AD Agencies
Regionally & globally, India is an essential market, says OMD APAC CEO Stephen Li
MUMBAI: In order to scale up its operations in India, Omnicom Media Group-owned agency OMD has entered in a partnership with DDB Mudra Group in India and brought a third brand titled ‘OMD MudraMax’ as an offering, by consolidating its media services business.
The collaboration entails the rebranding of the existing media business of DDB — TV, print, radio, and cinema & digital — as OMD MudraMax. The consolidation of DDB MudraMax and OMD is effective since November 17.
“This enables MudraMax to access the OMD Global Network for learning, development projects, strategic tools etc. It is a win-win and mutually beneficial collaboration for both, the Omnicom Media Group and the DDB Mudra Group. We have been working together over the last few months,” explained DDB Mudra Group Group CEO & managing director Madhukar Kamath.
The new entity will function as an additional local brand in the OMD network with access to the network efficiency, learning and tools such as VISION (live operating system designed to drive business growth not just media results) of the OMD global network.
“Both, regionally and globally – India is an essential market in every sense of that word, and one which is continuing to evolve and grow speedily. This partnership with DDB MudraMax will both add to our scale and further strengthen our presence,” shared OMD APAC CEO Stephen Li.
Under the consolidation, OMD MudraMax will be headed by DDB Mudra Group executive director and DDB MudraMax president Sathyamurthy N P.
“Apart from continuing to be being an integral part of the DDB Mudra Group and a key member of the Group Operating Board, Sathyamurthy Namakkal will now work closely with (Omnicom Media Group SEA and India CEO) Jasmin Sohrabji and be a part of her executive council too. I will give a lot of credit to Jasmin who saw great merit in this collaboration and worked hard to make OMD MudraMax happen,” Kamath shared.
About servicing existing clients, Kamath assured that there will be no change in any of the operations as all three brands will function independently. “In DDB MudraMax, most of the key clients were briefed about this development by Sathyamurthy Namakkal. Given the value adds that accrue to them, our clients are looking forward to the roll-out and success of the enhanced offering,” he added.
“DDB Mudra being a part of the Omnicom family is aligned to OMD’s culture which makes for a seamless transition,” Sohrabji said.
AD Agencies
Publicis Brazil’s creative chief Mauro Ramalho lands the jury chair at Abby Awards 2026
Mauro Ramalho brings 25 years of global advertising firepower to the new creative commerce, use of data and B2B category at Goafest
GOA: The Abby Awards 2026, powered by The One Club and The One Show, has appointed Mauro Ramalho, chief creative officer of Publicis Brazil, as jury chair for its newly launched creative commerce, use of data and B2B category. The announcement, made on 18 March, signals the awards’ intent to bring serious international muscle to a category that sits squarely at the intersection of creativity and commercial performance.
Ramalho is not a name that needs much introduction in global advertising circles. Over 25 years spanning three countries, he has worked at some of the industry’s most creatively restless addresses. At AKQA in San Francisco, he worked across McDonald’s, Nike, Fox, Target, Kraft Foods and GAP, and helped lead “The Lost Ring” for McDonald’s, one of the first alternate reality campaigns and among the most awarded projects of its era. He later moved to Organic in Toronto, bridging the Detroit and Toronto offices on Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler, before spending over a decade building CUBOCC into one of Brazil’s most iconic and innovative independent agencies, which subsequently joined the IPG network.
A stint at FCB followed, where Ramalho led integrated work bridging online and offline, before he joined R/GA São Paulo as vice-president and executive creative director, stitching together the São Paulo office with New York, London, Portland and California on global clients including Verizon, Google, Meta, Samsung, American Express and Heineken. He now heads Publicis Brazil as its chief creative officer.
His trophy cabinet includes Clios, Effies, TikTok awards and MMA Smarties, and he has served on juries at the Andys, TikTok and the Lisbon Awards.
The Abby Awards 2026 is scheduled to take place at Goafest 2026 on 20, 21 and 22 May in Goa.
For Indian advertising, landing a jury chair of Ramalho’s calibre for a category built around data-driven creativity and commerce is a statement of ambition. Goafest just raised its own bar.
