AD Agencies
Madison BMB promotes Raj Nair to CEO & Chief Creative Officer; Prabha Prabhu retires
MUMBAI: Prabha Prabhu, Founder Member, Madison, who moved with Sam Balsara when he started Madison way back in 1988 has decided to retire after 28 years at Madison. She was the CEO of Madison BMB for the last several years. Raj Nair, the current Chief Creative Officer will now also assume additional responsibility of CEO. Kim Solomon will be a new addition to the team, who joins as Chief Operating Officer. All these changes are effective April 1, 2016.
Describing Prabha Prabhu as the youngest and most energetic lady in advertising, Madison World chairman Sam Balsara said, “Whilst I am sorry that I will not have the benefit of Prabha’s wisdom and expertise, I would like to wish her a cheerful, relaxed and fulfilling retired life.” At the farewell function Sam thanked Prabha for her loyalty, commitment and dedication to Madison and its Clients over the last 28 years. Prabha played a critical role in the formative years of Madison working on successful brands like Cinthol, Vicks, Whisper, BlueStar and She Comfort and more recently with Asian Paints, VVF, Hyper City and Angel Broking among others.
Commenting on Raj Nair’s elevation to the position of CEO and Chief Creative Officer, Balsara said, “Raj has proved over the last few years that whilst maintaining his creative focus, he can look at the larger business picture from the client’s perspective and I am sure this move will help make Madison BMB a more result oriented agency.”
Said Balsara on appointment of Kim Solomon, “Kim is a true blue advertising professional with over 20 years experience at Ogilvy, Mudra, Dentsu, Triton and Everest Advertising and has handled many blue chip clients over the years. I am sure his experience and expertise will add tremendous value to our current and future clients.”
Prabha Prabhu further added, “Madison has been my home for the last 28 years and has been an intrinsic part of me. Whilst I was happy doing effective campaigns for our clients, I was very keen to also win awards. And in the last 4 years we have won several awards. After a rewarding and satisfying career, I now look forward to spending more time doing social work, giving back to society and spending time with my children who are both in advertising and settled in US.”
Madison BMB CCO and CEO Raj Nair, said, “I cannot imagine life at Madison without Prabha. These are extremely large shoes to fill and we will do our very best to keep the flag flying vigorously. And of course I am looking forward to this new role and partnering our clients to help them continue to achieve their business goals through insightful advertising.”
Kim Solomon, COO, Madison BMB COO Kim Solomon said, “Madison BMB has a great set of clients and Madison World is a wonderful and highly reputed organization that I look forward to contribute to in ample measure.”
Madison BMB has just won a couple of prestigious accounts like Angel Broking and Asian Paints’ Bath Business. In the last 3 years Madison BMB has won several awards at the Abbies, Foxglove and Ink for HyperCity, Kyoorius Advertising Award, INK Golds as well an Abby Gold all for the acclaimed Jiyo Parsi Print Campaign, to name a few.
AD Agencies
Publicis Groupe to acquire 160over90 from WME Group
Deal aims to build data-led platform linking brands, fans and culture at scale
MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe has agreed to acquire 160over90 from WME Group, in a move that signals a major push into the fast-growing world of sports and culture-led marketing.
The deal, subject to regulatory approvals, will see Publicis combine its existing Publicis Sports capabilities with 160over90’s global footprint to create what it calls a unified, end-to-end platform connecting brands with audiences through sport, entertainment and culture.
Founded as a division of WME Group, 160over90 has built a reputation for delivering high-impact campaigns across some of the world’s biggest sporting moments, including the Super Bowl, Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. With over 670 employees across the US, UK, EMEA and Apac, the agency works with global brands to create experiences that resonate both on and off the field.
The acquisition reflects a broader shift in marketing, where sport has become a central pillar of premium media. With the global sports media market estimated at $150 billion and sponsorships crossing $90 billion, brands are increasingly looking for more integrated ways to engage audiences.
Publicis is betting that a data-led approach will be the differentiator. By integrating 160over90 with its own capabilities, including the Epsilon identity ecosystem and Influential network, the company aims to offer marketers a seamless way to plan, activate and measure campaigns across media, sponsorships, live events and creator partnerships.
Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun said, “After building our industry-leading position in identity resolution, commerce, and creators, our next big bet is sport. In the age of AI, it has become one of the most high-value channels for clients.”
He added that combining 160over90’s expertise with Publicis’ data and technology stack would help “connect brands to fans in ways that are both meaningful and measurable”.
Echoing the sentiment, Publicis Connected Media CEO Dave Penski said, “Sport has become the most powerful intersection of culture, commerce and community,” highlighting the growing need to treat sports marketing as a measurable channel rather than just brand-building.
As part of the deal, Publicis will also enter into a strategic partnership with WME Group, enabling closer collaboration on talent, content and brand partnerships. WME Group president Mark Shapiro said the tie-up would open up new opportunities for talent and brands to scale their ambitions globally.
Post acquisition, the combined Publicis Sports entity will report to Suzy Deering, while Robbie Henchman will remain with WME Group to oversee the ongoing partnership.
The move builds on Publicis’ recent investments in the space, including acquisitions of Adopt and Bespoke in 2025 and a partnership with Magic Johnson Enterprises, underscoring its intent to dominate the intersection of sport, culture and commerce.
As brands chase both attention and accountability, Publicis’ latest play suggests the future of sports marketing may be less about moments alone and more about measurable impact at scale.
