The India Focus

With its wealth of languages, cultures and contradictions, India isn't short of variety. We speak to leading adfolk about how creativity is forging ahead.

Talent

Senthil Kumar: Rise of the rocket man

When Grey India was seeking “a fool” to send to Sri Lanka, a 24-year-old Senthil Kumar didn’t let civil war in the country stand between him and a CD role. Now, as JWT India’s CCO, the former rocket science student is one of the country’s leading admen. Here, he assesses India’s quest for an advertising identity.

Talent

Priyanka Ghose: A rebel child aiming for the stars

With a background in features and advertising production, Priyanka Ghose, is well versed in the practicalities of filmmaking. Aligning herself with the younger breed of risk-taking Indian directors, she’s all for “going bananas” creatively and is keen to push against a tendency among Indian clients to play it safe...

Talent

Russell Barrett: The velocity of a speeding country

According to BBH India's CCO and Managing Partner, the country is experiencing exciting times. He thinks rapidly evolving technology is the catalyst for this explosion of new ideas. Yet, though thrilled at what new tech can achieve, he knows only too well that, as far as social media is concerned, it’s a force for good and ill.

Talent

Harshad Rajadhyaksha & Kainaz Karmakar: Reasons to be cheerful

With One Show annuals as bedtime reading, Harshad Rajadhyaksha was always destined for the industry, while Kainaz Karmakar’s first career choice was psychology. The co-CCOs of Ogilvy India also have wildly differing personalities yet what the award-winning duo share is an optimism about the new direction India’s advertising is taking.

Rajdeepak Das: Setting sail into the future

Ketna Patel: The philosopher’s palette

On Reflection: Ram Madhvani chews over Happydent Palace

Insight

India: A nation of marvellous miscellany

With its wealth of languages, cultures and contradictions, the one word that sums up India as a country is ‘variety’. Its advertising industry is a similarly complex, multi-faceted entity that, as in the rest of the world, faces fast-paced change and challenges. As we begin this month's India special, leading adfolk divulge a suitably diverse range of views on talent drains/talent bounty, scam, goodvertising and more, with a general consensus that creativity is forging ahead.

The Photography & Cinematography Focus

In a cacophonous digital culture that bombards us with a stream of personal image-sharing and branded visuals, it can be hard for photography to stand out. This month, shots pulls focus on the DPs and photographers whose work sets the optic nerves a-tingle and considers the input of non-human image generators.

The Inspiration Focus

What are the cultural artefacts, random objects, rituals and synaptic sparks that generate fresh ideas? We talk to some of ad land’s most innovative thinkers about creative inspiration. What it is, where they find it and do the AI bots have it too...

The YDA 2024 Focus

The rising stars who won Golds in this year’s Young Director Award share with shots the origins and ideas and behind their films, the production highs and lows and what they’re planning next.

The Music and Sound Focus

With sometimes just seconds to tell a story and set tone, the aurals – as well as the visuals – need to be spot on in ads. This month we sound out the musical maestros and foley funsters worth listening out for.

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