MAM
After Pops, exits continue at Leo Burnett
MUMBAI: It was in the month of April this year that the advertising fraternity got a shock with K V Sridhar’s exit news from Leo Burnett. Pops as the industry fondly calls him quit the creative agency after 17 years of association. Looks like with the legend leaving a few others too have decided to follow suit.
Indiantelevision.com has learnt that over a dozen mid-level creative professionals have put in their papers at the agency. Highly placed sources within Leo Burnett confirmed the news.
Leo Burnett chief creative officer RajDeepak Das was not reachable for comments at the time of filing the story.
It can be noted that executive creative director Ashwini Iyer Tiwari who too had put in her papers a few months back is all set to make her debut in filmmaking.
With Pops and Arvind Sharma, who bid adieu to the agency last year, gone the recent exits have definitely raised a few eyebrows. With the new leadership in place will the agency win back the confidence of creative guns? Only time will answer that.
MAM
PNB Metlife bowls ‘Always Ready for Life’ with Smriti Mandhana
New positioning tackles 91 per cent protection gap plus ageing India’s 230 million seniors by 2036.
MUMBAI: When life throws a googly, PNB Metlife wants you padded up and ready not scrambling for cover. The insurer has unveiled its fresh brand positioning, ‘Always Ready for Life’, fronted by cricket superstar Smriti Mandhana, to spark real conversations about insurance and financial planning at every stage of the journey.
India’s life protection gap remains a stark 91 per cent meaning for every Rs 100 needed to secure families financially, only Rs 9 is covered. At the same time, the elderly population (60 plus) is projected to swell to around 230 million by 2036, roughly 15 per cent of the total population. The campaign underlines PNB Metlife’s holistic take on security, urging Indians to build clarity and confidence around retirement, child education and long-term goals.
PNB Metlife chief marketing & communications officer Sourabh Lohtia said, “There is a unique sense of freedom that comes when careful financial preparation meets present-day opportunities. With this campaign, we want to show that being prepared helps people focus on what truly matters. Financial growth and security are achievable and PNB MetLife wants to support Indians by helping to simplify financial planning, turning every future milestone into something to look forward to.”
The brand ambassador Smriti Mandhana drew a neat parallel, “As a cricketer, we study the pitch, understand opposition, and assess the situation before every match. Life works similarly, staying prepared for every goal or situation is essential, and financial readiness plays a key role in that. Life insurance helps build that strong foundation at every life stage whether we are achieving big dreams, starting a family, buying a home, or planning for a comfortable retirement.”
The push targets millennials and younger audiences through Mandhana’s appeal, rolling out across television, Youtube, Meta platforms, OTT, Google Display and high-visibility outdoor sites. In a country where life can change as quickly as a T20 over, PNB Metlife is betting that preparation not panic is the real winning shot.
