPP is not just a matter of life or death, it was, is and will be more important than that. Good fortune and Godspeed to all of you … now Back to the Future.”

  • Bauli does first promotion of Moonfils in India

    Bauli does first promotion of Moonfils in India

    MUMBAI: Italian confectionary brand Bauli has launched its first ever TVC in India for Bauli Moonfils. Priding on a legacy of fine Italian baking, Bauli Moonfils are made from authentic Italian recipes filled with decadent and rich filling and baked to perfection. They are available in choco cream, strawberry, vanilla and orange flavours.

    The TVC revolves around the crescent moon shape and the softness of Moonfils, and begins with a little boy, who in his all curiosity and naivety, asks his mom one day where the moon disappears every morning. The mother, like most mothers, tries to put off the question by quickly answering that the moon actually goes to the next-door bakery. In the bakery, the baker plays along and he bakes Moonfils while the boy looks upon in total amazement. Until finally, the baker holds up a Moonfils and the boy finds the moon he was looking for.

    Saatchi & Saatchi executive creative director Rohit Malkani says, “For the film, we played on the unique shape of Moonfils and created a story around it. From croissant tasting and baking to sourcing the perfect looking chef for the film.”

    Bauli India senior marketing manager Raghav Ravichandar adds, “Bauli has been loved globally and we are extremely excited about entering India. Our brief to Saatchi&Saatchi was for a campaign that would generate intrigue for Bauli Moonfils, and highlight the delicious offering Bauli has.”

    This will be a 360-degree campaign led by TV, digital, outdoor, PR, sampling/activation and retail communication targeting across consumer groups.

  • Praveen Kenneth retires from L&K | Saatchi & Saatchi

    Praveen Kenneth retires from L&K | Saatchi & Saatchi

    MUMBAI: Law & Kenneth founder and chairman Praveen Kenneth announced his retirement from active engagement on the sidelines of the final sale of his shareholding, in Paris.

    Law & Kenneth was the largest independent communication companies in India before becoming a part of Publicis Groupe in January 2014, to create L&K | Saatchi & Saatchi.

    Over the next six months during the transition, Kenneth will be involved in mentoring and guiding the teams.

    Anil Nair, the CEO and MD, who has been groomed over the past 24 months, and running the operations will now be leading the company.

    Publicis chairman of the supervisory board Maurice Levy said: “Praveen has been with us slightly after opening Publicis in India (1999) and had led the agency to growth and creative excellence. He then decided to launch Law & Kenneth ( 2002), which also has been a great success.”

    Kenneth stated: “The incredible success story of Law & Kenneth and L&K| Saatchi & Saatchi has been nothing less than a magical testimony of “making the impossible, possible.”

    “Building from zero, to four offices, 400-plus amazing people and being in the top 10. Winning at Cannes, D&AD, epic pitch wins and first class clients. It’s been a dream run,” he added.

    L&K | Saatchi & Saatchi has an enviable list of blue chip clients, which includes Renault India, HeroMotoCorp, Kent RO, P&G, Dabur, Pepper Fry, Jockey, Mondelez, Godrej Interio and Exide Insurance. It won two silvers at Cannes in 2016, and won again in 2017, and this time a Gold.

  • Rage Communications appoints Neville Medhora as India business head

    Rage Communications appoints Neville Medhora as India business head

    MUMBAI: Rage Communications has appointed Neville Medhora as its head of India business.

    Medhora till recently, the head of Rediffusion-Y&R’s Mumbai office joins Rage Communications after a twenty-year journey that traversed across most of the leading advertising agencies in India. 

    Apart from Rediffusion-Y&R, Neville has had substantial stints with Equus, Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA and JWT. In his extensive advertising stint, Medhora has worked with some of the largest and most successful brands in India across many categories.

    Rage Communications director Karthik Kumar commented, “Neville’s joining Rage will add significant depth to Rage’s overall offerings in India and bring fresh thinking in the way digital will contribute to its clients building strong and sustainable engagements with their consumers.”

    Commenting on his role, Medhora, said, “Indian marketing is on the cusp of change with respect to digital.  Marketers are beginning to realize that digital can no longer be an esoteric activity on the margins, but has to be a key ingredient in the marketing playbook of any serious activity. As they realize this, they also discover that digital is not just ‘shoot-and-scoot’ advertising, but a completely new form of engaging with consumers that requires developing deep roots and sustaining it for meaningful impact.”

    Neville further added, “Rage in its 20 years of existence has the necessary depth of both, the functional expertise and the technology skills to aid marketers traverse these new challenges, making it a natural choice for me!”

    Neville caught the digital bug about six years ago and spearheaded key digital initiatives of clients within the boundaries of the traditional off-line format. Recognizing its inherent weaknesses, he took a sabbatical to learn the intricacies of the digital world. Neville joins Rage Communications fresh from this sabbatical.

  • Rage Communications appoints Neville Medhora as India business head

    Rage Communications appoints Neville Medhora as India business head

    MUMBAI: Rage Communications has appointed Neville Medhora as its head of India business.

