MAM
LV ad lands Michael Phelps in trouble with the IOC
MUMBAI: Michael Phelps, the record holder for winning the maximum number of Olympic medals, may have to return his medals and lose the record as well. It has come to light that the ace swimmer may be found to have violated the Committee‘s Rule 40 that forbids participating Olympians from advertising with non-sponsors during the Games period i.e. 18 July to 15 August this year.
Phelps signed an advertising deal with luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton for its range of designer swimming trunks. While one ad shows the Olympian in a pool with swimming goggles and the trunks, the other shows him on the couch having a conversation with former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, whose record for most overall medals he broke at the London Games, with an LV bag near his feet.
The campaign was supposed to break on 16 August, after the period specified by the IOC concluded. Somehow, the pictures of the campaign were leaked online while the Olympic Games were still in progress. As a result, the swimmer may end up having to pay a fine and lose his medals too as the rules were clearly violated.
Phelps representative though told the media that the swimmer did not authorise the release of the campaign and hence he cannot be held responsible for unauthorised leaks that may have happened.
AD Agencies
Prakash Nair reportedly quits Ogilvy after 23 years
One of the agency’s longest-serving leaders has moved on, with his next destination still unknown
MUMBAI: After more than two decades at one address, Prakash Nair has left the building. The president and head of office, north at Ogilvy has moved on from the agency, according to highly placed industry sources. His next move remains unknown. Ogilvy did not respond to requests for comment.
Nair spent over 23 years at the agency, making him one of its longest-serving senior figures. He was elevated to lead the Gurugram office in April 2022, a role that put him at the helm of Ogilvy’s northern operations at a time of considerable churn across the advertising industry.
Before taking charge in the capital, Nair served as associate president at Ogilvy Mumbai, where he worked on some of the agency’s most prized accounts, including Mondelez, Tata Motors, and BP Castrol. Over the years, he built a reputation for driving modern, integrated, and award-winning work, the kind that wins metals at Cannes and keeps clients from straying.
His departure was marked in style. A farewell gathering was held in Delhi, attended by senior figures from across the advertising fraternity, a signal of the regard in which Nair is held in an industry that does not always pause to say goodbye properly.
Where he goes next is the question the industry is now asking. After 23 years at one of the world’s most storied agencies, the answer, when it comes, will be worth watching.
