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Rahul Mathew quits McCann
MUMBAI: Rahul Mathew, the executive creative director at McCann Erickson has put in his papers.
Speaking about his association with the company, Mathew says, “McCann is more than just another agency for me. My two stints here account for eight years of my advertising career. It has also helped me shape a lot of my craft. It has not been an easy move to make. It became even more difficult because of the fact that I will also have to leave behind a great art partner in Akshay Kapnadak.”
Mathew has been in the advertising industry for about 15 years. He has been a part of many award winning campaigns that have received acclaim at both domestic and international levels. At McCann, he along with his team has won three Cannes Lions, four One Show pencils, over a dozen Adfest metals and many metals and honours at International award shows.
“But the pride of place on the very crowded mantelpiece belongs to the Grand Prix that the Mumbai office won at the recently concluded Spikes. Even at Goafest 2013, McCann Mumbai was one of the most awarded offices, accounting for a lion’s share of McCann’s metals including a Grand Prix. We also tasted similar success at effectiveness awards, both nationally and internationally,” he says proudly.
Talking about his work at the agency, he adds, “We’ve had great fun creating work on brands like Parachute, ACC, Pears, Western Union and many others. And have managed to fill the creative pool with some rare talent. And thus, there is reassurance that I’m leaving after making a positive impact at the place. And that I leave it in a good place.”
Prior to joining McCann, Mathew was with Rediffusion, Young & Rubicam, Ogilvy (Healthcare), Leo Burnett, JWT, Enterprise Nexus. He has been ranked among the top five creative professionals in India in 2009 by Campaign Brief Asia and was ranked the 8th most awarded copywriter in Asia (as per Haymarket Publications and Campaign Asia) in 2012.
Rahul finds the building and reinventing process a lot more exciting and challenging. And thus, he will look for an opportunity that allows him to do that all over again.
MAM
Hyphen launches sunscreen campaign featuring Kriti Sanon as SPF Police
Campaign drives SPF habit; Blinkit tie-up enables instant sunscreen delivery.
MUMBAI: No SPF, no mercy Kriti Sanon is out patrolling your skincare routine. Hyphen has rolled out a new campaign film starring its Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer Kriti Sanon, who steps into a playful alter ego as the brand’s “SPF Police”, turning sunscreen reminders into a full-blown public service announcement with a wink. The campaign kicked off with a cheeky social media tease suggesting Sanon had “stepped down” from her role, sparking chatter online before the brand revealed the twist: she hasn’t gone anywhere, she has simply taken on an additional avatar, one dedicated to ensuring people do not skip sunscreen.
The film leans into humour to drive home a serious point. In a slice-of-life setting, Sanon intercepts a gym-goer about to step out without sunscreen, promptly handing over Hyphen’s ‘All I Need Sunscreen’, which arrives instantly via Blinkit. The message is clear: forgetting SPF is no longer a valid excuse when it can be delivered in minutes.
Beyond the laughs, the campaign taps into a well-known gap in everyday skincare habits. Sunscreen, despite being one of the most recommended steps, is often the most ignored. By gamifying the reminder through an “SPF Police” persona, Hyphen aims to turn a routine into a reflex.
The multi-stage rollout from intrigue-led teasers to the final film has been designed to spark conversation while embedding the brand into daily behaviour. It also spotlights Hyphen’s quick commerce partnership with Blinkit, positioning accessibility as a key enabler of consistency.
Sanon, who remains closely involved in product development and brand strategy, noted that the idea stemmed from a simple insight: skincare works best when it is easy, habitual and hard to ignore. The campaign reflects that philosophy equal parts science, storytelling and a nudge you cannot quite escape.
The film is now live across Hyphen and Blinkit’s digital platforms, with further activations expected to extend the campaign’s reach and perhaps keep the SPF Police on duty a little longer.
