MAM
Publicis India names Aman Mannan and Shitu Patil as joint national creative directors
Mumbai: In a bid to strengthen its creative leadership, Publicis India, a part of Publicis Groupe India, has appointed Aman Mannan and Shitu Patil as joint national creative directors (NCDs). In their new roles, the duo will lead the creative vision for all brands at Publicis India, and report to managing director, Oindrila Roy.
Aman has nearly 25 years of experience across leading agencies such as Interface Communication, McCann Erickson, DDB Mudra Group, and Leo Burnett India. Under his creative leadership, these agencies earned widespread acclaim at prestigious events such as Cannes, The One Show, Clios, LIA, ABBYs, and Effies (India and APAC), among others. Additionally, he has served as a jury member at Goafest, Radio Mirchi Awards, and OOH Awards. Aman has worked with a range of brands such as P&G, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Mahindra and Mahindra, Godrej, Sony, Amazon, HDFC Bank, HDFC Life, among others. He has also co-authored the story and screenplay for the popular web show ‘Saas, Bahu aur Flamingo’, earning the nomination for Best Screenplay at the Filmfare OTT Awards.
A dynamic creative leader with 23 years of advertising and branding experience, Shitu joined L&K Saatchi & Saatchi in 2022, starting her second stint with the Groupe. She has worked with leading agencies like Lowe Lintas, FCB and Publicis Ambience. She also successfully ran her own design agency, Plus One. Shitu’s accolades include D&AD, Effies, ABBYs, and Kyoorius awards, along with jury roles at D&AD and ABBYs. Her diverse brand portfolio features Lakme, Raymond, Cartier, Renault, and others.
In the new roles as NCDs, Aman and Shitu will leverage their expertise to lead the agency’s creative vision across all offices in India.
L&K Saatchi & Saatchi and Publicis India CEO Paritosh Srivastava said, “Publicis India has been on an amazing journey of resurgence in the past two years, with a focus on both growth and creative excellence yielding rich dividends. Our impressive portfolio of work and client roster rival that of any top agency in the country. The search for the perfect blend of creative talent and cultural fit was challenging, but in Aman and Shitu, we have found a team of rare creative talent that spans the entire spectrum of creativity. We are confident that these two wonderful people will inspire our teams and clients to new heights.”
Publicis India MD Oindrila Roy added, “Aman and Shitu are a powerhouse of creativity and their experience in delivering award-winning work reaffirms this. We are confident that as NCDs, they will inspire our teams with new energies. We are certain that their creative prowess and strategic acumen will contribute to the continued success and growth of Publicis India.”
Shitu said, “My journey at the agency has been nothing short of exciting and full of learnings. I am thankful to Paritosh, Oindrila, and the entire team for their continued trust and support. I really believe we are as good as our people and my focus is going to be on uplifting and strengthening our teams further to create distinguished work and take both our clients and agency to greater glory. I am excited about this new journey and look forward to closely working with Paritosh, Oindrila and Aman.”
Aman added, “I am looking forward to working closely with Paritosh, Oindrila, and the team to build on the great work they have already done. I hope to create state-of-the-art solutions, placing art firmly at the centre of our endeavours and infusing new-age work with age-old wisdom. I aim to integrate the best practices of cinema writing and thinking into our projects, contributing to the development of a unique voice for Publicis India.”
Brands
DeVANS sparks buzz with self-chilling beer can April Fools campaign
Godfather stunt racks up 7 million impressions, blending humour with hype
NEW DELHI: DeVANS Modern Breweries has stirred up the marketing pot with a playful yet high-impact campaign teasing a futuristic “self-chilling beer can” under its flagship Godfather label.
What began as a seemingly bold product innovation quickly turned into one of the most talked-about brand moments online, before being revealed as an April Fools’ Day prank. The reveal, however, did little to cool the buzz.
The campaign clocked over 7 million organic impressions across platforms including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X, with users debating whether the concept was a genuine breakthrough or clever marketing theatre. Thousands of shares and comments turned the idea into a full-blown conversation, drawing in both consumers and industry insiders.
The hook was simple but effective. A self-chilling can positioned as an on-the-go convenience product tapped into the imagination of younger, urban audiences. Add the timing around April Fools’ Day, and the campaign struck the perfect balance between curiosity and scepticism, keeping audiences guessing.
Marketing experts have pointed to the campaign as a case study in leveraging cultural moments. By leaving just enough ambiguity, the brand invited audiences to participate rather than simply observe, turning passive viewers into active contributors to the narrative.
“Godfather has always been an iconic brand, but iconicity must evolve to stay meaningful,” said DeVANS Modern Breweries chairman and managing director Prem Dewan. “The ‘Self-Chilling Can’ was our way of showing up in a cultural moment with confidence and a sense of humour.”
Beyond the numbers, the campaign signals a broader repositioning for Godfather. Long seen as a legacy beer brand, it is now leaning into youth culture, digital-first storytelling and topical engagement to stay relevant in a crowded alcobev market.
In a space where attention is fleeting, DeVANS has shown that sometimes the coolest idea is the one that keeps people guessing.
