AD Agencies
AI, angst and applause: Goafest day three blends bold ideas with brave tech in storytelling
MUMBAI: Day three at Goafest 2025 opened not with a whisper but a roar. Under the theme Ignite Hungama, Indian playback singer Javed Ali lit up the morning with a rousing set, presented by Mahindra Auto and Mahindra Electric Origin SUV in association with Bingo! What followed was a cocktail of courage, code, and craft.
Marcel France CCO & CEO Youri Guerassimov delivered a punchy keynote on ‘Creativity That Dares to Disrupt’ – presented by Youtube under the theme Ignite Bravery. He challenged the room to get comfortable with discomfort. “Fear is temporary. Regret lasts far longer”, he said, quoting campaigns like Nike’s Colin Kaepernick ad and Marcel’s own ‘Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables’. Guerassimov pointed out that 86 per cent of consumers expect brands to take a stand, and 66 per cent are willing to jump ship if they don’t.
Next, the session ‘How AI is Rewriting the Language of Visual Storytelling’ took centre stage. Amazing Indian Stories founder & CEO Vivek Anchalia demonstrated how AI was bulldozing old production paradigms. From replacing animatics to cutting the need for bloated crews and locations, AI was making storytelling faster, cheaper, and sharper. His upcoming AI-powered film Naisha will feature machine-generated drone shots of Uttarakhand. In the fireside chat that followed, Landor president-APAC Lulu Raghavan summed it up: “AI is underhyped. Master it early, lead the next wave”.
Anchalia added nuance: while AI could mimic drone pans and 3D shots, it couldn’t replace emotional tonality in sound or a filmmaker’s rhythm. He also advised self-learning over formal AI education, hailing online creative communities as the real labs of experimentation.
Meanwhile, the Bioscope – The Cinema ran a series of sessions under the theme ‘What Ignited the Jury Room?’. Havas Creative India CCO & JMD Anupama Ramaswamy insisted the jury prioritised the power of creative ideas over just causes. Famous Innovations founder & CCO Raj Kamble brought his signature candour, likening case studies to ads that must hook judges in seven seconds. VML India CCO Senthil Kumar reminded the room: “If a film makes you want to watch it again, it’s doing its job”. Youri Guerassimov rounded off the jury talks, reiterating that creativity must remain consistent across platforms.
Adding a personal note, The Advertising Club COO Bipin Pandit launched his book presented by Amazon MX Player and powered by Mediakart. From a viral Linkedin post to a deadline set by AdClub president Rana Barua, the book’s origin story was as compelling as its content. It featured a foreword by Piyush Pandey and an article by Prasoon Joshi. A microsite, www.bipinpandit.com, was launched, along with a Walk of Work display at Cascade.
Day three also served up a buffet of masterclasses. Gowthaman Ragothaman led a session on data, privacy and intelligence, followed by Vijay Singh’s take on game commerce. Nick Eagleton of D&AD unpacked creative liberation with ‘Ideas Unlocked’. Sana Shaikh from Flipkart Ads outlined their latest innovations. Amogh Dusad from Amazon MX Player guided attendees on seamless brand integration. Meanwhile, Krishnendu Dutta and Vara Prasad of MRSI demystified AI’s impact on consumer insights.
Lunch was hosted by Vijayavani, wrapping up a first half that balanced firebrand ideas with futuristic tech.
AD Agencies
ABBY Awards 2026 names 3 jury chairs across digital, PR and publisher
Aditiya, Dharmaraj and Puri to lead key categories at Goafest 2026
MUMBAI: The Ad Club has announced the appointment of PG Aditiya, Deepshikha Dharmaraj and Pavita Puri as jury chairs for the Digital, PR and Publisher categories respectively at the ABBY Awards 2026, powered by The One Club and The One Show.
The awards are set to take place during Goafest 2026 from May 20 to 22 at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon, bringing together some of the biggest names in advertising and marketing.
PG Aditiya, founder and CCO at Talented, will chair the Digital jury. A former chief creative officer at Dentsu Webchutney, he now leads Talented, an employee-owned independent agency known for its unconventional structure and award-winning work for brands such as Meta, Google, Britannia and Tanishq. The agency has also been recognised as a global ‘Best Place to Work’ by Campaign magazine for two consecutive years.
In the PR category, Deepshikha Dharmaraj, CEO at Burson Group India, brings over three decades of experience in public relations and integrated communications. She oversees multiple entities including Burson Genesis, GCI Health India and Hill & Knowlton India. Known for her strategic counsel and leadership, Dharmaraj has also served as president of industry bodies such as PRCAI and PAFI, and has been a jury member at global platforms including Cannes PR Lions and D&AD Awards.
Pavita Puri, chief brand and marketing officer at The Indian Express Group, will chair the Publisher category. With over 15 years of leadership experience, she has been instrumental in driving the group’s transition into a digital-first media powerhouse, overseeing brands such as The Indian Express, Financial Express, Loksatta and Jansatta. Her earlier stints in advertising include roles at Rediffusion and Lowe India, where she handled marquee clients across sectors.
The appointments reflect a strong mix of creative, communications and media expertise, underscoring the awards’ focus on recognising excellence across evolving industry segments.
As the industry gears up for Goafest, the ABBY Awards 2026 promise to spotlight standout work, with seasoned leaders at the helm of jury deliberations shaping the benchmark for creative excellence.
