Advertising really began with the entry of brand Nirma: Ajai Jhala, BBDO India
After a decade Jhala steps down as the CEO of BBDO India, we speak to the veteran adman about his 30-year-long journey in the industry

Within the first five minutes into our conversation, Ajai Jhala, one of India’s gifted advertising veterans and Chief Executive Officer of BBDO India, makes an interesting statement: “We do the best creative in a rather collaborative culture”.
No wonder that BBDO India has bagged every perceivable award and global recognition. And of course, it got home the Grand Prix- the stuff of folklore.
Jhala, one of the forces behind the success of the agency, recently stepped down as its CEO after dedicating 10 years to establishing its India business and working on some of the most iconic campaigns such as ‘Share the load’ (Ariel), ‘Release the pressure’ (Mirinda), among others.
Jhala, who is now serving his notice-period at BBDO India, says, “10 years of BBDO has been an incredible journey. It was a difficult but rewarding one and we're glad that we have been doing great work. We’ve built something new in the India market.”
Before BBDO India, Jhala was at Lowe Worldwide for six years as Global Communications Director for Unilever and was based in London, Paris and New York. Prior to Lowe, he served as a Planning Director at Ogilvy & Mather, New York.
When we quizzed Jhala on his decision of stepping down and where he is headed to, he shared that he is taking a break to be with the nature. “I’m moving from this very collaborative culture to agriculture,” he quips, and we share a laugh.
Jhala reminisces his journey of creating a concept for BBDO in India. “When we came to India, for most people, the agency was just four letters and a US company. Although it was well-established globally, it didn’t have a meaning in the country. This was a time when a lot of agencies were launching,” he opens up.
The CEO believes that what really worked out for the agency was their approach of creating powerful ads in social contexts.
As we ask the adman what was the general mood of advertising when he started off, he says it was almost 30 years ago when advertising was probably not as relevant.
“To me, advertising really began with the entry of Nirma. Because before Nirma, you just gave the consumer what you produced. And I believe that it was marketing that created brand Wheel. It was the first campaign that truly delivered the marketing message,” says Jhala who reveals that his first campaign as a trainee was Surf Lalitaji.
“I feel so lucky to have come at a time when marketing and advertising began and it was truly needed. Back then, it wasn’t about nice headlines and pretty-looking models. While the work then wasn’t extraordinary, you weren’t pushed against the wall by a competitor who blind-sided you,” shares a nostalgic Jhala
“A lot of our ads have championed social-disobedience and is contrarian to what others do,” he continues.
Jhala suggests that award juries need to look at the marketing context of an ad campaign while judging it. “There are times when the jury is raw and they tend to award work without understanding the marketing context of a campaign,” he contends and shares how Indian juries didn’t award Ariel's 'Share the load' as much as the global juries did.
When we speak about the good and the not-so-good aspects of Indian , Jhala goes on to explain that Indian creative agencies need to be lauded for the work they are bringing to the table despite the country, at times, grappling with issues like censorship and not so rich creative culture. “However, a lot of valuable time and airtime gets wasted on focusing on meaningless differentiation rather than meaningful distinctiveness,” says the ad stalwart with an air of finality.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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