AD Agencies
ZEEL to fund 75% of entry cost incurred by creative agencies for Kyoorius Creative Awards
MUMBAI: In an industry-first move, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has expanded its support to the creative community in India. The media conglomerate will fund 75 per cent of entry cost incurred by creative agencies for Kyoorius Creative Awards. ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka and Kyoorius founder and director Rajesh Kejriwal announced the initiative on Thursday. One of the main aims of the partnership is ensuring entries of agencies who, for reasons of commerce, were not able to participate earlier.
The move will make the participation of creative agencies in the Kyoorius Creative Awards much easier and significantly more cost-efficient. Recognising the budget constraints and immense pressure on margins experienced by agencies, ZEEL has announced this support to ensure that every creative work finds its due share of recognition and appreciation.
A significant reason for ZEEL’s support to the advertising fraternity is that, as an entertainment company with strong and established businesses in the realm of broadcast, films, music, digital and LIVE entertainment, the company has been a direct beneficiary of the immense creative talent of the industry. With this initiative, ZEEL recognises and applauds the creative quotient of the industry, which complements the entertainment environment through the creation of television commercials, and the significant contribution of the community through their involvement in TV programming, films and content for digital platforms.
Speaking on this announcement, Goenka said, “We are extremely proud of our symbiotic relationship built with the advertising fraternity, both media and creative, in this journey of entertaining the world. We firmly believe that no creative work should be deprived of being showcased, appreciated or recognized due to commercial constraints. Our association with the Kyoorius Creative Awards enables us to make this disruptive and much-needed change in the current ecosystem. I am glad that this initiative is also in line with IAA’s overall approach of democratising the advertising world.”
Kejriwal added, “As we step into the seventh year of the Kyoorius Creative Awards, it gives us a great sense of satisfaction to witness the immense support expressed by the creative community and marketers. This initiative would not have achieved the success levels which it has without the investment of time and energy of all the players in the value chain. We are delighted that ZEE has taken a yet another thought leadership stance by supporting the creative community through its association with the Kyoorius Creative Awards. The support from ZEE will not just democratise the awards ecosystem, but will also disrupt the existing power structures.”
AD Agencies
WPP appoints Hephzibah Pathak CEO of WPP Creative India
Ogilvy India chair takes charge of unified creative model in key market
NEW DELHI: WPP has appointed Hephzibah Pathak as chief executive officer of WPP Creative India, putting a local leader at the helm of its newly created creative operating model in one of its most important growth markets.
The move brings clarity to how WPP’s global restructuring will play out in India, weeks after the group unveiled WPP Creative as part of its Elevate28 strategy. The unit sits alongside WPP Media, WPP Production and WPP Enterprise Solutions, and is designed to simplify what the company previously described as an overly complex structure.
Pathak, who continues as executive chairperson of Ogilvy India, will represent all agencies under the WPP Creative umbrella in India. Her role centres on driving integration across brands, expanding capabilities and ensuring clients can tap into the network’s full talent pool without friction.
WPP said Pathak will work closely with agency brand CEOs to “enhance integration, expand capabilities, and ensure seamless client access”, while maintaining the distinct identities of its agencies.
The portfolio under WPP Creative includes leading networks such as VML, Landor, AKQA and Grey, along with Burson and its affiliated firms. Leaders across these agencies will now report into Pathak, even as each brand continues to operate independently within a unified system.
The appointment also formalises a dual-track strategy in India, preserving agency identities while accelerating collaboration. Pathak is expected to work closely with media leadership to align creative and media capabilities, reflecting growing client demand for integrated, multi-market solutions.
WPP Creative global CEO Jon Cook has described the unit as “not an agency” but an operating system that helps creative, design and PR brands work together more effectively. The group has been clear that it is not merging or phasing out legacy agency brands, instead aiming to reduce complexity on the client side.
Pathak brings nearly three decades of experience within the network, having joined in 1997 and held roles ranging from Mumbai office head to chief client officer. She made history in 2024 as the first woman to lead Ogilvy India in its 95-year presence in the country.
Her expanded mandate positions India at the centre of WPP’s Asia-Pacific strategy, with a focus on strengthening brand presence, deepening client relationships and unlocking growth in a fast-evolving market.
The appointment signals WPP’s intent to move beyond the traditional holding company model towards a more integrated, AI-enabled structure. With Pathak now steering WPP Creative India, the group appears set to test whether simpler structures can indeed deliver sharper creative outcomes.
