MAM
NGC taps Leo Burnett to scale Everest
NEW DELHI: National Geographic Channel has signed on Leo Burnett for communication work on the reality show Mission Everest. This comes on the heels of a hotly contested pitch between four agencies.
Commenting on the development, NGC’s senior VP (content and communication) Dilshad Master says, “We decided to partner with Leo Burnett on this particular project as their proposition showed good understanding of our strategy. And apart from innovative thinking, their ability to work on this campaign across mediums was outstanding”.
The Everest initiative marks a first for NGC in terms of creating local programming that specifically targets the Indian viewer and for this it has also tied up with The Indian Army. This is a part of the channel’s ongoing effort at broad basing its appeal and making the channel experiential and interactive.
This entire Everest initiative – from Everest Se Takkar – the challenge to take part in the selections to the final trek with the Indian Army, is being filmed by the channel and will be put on air in the form of the above mentioned reality show..
Digital
Kausik Misra joins BigTrunk Communications as senior vice president- strategy
Content veteran from Zee to steer strategy at independent agency
MUMBAI: Kausik Misra is switching from prime-time hits to brand playbooks. The former non-fiction content head at Zee Entertainment Enterprises has joined BigTrunk Communications as senior vice president–strategy, as agencies race to pair storytelling with hard business outcomes.
Announced in Mumbai, the hire adds a 15-year content and marketing hand to BigTrunk’s leadership as it courts brands seeking cultural relevance and measurable returns. Misra spent years shaping tentpole shows on Zee TV, helping build franchises such as Dance India Dance, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Zee Rishtey Awards and Zee Cine Awards, and pushing them across television and digital ecosystems.
At BigTrunk, he is expected to tighten strategic planning, deepen audience insight and refine narrative frameworks for clients chasing long-term brand equity. Misra pitches the move as a chance to blend consumer insight, storytelling and commercial discipline in one shop.
Founder and ceo Akhil Nair is betting on content DNA to fuel growth, arguing that brands now demand culture-literate strategy, not just media weight.
Founded in 2013, the agency operates from Delhi and Bangalore, with outposts in the United Arab Emirates and the United States. Its client roster ranges from Warner Bros. and H&R Johnson to Unibic Foods, HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited, ORRA Jewellery, Saraswat Bank and Discovery Kids.
As brands hunt attention in a crowded market, agencies are raiding the content world for talent. Misra’s bet is that sharp stories still sell—and that strategy, like television, is a game of hits.
