MAM
FCB Ulka appoints Surjo Dutt as national creative director
MUMBAI: FCB Ulka has appointed Surjo Dutt as national creative director. Surjo joins FCB Ulka from Sapient Nitro where he worked as Head of Creative – Delhi.
Surjo played a key role in the most successful year for Sapient Nitro’s advertising business since its’ inception in India. The Delhi office won marquee creative projects for brands like Nestle, British Airways and Philips during his 15-month stint.
The British Airways campaign #fuelledbylove and Nestle’s corporate campaign titled #100andrunning were standout pieces of creative work that not only worked in the marketplace, but also, were highly awarded. Goafest, Kyoorius, APAC brand engagement awards, Hollywood A-list awards, CIDCA, TAMBULI are some of the award shows where these campaigns were recognized.
Prior to this he was with JWT Delhi as Vice President and Executive Creative Director (ECD). He began his career with JWT as a trainee copywriter 17 years ago. In his 17-year stint Surjo worked on a huge variety of brands and categories including pretty much all brands in JWT Delhi.
Some of the brands Surjo worked on included Pepsi, 7UP, Mirinda, Mountain Dew, Slice, Tropicana, Frito Lay, Nestle, Airtel, Nokia, GSK, Hero Motocorp, UNICEF, CONGRESS, NOKIA, Hamdard and RADIKAL. He was also a part of JWT’s global High Performance Group for 2 years.
Speaking on Surjo’s new role at FCB Ulka, FCB Ulka CCO Swati Bhattacharya said, “I remember the first time we heard the line ‘cheetah bhi peeta hai’ in JWT. We all knew the new kid on the Pepsi floor was special. Surjo’s omnivorous talent comes with an infectious energy and passion that not just creates great creative work but also strong creative teams. I am absolutely excited to have him partner me in building a bright creative future for FCB India.”
Commenting on Surjo’s appointment, FCB Ulka CEO Nitin Karkare said, “Surjo is a powerhouse of talent. The sheer energy that he brings to every assignment makes him a delight to work with. He is a great people’s person and his teams are always ready to give their best for him. He is a fantastic addition to our creative leadership team and I am sure our clients will benefit from his work”.
Speaking on his new role at FCB Ulka, Dutt said, “FCB Ulka is an agency I have always admired for not just its work but also its core values and culture. And now with true game changers like Rohit and Swati coming in, it’s a wonderful time to be in this agency. I am thrilled to be a part of the team and will do everything I can to write my bit of the success story that is sure to be written.
MAM
Happy Pawdcast launches merchandise with The Souled Store
Season 2 success leads to co-branded line celebrating pet-parent bond.
MUMBAI: The Happy Pawdcast just gave fans something to wag their tails about because when your favourite pet show gets merch, even the couch starts feeling like a runway. Building on the momentum of Season 2 which reached over 14 million pet lovers, clocked more than 20,000 hours of content consumption and engaged over 23,000 users, The Happy Pawdcast has teamed up with The Souled Store for an exclusive co-branded merchandise collection. The line translates the podcast’s emotional core into wearable designs that celebrate the everyday bond between pets and their parents.
Hosted by Sonali Bendre and Icy Behl, Season 2 featured candid conversations with celebrity pet parents including Remo D’Souza, Diana Penty, Kubbra Sait, Rohan Joshi, Karan Wahi, Tusshar Kapoor and Amala Akkineni. The episodes tackled responsible adoption, stray welfare, pet emotional well-being and debunked common care myths, earning strong resonance across digital platforms.
Sonali Bendre said, “Season 2 reaffirmed how deeply people connect with stories around pets, responsibility, and companionship. This collaboration with The Souled Store is a natural extension of that bond, taking the conversations beyond the screen and turning shared emotions into something tangible for pet parents.”
Rose Audio Visuals head of marketing & branded content Megha H Desai added, “With Season 2, The Happy Pawdcast evolved from a content property into a strong, community-led IP. The collaboration with The Souled Store reflects our approach to building meaningful extensions around our shows where audience insight, brand alignment, and scale come together.”
The Souled Store co-founder Vedang Patel noted, “Pet parenting today is as much about identity and expression as it is about care and responsibility. This collaboration allowed us to tap into a deeply engaged, emotionally invested community and co-create designs that feel authentic and accessible.”
Produced by Rosepod (the podcasting division of Rose Audio Visuals), the merchandise marks the podcast’s shift from audio-video content into a broader lifestyle IP, while aligning with The Souled Store’s focus on pop-culture-led, community-first products and its animal welfare initiatives through World For All.
In a pet-parent world where love often comes with a leash and a hoodie, The Happy Pawdcast isn’t just telling stories anymore, it’s letting fans wear them, proving the bond between humans and their fur-babies deserves more than likes, it deserves to be flaunted.
