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Deshpande returns to Contract as chief creative officer
MUMBAI: Contract Advertising has roped in Ravi Deshpande as chief creative officer. Deshpande was earlier Lemon Communications national creative director.
“Ravi has had a long and intimate relationship with our agency from as long ago as 1987. He has been part of crafting Contract’s unique creative identity,” said Contract Advertising CEO Jagdip Bakshi. “Contract has always attracted the most unusual and sparkling creative minds in the country and Ravi’s return is a home-coming that all of us at the agency welcome,” he added.
While Deshpande was at Contract, the agency won over 400 awards for creative excellence in prestigious national and international fora like Cannes, British D&AD and the Art Directors’ Club, New York.
Contract was Agency of the Year thrice at the Advertising & Marketing national awards as well as Agency of the Year at the Abby’s in 1999. In his years at Contract, Deshpande was involved with over 300 campaigns. Most fondly, he remembers Chicklet’s – ‘It works’, Phillips Storm and Serenade and Bajaj Sunny Zip.
“Creative excellence is not just about winning awards. For advertising to be relevant, it must ensure that consumers connect with our clients’ brands,” Deshpande said.
On his return to Contract, he said, “The sincerity with which I was asked to return was irresistible. As is the desire to work with some of the best young talent in the country. As to his future plans, he said “I’m confident that we will add sparkle and make a a clear and perceptible difference to our clients’ work immediately.”
In the brief years that Deshpande was away, he set up Lemon, which not just measured up to, but exceeded creative standards as we know them in our industry. Deshpande is best remembered for the Standard Chartered Mutual funds ‘Retire early’ campaign, Cadbury Delite – ‘Dudh se dosti kar lo’, and the recent ‘Zoom’ Television campaign.
MAM
Coca-cola launches ‘Har Meal Aaaah’ campaign with Mamitha Baiju
Hyperlocal film turns parotta into ‘Parotaaaaaah’ to celebrate meal moments
MUMBAI: One sip, one sound and suddenly, every meal gets its moment. Coca-cola has unveiled its latest campaign, ‘Har Meal Aaaah’, aiming to turn everyday dining into something a little more memorable and a lot more refreshing. Fronted by Mamitha Baiju, the campaign leans into Coca-cola’s iconic “Aaaah” mnemonic that unmistakable expression after the first sip reimagining it as a cultural thread that ties together food, flavour and feeling across regions. The film, rooted in Tamil Nadu’s culinary culture, spotlights the beloved parotta, playfully stretching it into “Parotaaaaaah” to capture the joy of the perfect pairing.
Conceptualised by Ogilvy and extended regionally by Studio X, the campaign blends local insight with global brand cues. It reflects Coca-cola’s ongoing strategy of embedding itself into everyday rituals, this time, not through grand occasions, but through the quiet, familiar moments around food.
The idea is simple but sharply executed: position Coca-cola not as an add-on, but as an essential companion to meals. By tapping into hyperlocal food habits while retaining a universally recognisable brand cue, the campaign aims to deepen emotional recall across diverse audiences.
Early traction suggests the approach is resonating. The campaign has already sparked organic engagement online, with memes and user reactions amplifying its reach proof that sometimes, the smallest ideas travel the furthest.
At a time when brands are competing for attention in increasingly fragmented markets, ‘Har Meal Aaaah’ takes a different route zooming in rather than out. Because in the end, Coca-Cola’s bet is clear: if you can own the moment after the first sip, you can own the meal.
