MAM
The Social Street names Deepak Singh as chief creative officer
MUMBAI: Media agency start up The Social Street has appointed Deepak Singh as its chief creative officer. He will be based out of Mumbai and will report to Social Street founding partner and chairman Pratap Bose.
Bose said, “I am thrilled that Deepak is joining us! Deepak is one of the most decorated art directors and one of the finest art talents we have in our country. Easy-going, light-hearted and humble to the core, he’s proof that looks can be deceiving. Because deep beneath that unassuming persona lies a hunger to keep raising the bar, only to topple it over. I wish him the very best and look forward to seeing some path breaking creativity from him!”
Singh added, “I feel advertising now is much more than just TVCs, print and radio. That’s why with time we should change and try to explore bigger things. Pratap has a clear vision about his plans for The Social Street and knows why he was hiring me, which gives me more confidence. I think the next generation of advertising is much more than mainline advertising and that is what attracts me to shift, and I feel I can do more challenging things now. Digital, outdoor, interactive, activation makes advertising much bigger and more interesting. I am really looking forward to do some great work for The Social Street. My mainline experience will bring new solutions to clients’ problems.”
In his 15 years of professional pursuits, Singh has over 400 national and international awards to his name and has worked with agencies like Leo Burnett, Grey Worldwide, McCann Erickson, DDB Mudra and Dentsu.
“I really enjoyed working with Bose at DDB in the past and I am very fond of his humble and simple nature and way of looking at things. I always wanted to work with him in the future and I am happy he chose me for this position. I know there are a lot of challenges and learning for me, but I think this partnership with Social Street will add a new dimension to my career,” Singh added.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
