AD Agencies
Wavemaker India & ABP ride crest of Creative & Publisher Abbys by One Show
GOA: One Show’s Abby Creative Awards 2025 has crowned its champions, and Wavemaker India has surfed to victory with a staggering haul. The media powerhouse dominated the agency battlefield, amassing an eye-watering 124 points through a medal collection that would make an Olympian blush—six golds, eight silvers and four bronzes.
In a ceremony held in Goa during Day one of the annual industry confab GoaFest 2025, the finest in advertising and marketing gathered to discover who had clinched advertising glory.
Mindshare India made a respectable splash, securing second position with 76 points through a balanced medal cabinet of four golds, four silvers and five bronzes. EssenceMediacom rounded out the podium with a modest 36 points.
The competition saw ABP Pvt Ltd emerge victorious in the publisher category, netting 30 points through a crafty combination of one gold, three silvers, one bronze and—perhaps most impressively—no requirements for a calculator to tally their score.
Bennett & Coleman, the venerable media house, strutted away with 28 points, while Jagran Prakashnan Ltd secured a neat 22 points with two golds but a notably barren bronze cabinet.
FCB India, despite having a worldwide reputation that could intimidate the competition, managed a humble 10 points, tying with TheHindu Group. Both proved that legacy doesn’t always translate to hardware.
The ceremony, powered by One Show, continues to be the advertising industry’s moment to preen, posture and occasionally be pleased that competitors are winning, delighted at the excellent work being rewarded.
AD Agencies
Prakash Nair reportedly quits Ogilvy after 23 years
One of the agency’s longest-serving leaders has moved on, with his next destination still unknown
MUMBAI: After more than two decades at one address, Prakash Nair has left the building. The president and head of office, north at Ogilvy has moved on from the agency, according to highly placed industry sources. His next move remains unknown. Ogilvy did not respond to requests for comment.
Nair spent over 23 years at the agency, making him one of its longest-serving senior figures. He was elevated to lead the Gurugram office in April 2022, a role that put him at the helm of Ogilvy’s northern operations at a time of considerable churn across the advertising industry.
Before taking charge in the capital, Nair served as associate president at Ogilvy Mumbai, where he worked on some of the agency’s most prized accounts, including Mondelez, Tata Motors, and BP Castrol. Over the years, he built a reputation for driving modern, integrated, and award-winning work, the kind that wins metals at Cannes and keeps clients from straying.
His departure was marked in style. A farewell gathering was held in Delhi, attended by senior figures from across the advertising fraternity, a signal of the regard in which Nair is held in an industry that does not always pause to say goodbye properly.
Where he goes next is the question the industry is now asking. After 23 years at one of the world’s most storied agencies, the answer, when it comes, will be worth watching.
