MAM
BBH India names George Sebastian as executive creative director
Mumbai: BBH India, a Publicis Groupe agency, has announced the appointment of George Sebastian as executive creative director. He will report to BBH India’s chief creative officer & CEO Russell Barrett and lead a team of copy, art and design professionals.
Sebastian brings with him 14 years of experience. In the past, he has been associated with Enormous Brands, Grey Group and most recently he was senior creative director at DDB Mudra. Sebastian has worked on brands like Gillette, Tanishq, Glance, Dell, McDowell’s No 1, Britannia, TTK Prestige, 3M and TicTac, helping them unlock their purpose and ambition.
Sebastian was also part of the team that pitched, won and conceptualised an integrated campaign – India’s most exciting workplace for the Indian Army that led to a major shift in the way the youth perceive the armed forces, according to the agency.
Welcoming Sebastian on board, BBH India CCO & CEO Russell Barrett said, “George is an exceptionally talented creative individual who is also incredibly versatile. He’s as comfortable working on a 30-second commercial as he is on an AR idea. He’s as gifted at his craft when he’s writing in Hindi and English. He’s a mature creative leader who is as driven as the hungriest first-jobber. We’ve got the ‘all-inclusive-package’ with George and I’m certain he’s going to produce extremely famous, relevant and modern work for BBH India.”
George Sebastian added, “There are a few things at the core of this celebrated agency, and network at large, that strongly resonate with me. Whether it is an unabashed love for ideas, a robust culture of expression and debate, or the wonderful team of Good and Nice folks one gets to learn from. BBH is bubbling with opportunity, and I’m looking forward to working closely with Russell and all-black sheep to explode its massive potential.”
Digital
India leads global adoption of ChatGPT Images 2.0 in first week
From anime avatars to fantasy covers, users turn AI visuals into culture
NEW DELHI: India has emerged as the largest user base for ChatGPT Images 2.0, just a week after its launch by OpenAI, underlining the country’s growing influence on global internet trends.
While the tool was introduced as an advanced image-generation upgrade within ChatGPT, Indian users are quickly reshaping its purpose. Instead of sticking to productivity-led use cases, many are embracing it as a creative playground for self-expression, storytelling and online identity.
From anime-style portraits and cinematic headshots to tarot-inspired visuals and fictional newspaper front pages, the model is being used to create highly stylised, shareable content. Features such as accurate text rendering, multilingual prompts and the ability to generate detailed visuals with minimal input have helped drive rapid adoption.
What sets the latest model apart is its ability to “think” through prompts, generating multiple outputs and adapting to context, including real-time web inputs. But the bigger story lies in how users are engaging with it.
In India, trends are already taking shape. Popular formats include dramatic studio-style lighting edits, LinkedIn-ready headshots, manga-inspired avatars, soft pastel “spring” aesthetics, AI-led fashion moodboards, paparazzi-style visuals and fantasy newspaper covers. Users are also restoring old photographs, creating tarot-style imagery and experimenting with futuristic design concepts.
Local flavour is adding another layer. Prompts such as cinematic portrait collages and Y2K-inspired romantic edits are gaining traction, blending global aesthetics with distinctly Indian internet culture.
The surge reflects a broader shift in how AI tools are being used in the country, moving beyond utility to creativity. As younger users, creators and social media enthusiasts experiment with new visual formats, AI-generated imagery is increasingly becoming part of everyday digital expression.
If early trends hold, ChatGPT Images 2.0 may not just be a tech upgrade but a cultural moment, giving millions a new visual language to play with online.
