MAM
The Promax BDA awards (India) honored this year’s biggest creative teams in an event brimming with powerful and memorable moments at Taj Santacruz, Mumbai
MUMBAI: The 22nd Promax India BDA Awards held today at Taj Santacruz, Mumbai, captivated the audience with a formidable line-up of innovators and trailblazers who’ve redefined the creative space across industries and platforms. Leading the pack was Keynote Speaker Tim Horwood whose masterclass on the changing creative space in South Africa enthralled speakers and participants alike.
Speaking about the enormous success of the event, Rajika Mittra, Country Head, India, Hong Kong and Philippines, said, “we realize that storytelling is evolving and creativity has to be platform agnostic. That’s the reason, we brought in eminent personalities from across the globe who can share their dynamic experience across multiple platforms with this eclectic group. The idea was to take the game higher and challenge the Indian creative industry even more.”
Therefore, Promax BDA introduced three new categories-MOST OUTSTANDING MARKETING INITIATIVE (in house and out of house) and MOST OUTSTANDING DESIGN IN PROMOTION where the best of the best competes to win a Gold trophy. There is no second-best team here. You either win a Gold or nothing at all. This year, these prestigious awards were taken home by Star India, Zee and Star Movies.
Promax BDA, Conference Chair, Prasoon Joshi, 2018 looking at the award-winning categories said, “It’s amazing how year after year, TV networks and creative agencies are tapping into the Indian cultural kaleidoscope and coming up with ideas that are fresh, cutting-edge and shareworthy on all platforms. Promax is a unique forum that understands this changing dynamic and encourages them to push the envelope every year.”
There were many exciting firsts for the Promax BDA India awards this year. New categories that included Best VOD Service Promo, Best use of digital and Best direction. Further, a successful boot camp with three creative musketeers- Rob Middleton, Arnab Chaudhri and Pete Bishop – who super-charged the atmosphere with [V] machine, a hand- on creative drill that covered everything to create award-winning promos for a 360 audience.
This year, The Promax BDA Awards gave away 60 GOLDS, 57 SILVERS.
The eminent speakers present at the event were:
l Tim Horwood – Executive Creative Director, Mashoba Media Africa
l Glenn Urquhart – Creative, Swiss Army Knife
l Harry Ead – Associative Creative Director,DixonBaxi
l Bex Schwartz – Executive Creative director/Director, Cause+Effect
l Puja Vohra – Executive Vice President of Marketing and Digital, truTV
l Sheetal Sudhir – Creative Director/Co-Founder, Dynamite
l Stefan Mueller – Executive Creative Proudcer & Consultant, Flint Skallen
l Pete Bishop – Director, The Shop
l Rob Middleton – VP – Network Presentation Content Group, Astro
l Arnab Chaudhari – Director, Banabo
Brands
Abhinav Rastogi named global marketing director for YouTube Shopping
Google veteran to scale creator commerce and expand shopping across global markets
SINGAPORE: Abhinav Rastogi has stepped into a new role as global marketing director for YouTube Shopping, marking the latest chapter in a more than decade-long career at Google.
Rastogi, who took on the position in February and is based in Singapore, will lead global marketing for YouTube Shopping, a platform designed to connect creators, viewers and merchants in a single ecosystem. His remit includes expanding the service into new markets and strengthening its positioning as a growth channel for both creators and brands.
In a reflective note on the transition, Rastogi pointed to a simple but powerful idea driving the role. For years, creators have quietly built trust with audiences through consistent and authentic content, and that trust often shapes purchasing decisions. What is changing now, he said, is the infrastructure around that behaviour. YouTube Shopping aims to make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products recommended by creators they already follow.
The scale is already significant. More than half a million creators have joined the programme, with recent expansion into Japan through a partnership with Rakuten signalling further global ambitions.
Rastogi believes the future of shopping on YouTube will be driven by a blend of creators, content and communities. In his view, it is the human voice behind the screen, not just the product, that ultimately builds trust and drives discovery.
Prior to this role, he served as director of marketing, YouTube Asia Pacific, where he led regional marketing across creator engagement, brand building and reputation. During that time, he played a key role in launching and scaling YouTube Shopping across eight markets in the region.
Earlier stints at Google include group product marketing manager, consumer apps, overseeing growth for products such as Search, Maps and Assistant across India and Southeast Asia, and product marketing manager roles spanning consumer apps and YouTube, where he contributed to launches including YouTube Music, YouTube Originals and YouTube Shorts.
Rastogi began his career in consulting with Boston Consulting Group and A.T. Kearney, before moving into the technology sector. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Alongside his corporate role, he is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups in consumer technology and electric mobility across India and Southeast Asia.
As he settles into the new role, Rastogi is betting on a future where every video can double up as a storefront, and where commerce feels less like a transaction and more like a recommendation from a trusted voice.
