AD Agencies
Advertising Rocks to electrify Goafest 2024
Mumbai: Following the success of its inaugural edition, Goafest 2024 is set to bring back ‘Advertising Rocks’, an initiative that offers a unique platform for India’s advertising, media, and marketing community to showcase their musical talents. Embracing the spirit of collaboration and innovation, the organising committee invites solo performers to submit their entries. Selected participants will have the exclusive opportunity to captivate audiences at Goafest 2024, solidifying their presence at South Asia’s premier and largest creative festival.
With two solo categories – Indian and International – Advertising Rocks 2024 promises a global showcase of musical talent. Four shortlists from each category will have the esteemed opportunity to perform for a distinguished jury and delegates at Goafest in Mumbai. The ultimate champions will be determined through a combination of jury evaluation and live voting by Goafest attendees, ensuring a fair and thrilling competition.
Winners in each category will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 50,000, while the first runners-up will receive Rs 25,000.
On ‘Advertising Rocks’, Havas Media Network India CEO and Goafest 2024’s co-chair Mohit Joshi said, “Advertising Rocks is back with another exciting edition at Goafest 2024 to celebrate the musical talents of our fraternity. As a fellow music enthusiast, I can’t wait to witness the exceptional performances this year. Looking forward to this unforgettable showcase of talent.”
Former BBH CEO and curator of ‘Advertising Rocks’ Subhash Kamath, further added, “Advertising Rocks was a big hit at Goafest last year and we’re hoping we’ll have a lot more participation in 2024. There’s so much musical talent in our industry. They deserve a platform to perform and Goafest is the perfect place for it.”
The deadline for submitting entries for Advertising Rocks is May 15, 2024. Entries by solo performers only belonging to the Advertising, Media, and Marketing fraternity will be considered.
Submit your entries for Advertising Rocks here.
Presented by The Advertising Agencies Association of India and The Advertising Club, Goafest 2024 is scheduled to take place on 29, 30 and 31 May 2024 at The Westin Mumbai Powai Lake, Mumbai.
AD Agencies
WPP appoints Hephzibah Pathak CEO of WPP Creative India
Ogilvy India chair takes charge of unified creative model in key market
NEW DELHI: WPP has appointed Hephzibah Pathak as chief executive officer of WPP Creative India, putting a local leader at the helm of its newly created creative operating model in one of its most important growth markets.
The move brings clarity to how WPP’s global restructuring will play out in India, weeks after the group unveiled WPP Creative as part of its Elevate28 strategy. The unit sits alongside WPP Media, WPP Production and WPP Enterprise Solutions, and is designed to simplify what the company previously described as an overly complex structure.
Pathak, who continues as executive chairperson of Ogilvy India, will represent all agencies under the WPP Creative umbrella in India. Her role centres on driving integration across brands, expanding capabilities and ensuring clients can tap into the network’s full talent pool without friction.
WPP said Pathak will work closely with agency brand CEOs to “enhance integration, expand capabilities, and ensure seamless client access”, while maintaining the distinct identities of its agencies.
The portfolio under WPP Creative includes leading networks such as VML, Landor, AKQA and Grey, along with Burson and its affiliated firms. Leaders across these agencies will now report into Pathak, even as each brand continues to operate independently within a unified system.
The appointment also formalises a dual-track strategy in India, preserving agency identities while accelerating collaboration. Pathak is expected to work closely with media leadership to align creative and media capabilities, reflecting growing client demand for integrated, multi-market solutions.
WPP Creative global CEO Jon Cook has described the unit as “not an agency” but an operating system that helps creative, design and PR brands work together more effectively. The group has been clear that it is not merging or phasing out legacy agency brands, instead aiming to reduce complexity on the client side.
Pathak brings nearly three decades of experience within the network, having joined in 1997 and held roles ranging from Mumbai office head to chief client officer. She made history in 2024 as the first woman to lead Ogilvy India in its 95-year presence in the country.
Her expanded mandate positions India at the centre of WPP’s Asia-Pacific strategy, with a focus on strengthening brand presence, deepening client relationships and unlocking growth in a fast-evolving market.
The appointment signals WPP’s intent to move beyond the traditional holding company model towards a more integrated, AI-enabled structure. With Pathak now steering WPP Creative India, the group appears set to test whether simpler structures can indeed deliver sharper creative outcomes.
