MAM
FCB leads in India with 38 shortlists at The One Show 2020
MUMBAI: The One Show announced its shortlists for 2020 and FCB leads the India region with 38 shortlists. The Punishing Signal gets 25 shortlists, Times Out & Proud has 11 shortlists and The Open Door Project has 2 shortlists.
The brave campaigns from FCB are not just advertising campaigns that solve a problem, but they come with a larger message that aims at changing behaviour.
Commenting on the shortlists, FCB Interface CCO Robby Mathew said: “The Mumbai police is doing a phenomenal job in this war against Covid-19. And these brave men and women truly deserve the recognition from the world’s brightest and best, for their campaign against indiscriminate honking.”
FCB Ulka CCO Swati Bhattacharya said: “Very proud and very excited. I just wish this came to us at a different time.”
FCB India group chairman and CEO Rohit Ohri said: “Our 38 shortlists at One Show are for work that drives behavior change. It's fantastic to have this recognized by the world's creative community. When we enter a post-covid world, behaviour changing work will be critical for us to rebuild our world.”
Campaign details
Mumbai is one of the noisiest cities in the world. And a lot of this noise can be traced back to cacophony at the signals. Mumbaikars honk even when the signal is red! Needless to say, this noise pollution is making the city alarmingly unhealthy to live in. To tackle this honking menace, the Mumbai Traffic Police, in partnership with FCB Interface came up with an innovative solution called The Punishing Signal.
Link to the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIgKvUPXeq4&feature=youtu.be
The “Times Out & Proud” campaign gives the hope of an inclusive society. This film aims to empower the members of the LGBTQ community to live a dignified life with acceptance and pride. On 17 May 1990, the General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from their list of mental disorders. This decision by the WHO constitutes a historic date and powerful symbol for members of the LGBTQ community. With this film, we aim to carve out a mainstream space for members of the community who identify as LGBTQ to interact, share and collaborate with the entire Indian population.
Link to the film- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p8DFP1Tn1s
Millennium World School wanted to make a real difference in education by doing something for some of the 80 million kids left out of the classroom due to systemic poverty. To escape poverty’s gravitational pull, we needed to demonstrate that change is possible, actionable, and lasting. The Open Door Project tackled the two headed problem of Inequality and Education by utilizing the real estate of upmarket schools that lay empty after hours, for kids who didn’t have access to educational facilities. To drum up more support for this movement, the film ‘’Bhukkad’’ told the heart-warming story of a kid from a red light area, whose hunger to learn went beyond narrow walls.
Link to the film- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP9kqPh4bHM
FCB India is the Indian agency of FCB (Foote, Cone & Belding) Worldwide.
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.