    Medhora till recently, the head of Rediffusion-Y&R’s Mumbai office joins Rage Communications after a twenty-year journey that traversed across most of the leading advertising agencies in India. 

    Apart from Rediffusion-Y&R, Neville has had substantial stints with Equus, Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA and JWT. In his extensive advertising stint, Medhora has worked with some of the largest and most successful brands in India across many categories.

    Rage Communications director Karthik Kumar commented, “Neville’s joining Rage will add significant depth to Rage’s overall offerings in India and bring fresh thinking in the way digital will contribute to its clients building strong and sustainable engagements with their consumers.”

    Commenting on his role, Medhora, said, “Indian marketing is on the cusp of change with respect to digital.  Marketers are beginning to realize that digital can no longer be an esoteric activity on the margins, but has to be a key ingredient in the marketing playbook of any serious activity. As they realize this, they also discover that digital is not just ‘shoot-and-scoot’ advertising, but a completely new form of engaging with consumers that requires developing deep roots and sustaining it for meaningful impact.”

    Neville further added, “Rage in its 20 years of existence has the necessary depth of both, the functional expertise and the technology skills to aid marketers traverse these new challenges, making it a natural choice for me!”

    Neville caught the digital bug about six years ago and spearheaded key digital initiatives of clients within the boundaries of the traditional off-line format. Recognizing its inherent weaknesses, he took a sabbatical to learn the intricacies of the digital world. Neville joins Rage Communications fresh from this sabbatical.

  • Publicis undertakes major client-centric restructuring for 2016

    Publicis undertakes major client-centric restructuring for 2016

    MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe is undertaking a major client-centric restructuring of its business model, which will see agency breaking down its disciplines into four distinct ‘solution hubs’ with each client that will be led by a chief client officer.

     

    With effect from 2 January, 2016, the change also includes a new role for Leo Burnett’s APAC chairman and CEO Jarek Ziebinski.

     

    The Groupe’s disciplines will now be organised across four solutions hubs namely Publicis Communications, Publicis Media, Publicis.Sapient and Publicis Healthcare.

     

    Publicis Communications will be led by CEO Arthur Sadoun and will comprise all creative networks: Publicis Worldwide, MSL, Nurun, Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett as well as BBH and Marcel. It will also include the production hub, Prodigious.

     

    Publicis Media will be led by CEO Steve King and will bring together Starcom Mediavest, ZenithOptimedia, Vivaki, Performics, MRY, Moxie or RUN and all the associated entities. All clients will benefit from the economies of scale and research efforts, key elements in this field. 

     

    Publicis.Sapient is a platform designed for tomorrow’s world: a world of digital platforms. Led by Alan Herrick as CEO, this hub includes Sapient Consulting, SapientNitro, DigitasLBi, Razorfish and all the associated entities. Clients fully benefit from R&D investments, cutting edge technology solutions and the Groupe’s leading position in e-commerce, as well as new tools that will transform their marketing approaches and their business models. 

     

    Publicis Healthcare led by CEO Nick Colucci is a fully integrated Health and Pharma solution. It covers all of the Groupe’s clients’ needs, from a new product launch to the transition to generic branding, including digital applications and sales force management. 

    Each Brand, for instance Saatchi & Saatchi, ZenithOptimedia or DigitasLBi, will keep expanding, with its own culture and specific approach to creativity and services. The identity and the success of each of the Groupe’s brands will be preciously preserved and nurtured. 

    The Groupe generates more than 90 per cent of its revenue in about 20 countries. As a result, many other countries don’t get the attention they rightfully deserve and the Groupe footprint is often too fragmented. This is why all of these countries will now be managed through a dedicated Groupe entity, Publicis ONE, with will be led by Ziebinski as CEO.

     

    In the Publicis ONE countries, all entities will be reunited under one roof and one management team. This will ensure a better coordination of all client services while respecting strictly confidentiality rules. These structures will attract great talent, both through their scale and comprehensiveness. 

     

    Businesses all over the world, no matter their industry, are continuously faced with the upheavals brought on by digital and the constant evolutions affecting our society, the way we work, communicate and consume. In order to better advise and serve its clients, Publicis Groupe decided to radically modify its business model by putting the client at the heart of its organisation.

     

    The idea consists of reversing its current structure, built around the concept of worldwide networks, by breaking down silos in order to offer clients the Groupe’s entire know-how and expertise through the “Power of One”: all Publicis Groupe capabilities will be available to each of its clients – in a simple, flexible and efficient way. A bit like a smartphone: powered by sophisticated technology but very easy to use.

     

    From now on, the Groupe will gauge its performance using a new standard: client service, led for each client by a chief client officer. This person will be responsible for the entire range of services and skills the client can benefit from, no matter the discipline or the country. Whenever possible, the dedicated teams will be gathered under one roof.

     

    The teams of chief client officers will be supervised by a Groupe chief revenue officer. Laura Desmond will fulfil this newly created role. The mission will be to simplify the way clients access the range of solutions, without duplication or delay, and to accelerate the Groupe’s growth and development. Laura Desmond will also be responsible for the Groupe’s growth (new business and future developments).