MAM
Rediffusion Y&R ropes in Komal Bedi Sohal as NCD
MUMBAI: WPP‘s Rediffusion-Y&R has brought on globally awarded creative talent Komal Bedi Sohal as national creative director in India.
Prior to joining Rediffusion, Sohal spent the last 11 years abroad, with her last assignment being executive creative director for Lowe Middle East and North Africa, based in Dubai. She now moves to India to be based in Rediffusion’s head office in Mumbai.
Sohal’s advertising career spans 19 years, during which she produced award-winning work for global brands such as Harvey Nichols, Land Rover, LG, Citibank, Colgate, Virgin Atlantic, Axe deodorants, and Microsoft Xbox.She is ranked number 2 in ‘The Top Art Directors in the World’ by The Big Won Creative Ranking 2011 and has been in the top 10 for the past five years.
Her stash of international awards includes the Grand prix, gold, silver, bronze, and finalists at Cannes, One Show, The ANDYS, Art Director’s Club, Clio, Dubai Lynx, Mena Cristal Awards, London International Awards, New York Festivals, EPICA, and Loeries. Her work has been featured in the annual publications of D&AD, Communication Arts, and Luerzer’s Archive.
Rediffusion-Y&R chief creative officer and vice-chairman Sam Ahmed said, “Komal and I have worked together for several years. She is a fierce and compassionate leader. The craft and finesse she brings into her work is incomparable and world class. She is a school of art direction. It’s almost impossible to find such talent and I’m happy that she’s moving her life to India to join us. This will be good for our industry at large as we can all learn from her craft and execution skills.”
Sohal said about her new role, “It’s homecoming in more ways than one. Both the city and the agency have a special place in my heart, and I am eager to get started right away. We are going to create ideas that are impactful and iconic, executed beautifully.”
MAM
Deep Chhabria steps up to APAC creative lead at Netflix
Veteran marketer expands role from India+SEA to oversee creative across Asia-Pacific after four-plus years at streamer.
MUMBAI: Deep Chhabria is levelling up at Netflix proving that when it comes to creative partnerships, he’s got the whole binge-watching region on speed dial. The streaming giant has elevated Chhabria to APAC creative lead, expanding his remit beyond his previous focus on India, South East Asia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Having clocked over four years with Netflix, he’s been the mastermind behind some of the platform’s most talked-about brand tie-ups in the region.
Standout collaborations under his watch include the Stranger Things 5 x Instamart mash-up, the cheeky Ba***ds of Bollywood activations with Boat and Airtel, Squid Game 2 hook-ups featuring Knorr, 5 Star, and Swiggy, plus the 4700 BC x Netflix play. He’s also driven key distribution deals like Netflix on Vi and Airtel Prepaid, blending content buzz with real-world accessibility.
With roughly 14 years in the game, Chhabria’s CV boasts stints at top agencies such as BBH India, Ogilvy & Mather, and Saatchi & Saatchi honing the craft that makes ads feel less like sales pitches and more like must-watch episodes.
Outside the office, he’s no stranger to the spotlight, a tutor at Miami Ad School in Mumbai, where his students have scooped gongs at Portfolio Nights, The One Show, and D&AD. Oh, and he’s a stand-up comedian who’s notched over 500 gigs across India and the US, even landing spots on Comedy Central India because apparently juggling global campaigns and killer punchlines is just another day at the desk.
The promotion underscores Netflix’s push to keep its APAC creative edge sharp amid fierce competition in the streaming wars. For Chhabria, it’s less a step up and more a wider canvas ready to script the next chapter of binge-worthy marketing magic across the region.
