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.









