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Paul Kemp-Robertson to highlight ‘Dangers of Anti-Creativity’ at Adfest
MUMBAI: Contagious Communications co-founder and editorial director Paul Kemp-Robertson will be presenting a session on ‘The Dangers of Anti-Creativity’ at Adfest 2016 on 19 March.
Kemp-Robertson is an expert on marketing innovation trends, and is considered one of the most reliable forecasters of the brands and movements that are shaping the future of our industry.
At the session, he will examine the threats that exist to creativity both in marketing and business terms, and look at ways to ensure that your company keeps focused on creativity.
“Budget cutters, the short-termists and our own biases are threatening the one thing proven to deliver effective marketing: creativity. But it’s not just putting marketing at risk. We’re caught in the headlights of an anti-creative juggernaut on course to run down entire businesses,” says Kemp-Robertson.
He co-founded Contagious Communications in 2004, which publishes quarterly creative journal Contagious, the collaborative research platform Contagious I/O and the consultancy unit, Contagious Insider that applies Contagious thinking to solve clients’ challenges and briefs.
“Paul understands the trends that are changing our industry before almost everyone else, and his insightful observations and predictions are always incredibly popular at Afdfest are delighted he is joining our program once again this year,” says Adfest president Jimmy Lam.
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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.
