MAM
Wunderman Thompson India releases #SOS SAVE OUR SENTINELS – The Blink Film on UN World Day for Cultural Diversity
On the occasion of the United Nation’s World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, Wunderman Thompson India has created and released ‘#SOS Save Our Sentinels – The Blink Film’ for The Jimmy Nelson Foundation. The short film is a powerful visual commentary on the cultural identity of the last sentinels of our natural reserves, the last 36 indigenous tribes standing still, in rare still photographs. Stitched together from thousands of original documented photographs of the last few indigenous tribes interspersed with the rarest footage of their ancient habitats over the last twenty years by celebrated photographer Jimmy Nelson and his team.
The film’s release was timed for 21st May, a day set aside by the United Nations as an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to learn to live together in harmony. It is a day to acknowledge and celebrate the world’s last indigenous communities who are a living example of how humans can live in perfect harmony with themselves, their unique cultures and the natural world.
Indigenous tribes are endangered in their own ancient habitats. The film celebrates the last few of these tribes for standing still, despite the threat to their cultural identity and their own forest lands. The soundtrack is a multilingual musical expression with lyrics from ancient tribal sayings and forgotten folk songs recorded on location from almost all the indigenous tribes featured in the film. The musical narrative includes Indigenous influences from Africa, Siberia, India, South America and the Aboriginals of Australia. Vocals Singers include Grammy Award Winner Richard Bona and traditional gypsy tribal singers from Duala – Cameroon, Siberia & India.
Commenting on the film, Jimmy Nelson, said, “There has never been a better time than now than to bow and acknowledge the superheroes of the natural world. They can guide us out of these dark times into the light of a healthy future.”
Senthil Kumar, Chief Creative Officer, Wunderman Thompson, India, added, “It took me and my team of researchers, editors, music directors and sound engineers over seven months to put this seven-minute iconographic narrative together from thousands of rare images of the last 36 indigenous tribes and archival footage of their endangered habitats, documented over the last twenty years. #SOS Save Our Sentinels is an iconography of the last indigenous tribes to put them in the spotlight and celebrate their cultural identity. A powerful photographic documentary and cultural commentary on the last sentinels of our natural reserves. It was an honour to capture the life’s work of legendary photographer Jimmy Nelson through this life changing film.”
View the film here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b2vhrRjqHo
Brands
Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen to step down after 18 years in role
Board begins CEO search as Narayen prepares to move to chair role
SAN JOSE: After nearly two decades at the helm, Adobe’s long-serving chief executive Shantanu Narayen is preparing to pass the baton.
The company announced that Narayen will transition from his role as chief executive officer once a successor is appointed, ending an 18-year run that reshaped Adobe from a boxed software seller into a global cloud and AI powerhouse. He will remain chair of the board following the leadership transition.
Adobe’s board has formed a special committee to oversee the succession process, led by lead independent director Frank Calderoni. The committee will evaluate both internal and external candidates.
“Shantanu’s leadership has been instrumental in Adobe’s transformation and in positioning the company for the AI-driven era,” Calderoni said in a statement. “As we begin the next phase of succession planning, our focus is on identifying the right leader for the company’s next chapter while ensuring a smooth transition.”
In a note to employees, Narayen described the moment not as a farewell but as a pause for reflection after a long journey with the company.
“I love Adobe and the privilege of leading it has been the greatest honour of my career,” he wrote, adding that he will continue to work closely with the board over the coming months to ensure a seamless leadership change.
Tributes from the technology industry quickly followed the announcement. Microsoft chairman and chief executive officer Satya Nadella congratulated Narayen on what he described as a “legendary run” at Adobe.
“Congrats Shantanu, on a legendary run at Adobe! You’ve built one of the most important software companies in the world, and expanded what’s possible for creators, entrepreneurs, and brands everywhere,” Nadella wrote on LinkedIn.
“What has always stood out to me is the empathy you’ve brought to the creative process and the example you’ve set as a leader. Grateful for your friendship, mentorship, and for all you’ve done for Adobe and for our industry.”
Narayen’s career at Adobe spans nearly three decades. He joined the company in 1998 as vice president and rose steadily through the ranks before becoming chief executive officer in December 2007.
During that time, he orchestrated one of the most significant reinventions in the software industry. In 2013, Adobe made the bold decision to abandon traditional boxed software sales and move its flagship creative tools such as Photoshop to a subscription-based Creative Cloud model. The shift initially rattled investors but ultimately transformed Adobe into a predictable recurring revenue business and a case study in digital reinvention.
Narayen also pushed Adobe beyond creative tools into the world of marketing technology and data-driven customer experience, spearheading acquisitions such as Omniture and Marketo. Those moves helped build Adobe’s digital experience division and broaden its reach far beyond designers and photographers.
The numbers tell the story of that transformation. When Narayen took over in 2007, Adobe generated roughly $3 billion in annual revenue. Today the company reports more than $25 billion. Over the same period, its workforce expanded from around 3,000 employees to more than 30,000.
In recent years, Narayen has steered Adobe into the generative AI era with the launch of Adobe Firefly, aiming to keep the company ahead in a rapidly evolving creative technology landscape.
Born in Hyderabad in 1963, Narayen studied electronics and communication engineering at Osmania University before moving to the United States for a master’s degree in computer science from Bowling Green State University. He later earned an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
Widely regarded as one of Silicon Valley’s most steady and effective leaders, Narayen has earned multiple honours during his career, including India’s Padma Shri in 2019.
For Adobe, the upcoming leadership change marks the end of a defining chapter. For Narayen, however, the story is far from finished. As he told employees, the company’s next era of creativity, powered by AI and new digital workflows, is only just beginning.
