MAM
JWT & Group SJR launch content marketing unit – Colloquial
MUMBAI: J. Walter Thompson and Group SJR, a unit of Hill+Knowlton Strategies have joined hands to launch a content marketing unit called Colloquial.
The joint venture brings together the creative talent and strategic rigor of J. Walter Thompson with the publishing and audience development experience of Group SJR.
Colloquial will build publishing environments for brands, specializing in content that builds loyalty and audience over time – short articles, infographics and visual stories for brands that are quickly conceived, made and shared. It is a content marketing unit that shows brands how to act like publishers and benefit from an always-on digital narrative, helping them build passionate and monetizable communities.
Colloquial will embody the intersection of advertising, publishing and public relations, with storytelling and creativity at its core. The new unit will share locations and draw on talent from J. Walter Thompson in key global markets including Australia, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“The launch of Colloquial is another piece of our strategy to continue building on J. Walter Thompson Company’s many assets to create solutions that build enduring and winning brands, while driving business growth for our clients. Content is the new currency. Colloquial will deliver both authentic narratives and the creative visual storytelling that brands are demanding and consumers want,” said J. Walter Thompson Company global chairman and CEO Gustavo Martinez.
Group SJR managing partner Alexander Jutkowitz will serve as Colloquial’s CEO.
“Successful brands innovate. Not only is that what J. Walter Thompson and Group SJR are doing with the creation of Colloquial, but it’s what we’re going to do for our clients — ensuring they have the ability to continuously reach targeted, ‘always on’ audiences with an array of engaging, high quality content that moves them,” said Jutkowitz.
In addition to Jutkowitz as CEO, Colloquial will be led by William (Billy) Sind as editorial lead; Jinal Shah as strategy lead; and Gillian Melrose as marketing lead.
“With the creative and strategic rigor of J. Walter Thompson, the creation of our digital agency network Mirum and now the launch of Colloquial, the J. Walter Thompson Company offers the full spectrum of content marketing to clients. We’re fortunate to have such great talent from across the advertising, public relations and publishing spaces, and know they’ll make a formidable team,” said J. Walter Thompson Company head of digital worldwide Stefano Zunino.
MAM
Raghu Rai passes away at 83, leaves behind iconic legacy
Padma Shri-winning photographer documented history across 5 decades.
MUMBAI: The lens may have stilled, but the stories it captured will never fade. Raghu Rai, one of India’s most celebrated photojournalists, passed away on April 26, 2026, at the age of 83. He breathed his last at a private hospital in New Delhi after battling cancer and age-related health issues.
His son, Nitin Rai, revealed that Rai had been diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago, which later spread to the stomach and, more recently, the brain. Despite multiple rounds of treatment, his health had declined in recent months.
Born in 1942 in Jhang, Punjab (now in Pakistan), Rai entered photography in his early twenties, inspired by his elder brother, photographer S. Paul. Beginning his career in the mid-1960s, he went on to build a body of work that spanned more than five decades, contributing to global publications such as Time, Life, GEO, Le Figaro, The New York Times, Vogue, GQ and Marie Claire.
His global recognition took a decisive leap in 1977 when legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson nominated him to join Magnum Photos, placing him among the world’s most respected visual storytellers.
Rai’s lens chronicled both power and poignancy. He photographed towering figures such as Indira Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Bal Thackeray, Satyajit Ray and Mother Teresa, while also documenting defining moments like the Bhopal gas tragedy later captured in his book Exposure: A Corporate Crime.
Over the years, he published more than 18 books, building an archive that blended journalism with artistry. His contributions were recognised early when he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 for his coverage of the Bangladesh War and refugee crisis. In 1992, he was named “Photographer of the Year” in the United States for his work in National Geographic, and in 2009, he was honoured with the Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.
Rai is survived by his wife Gurmeet, son Nitin, and daughters Lagan, Avani and Purvai. His last rites will be held at Lodhi Cremation Ground in New Delhi at 4 pm on Sunday.
With his passing, Indian photojournalism loses not just a pioneer, but a patient observer of history, one frame at a time.
