AD Agencies
Leo Burnett, BBDO shine at The Epica Awards 2016
MUMBAI: Leo Burnett India has bagged India’s sole gold at the 2016 edition of the Epica Awards for its ‘Reuniting Memories from 1947’ (Dastaan) campaign for OLX.
Excited about the wins, Leo Burnett south Asia chief creative officer RajDeepak Das said, “When we realised that OLX is the no. 1 marketplace for used goods in India and Pakistan, we saw an opportunity to help people reunite with their priceless pre-Partition belongings and memories; we received thousands of stories from both sides in no time.”
Additionally, its work for Bajaj V, ‘Sons of Vikrant’, too bagged a bronze. The Epica Awards celebrate work from advertising, design, media, PR and digital that has been chosen by renowned journalists from the marketing and communications fraternity, across the world.
The work for OLX bagged the Gold under the ‘Native Advertising’ category, while Bajaj V’s campaign won for ‘Films & Series’.
The wins have even played their part in helping Leo Burnett secure the coveted ‘Network of the Year’ title this year, by bagging 49 metals to its name including 12 gold.
On the other hand BBDO New York claimed the agency of the year title with 19 wins which includes a gold.
The Epica Awards were established in 1987, and is the only award that is judged by marketing and communications specialist journalists from over 60 publications, including magazines and websites, globally. The prize attracts entries from over 70 countries, each year. The ceremony was held in Amsterdam on 17 November.
AD Agencies
Havas Media Network India names Archana Aggarwal chief growth officer
The appointment comes as the network accelerates its integrated, data-led push across one of its top ten global markets.
MUMBAI: Havas Media Network India is moving fast, and it wants someone who can move faster.
The network has appointed Archana Aggarwal as chief growth officer, tasking her with driving the new business agenda and deepening client partnerships across Havas Media, PivotRoots, Havas Play and Arena Media. Based in Gurugram, she will report to Mohit Joshi, chief executive of Havas Media Network India.
Aggarwal arrives with more than two decades of media and marketing experience, most recently as vice-president of media at Airtel, where she led integrated media strategies tied to shifting consumer behaviour and business outcomes. Before that, she worked across some of the world’s most demanding marketing accounts, including P&G, Unilever, L’Oréal, Coca-Cola, the Diamond Trading Corporation and Airtel, spanning FMCG, telecom and the broader marketing ecosystem. She is noted for her command of emerging platforms, including connected TV, AI and the metaverse.
Rana Barua, group chief executive of Havas India, South-East Asia and North Asia, framed the hire as timely. “India continues to be a critical market for Havas globally and is among our top ten markets worldwide,” he said, noting strong momentum across the network’s integrated model and growing client partnerships. “Archana’s appointment comes at a pivotal time as we continue to scale our capabilities and accelerate growth.”
Joshi was equally direct. “Her deep understanding of consumer behaviour and proven ability to translate insights into business outcomes will be instrumental as we continue to scale our integrated, data-led capabilities across agencies,” he said.
Havas Media Network India currently serves more than 100 clients and employs over 1,000 professionals across Gurugram, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The network’s growth engine runs on Converged.AI, its proprietary operating system that brings together data, technology and human insight under the global vision of “Growth Powered by Desire.”
Aggarwal, for her part, called the opportunity compelling. “The chance to drive growth across a diverse and integrated ecosystem is exciting,” she said. “I look forward to working with the teams to deliver meaningful impact for clients.”
In a market where media fragmentation is accelerating and clients are demanding cleaner proof of return, Havas has hired someone who has sat on both sides of the table. That, in itself, is a statement of intent.
