MAM
Leo Burnett India shuffles its team; Pops is creative head India Subcontinent
MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe‘s creative agency Leo Burnett India has announced a restructuring in its ranks in order to transform itself into a new age communication agency.
Leo Burnett India NCD KV Sridhar, popularly known as Pops, will now hold the mantle of chief creative officer, India Subcontinent. Nitesh Tiwari has been promoted to take on the post of Leo Burnett India chief creative officer.
Tiwari has been a part of the Leo Burnett family for almost a decade and has worked for a wide range of clients, including Tide, Heinz, Sony Entertainment Television, Reliance Mobile, McDonald‘s, Perfetti Van Melle and Bajaj Electricals.
Pops said, “The core of our consumers across product categories is becoming younger and younger with every passing year. So it is only fair that we have young creative leaders who speak the language of youth and understand new-age challenges for brands and businesses.”
Earlier for agencies in India TV advertising was the core of marketing plans and specialist services were bought from smaller independent shops. Their clients are now demanding new ways of approaching advertising suited to the rapidly changing environment.
“They are demanding advertising platforms that truly integrate their brand communications across channels as diverse as traditional media, digital and modern retail. This transformation is extremely exciting. Changing our core while growing fast requires foresight, meticulous planning and its relentless execution,” said Leo Burnett India Subcontinent chairman and CEO Arvind Sharma.
Leo Burnett Worldwide chief creative officer Mark Tutssel said, “The infusion of fresh new blood into our industry is vital for its long-term health and prosperity. This new generation is tomorrows‘ world thinkers- bold, brave and curious. They naturally defy the status quo and open up infinite possibilities for modern day communication.”
Leo Burnett Asia Pacific president Jarek Ziebinski said, “Business growth in India is coming from innovative thinking that keeps the youth at the centre and technology as the backdrop. Our creative restructuring in India is in step with that growth story and I am completely convinced that the youth will fuel growth of India as well as of Burnett in the near future.”
Other promotions at Leo Burnett include the elevation of Vikram Pandey (a.k.a Spiky) as executive creative director with focus on Tata Capital and HDFC Life. Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari has been promoted as executive creative director and will continue working on Sony Entertainment Television. Vicky Bhambhani takes on the new role of regional creative director on Tide.
Abhishek Sinha, Nikhil Mehrotra, Piyush Gupta and Shreyas Jain have all made it to the creative director circle.
While Sinha will be working on P&G Tide and Shiksha, Mehrotra will work on brands like Bajaj Electricals and Complan. Gupta will be working on Tata Capital as creative director and Jain will now focus on HDFC Life and Limca.
Leo Burnett has also roped in talent from across the industry including Timsy Gupta, Rishi Agarwal, Sapna Aluwalia and Rajneesh Ramakrishnan. Gupta comes in from DDB Mudra Mumbai and has been appointed as creative director. She has worked across agencies like Grey Worldwide, McCann Mumbai, Contract Mumbai and DDB Mudra Mumbai and will be helping chalk out a path for Uninor as CD.
Agarwal who joins from McCann Erickson Delhi has worked on campaigns like Coca-Cola ‘Jashnmana le‘, Nescafe Sunrise, Dulux ‘boxing gloves‘. Some of the other prominent brands that he has contributed significantly towards include HBO, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism and Dainik Jagran. He also joins as CD on Uninor.
Ahulwalia has received wide recognition for the work she has done on brands like Fiat, Tata AIG, Virgin Mobile, BBC World and Birla Sun Life Insurance. She will be a creative director on McDonald‘s.
Ramakrishnan has worked across various agencies including Ogilvy & Mather, Creative Land Asia and handled brands like Cadbury confectionaries, Bajaj Pulsar, Castrol, Odonil, Kotak Securities, Citigroup Global Services(e serve), Frooti, Bloomberg UTV. He has joined as a creative director on McDonald‘s.
Brands
Hyundai Venue crosses 1 lakh bookings, adds HX8 Diesel AT variant
New top-spec automatic diesel trim brings ventilated seats, OTA updates and paddle shifters.
MUMBAI: Hyundai Venue just hit the jackpot and upgraded the prize because when you cross 1 lakh bookings, you don’t just celebrate, you throw in paddle shifters and ventilated seats for the ride. Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) announced that the all-new Hyundai Venue has achieved 1 lakh bookings, cementing its strong position in the compact SUV segment. To mark the milestone and further enhance customer choice, the company introduced the new HX8 Diesel Automatic (AT) variant.
The HX8 Diesel AT is powered by the proven U2 1.5L CRDi diesel engine paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. It adds a host of premium comfort, safety and convenience features, including:
- Ventilated front seats
- Dual-tone leatherette seats with VENUE branding
- Electric 4-way driver seat adjust
- Controller Over-the-Air (OTA) updates
- Hyundai Bluelink connected car technology
- Electric parking brake with auto hold
- Rear disc brakes
- Ambient lighting on crash pad and central console
- Drive mode select (Eco, Normal, Sport)
- Traction control modes (Sand, Mud, Snow)
- Paddle shifters
HMIL, managing director & CEO Tarun Garg said, “We are delighted that the new Hyundai Venue has crossed 1 lakh bookings, reaffirming the strong trust Indian customers place in our brand. The introduction of the new HX8 Diesel Automatic variant further strengthens the Venue lineup, offering customers the perfect blend of diesel efficiency, torque-rich performance and effortless convenience.”
Backed by Hyundai’s extensive sales and service network, the Venue continues to appeal to buyers seeking a feature-rich, comfortable and future-ready compact SUV. The new variant reinforces HMIL’s focus on delivering advanced technology, safety, comfort and value while adapting to evolving customer preferences.
In a segment where bookings are the real horsepower, Hyundai isn’t just counting milestones, it’s handing drivers an automatic upgrade that makes every journey feel like the victory lap.
