MAM
Deshpande returns to Contract as chief creative officer
MUMBAI: Contract Advertising has roped in Ravi Deshpande as chief creative officer. Deshpande was earlier Lemon Communications national creative director.
“Ravi has had a long and intimate relationship with our agency from as long ago as 1987. He has been part of crafting Contract’s unique creative identity,” said Contract Advertising CEO Jagdip Bakshi. “Contract has always attracted the most unusual and sparkling creative minds in the country and Ravi’s return is a home-coming that all of us at the agency welcome,” he added.
While Deshpande was at Contract, the agency won over 400 awards for creative excellence in prestigious national and international fora like Cannes, British D&AD and the Art Directors’ Club, New York.
Contract was Agency of the Year thrice at the Advertising & Marketing national awards as well as Agency of the Year at the Abby’s in 1999. In his years at Contract, Deshpande was involved with over 300 campaigns. Most fondly, he remembers Chicklet’s – ‘It works’, Phillips Storm and Serenade and Bajaj Sunny Zip.
“Creative excellence is not just about winning awards. For advertising to be relevant, it must ensure that consumers connect with our clients’ brands,” Deshpande said.
On his return to Contract, he said, “The sincerity with which I was asked to return was irresistible. As is the desire to work with some of the best young talent in the country. As to his future plans, he said “I’m confident that we will add sparkle and make a a clear and perceptible difference to our clients’ work immediately.”
In the brief years that Deshpande was away, he set up Lemon, which not just measured up to, but exceeded creative standards as we know them in our industry. Deshpande is best remembered for the Standard Chartered Mutual funds ‘Retire early’ campaign, Cadbury Delite – ‘Dudh se dosti kar lo’, and the recent ‘Zoom’ Television campaign.
MAM
Deep Chhabria steps up to APAC creative lead at Netflix
Veteran marketer expands role from India+SEA to oversee creative across Asia-Pacific after four-plus years at streamer.
MUMBAI: Deep Chhabria is levelling up at Netflix proving that when it comes to creative partnerships, he’s got the whole binge-watching region on speed dial. The streaming giant has elevated Chhabria to APAC creative lead, expanding his remit beyond his previous focus on India, South East Asia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Having clocked over four years with Netflix, he’s been the mastermind behind some of the platform’s most talked-about brand tie-ups in the region.
Standout collaborations under his watch include the Stranger Things 5 x Instamart mash-up, the cheeky Ba***ds of Bollywood activations with Boat and Airtel, Squid Game 2 hook-ups featuring Knorr, 5 Star, and Swiggy, plus the 4700 BC x Netflix play. He’s also driven key distribution deals like Netflix on Vi and Airtel Prepaid, blending content buzz with real-world accessibility.
With roughly 14 years in the game, Chhabria’s CV boasts stints at top agencies such as BBH India, Ogilvy & Mather, and Saatchi & Saatchi honing the craft that makes ads feel less like sales pitches and more like must-watch episodes.
Outside the office, he’s no stranger to the spotlight, a tutor at Miami Ad School in Mumbai, where his students have scooped gongs at Portfolio Nights, The One Show, and D&AD. Oh, and he’s a stand-up comedian who’s notched over 500 gigs across India and the US, even landing spots on Comedy Central India because apparently juggling global campaigns and killer punchlines is just another day at the desk.
The promotion underscores Netflix’s push to keep its APAC creative edge sharp amid fierce competition in the streaming wars. For Chhabria, it’s less a step up and more a wider canvas ready to script the next chapter of binge-worthy marketing magic across the region.
