Dec 2022 – May 2023 · 5 mos · Mumbai, Maharashtra, India · On-site

Jan 2021 – Jan 2024 · 3 yrs · Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

• After working at some of India's and one of Sri Lanka's leading advertising agencies for over 21+ years, I’ve been working as an Independent Creative Director, Copywriter and Consultant since Jan 2021.
• I collaborate with and lead a group of individuals, who work independently, and come together as and when the brief arises.
• Each of us has ample experience and expertise in different aspects of Mainline and Digital Advertising. What we don’t know, we learn on the fly, and fly with what we learn.
• I’ve worked on a variety of brands too. Automotive, Banking & Financial Services, FMCG, Hospitality, Real Estate, Travel, Personal Care, Consumer Durables, Retail & Lifestyle, Technology, Infrastructure, Energy, Petrochemicals, Healthcare, Media and more.
• Be it for a few pieces of creative or a full-fledged campaign, reach out to me here or at ashishak.1001@gmail.com.
• Advertising | Digital Advertising | Creative Direction | Copywriting | TVCs | DVCs | Print | Radio | Consulting

Oct 2017 – Present · 8 yrs 6 mos · Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

• “Diaper-man, Diaper-man.
• Changer of… loaded pants.
• Cleans your bum… wipes your back.
• Puts some talc… in your crack.
• Look out! Here comes the Diaper-man!”
• Parenthood transforms you like nothing else can. Until 4:40pm on October 22, 2017, I was just another fat guy. And the very next minute I had a Dad-bod!
• Skills till date:
• Being very quiet around a sleeping child.
• Changing diapers while avoiding eye-contact with my child
• so that he doesn't turn 3am into playtime.
• Not rolling over in my sleep while the little rascal is asleep next to me.
• Catching my child by his leg before he rolls off the bed.
• Turning meals and bath-times into laugh riots.
• Reading storybooks with character voices and funny faces.
• Playing with dollhouses with as much ease as construction toys.
• Teaching my child that colours, toys, and household chores are gender-neutral.
• Keeping my child in his chair throughout online school.
• …

Jun 2019 – Dec 2020 · 1 yr 6 mos · Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

• Led 4 teams of really great creative people as an Executive Creative Director as well as a copywriter. Led one of the teams as a Creative Director too. Was one of the few English Copywriters at the agency.
• Worked on/handled over 15 brands and multiple pitches. Built and strengthened client relationships. Was instrumental in winning 3 prestigious businesses – Volkswagen, Ambuja Cement and Reliance Industries.
• Did a lot of it while working from home for over 9 months, because of Covid-19. Often working 14+ hours a day, including weekends. Lead every team by example, by coming up with ideas, writing copy, even sketching layouts and looking for images for the art team, and doing some other things that one can’t really put on their résumé. For example, keeping my team’s spirits up through ‘worse from home’ with a constant supply of jokes.
• Brands I worked on & handled: ManipalCigna Health Insurance. Volkswagen. Ambuja Cement. Reliance. Emami Healthy & Tasty Cooking Oils. Abbott. Bosch. Glucon-D. Complan. Duroflex Mattresses. AO Smith. LIC of India. Baby Cheramy (Sri Lanka). Star Cement. AGS FastLane.

Mar 2015 – May 2019 · 4 yrs 2 mos · Mumbai Area, India

• Unofficially led the creative department at the Mumbai office. Was part of a small group of smart people, including a brilliant planner and a great client servicing partner. Together we turned the Mumbai office around by a considerable amount.
• Rolled up my sleeves and did practically everything alongside my team – cracked strategic routes and jokes, came up with ideas, wrote copy, sketched layouts, looked for images and presented as well as sold work. Won a few businesses, in addition to handling some great clients. Like ICICIdirect, Panasonic and JetPrivilege at the Mumbai office. Toyota at the Bengaluru office. And MRF Tyres, which we won for the Chennai office.
• Brands I worked on/handled: ICICIdirect Financial Services. JetPrivilege (by Jet Airways). Toyota Motors. MRF Tyres. Panasonic LED. D'Mart Supermarket. Toonz Kids' Store. RPG Enterprises. Skechers Shoes. More Supermarkets. Capital Float Finance Services. FundsIndia Investment Solutions.

Jan 2013 – Jan 2015 · 2 yrs · Mumbai Area, India

• My second stint at DDB Mudra and my second time working on Volkswagen. This time as a Creative Director in charge of a superbly talented team, guided by great bosses like Louella Rebello, Venkatgiri Rao, Rahul Mathew and Sonal Dabral. And equally stellar marketing minds on the client side of the business. Notably, Bishwajeet Samal, Rahul Pansare and Pratik Mehta, who not only pushed us to do good work but also facilitated it wholeheartedly.
• The result was countless fun TV commercials, Radio Spots, Print and Outdoor Campaigns, one Manufacturing Video and many events.
• Also witnessed firsthand the unmatched energy and sharp acumen of Rajiv Sabnis and Aditya Kanti in winning, maintaining and growing big businesses like Big Bazaar, Gulf, Volkswagen and more.
• DDB Mudra did and continues to do very enviable work on Volkswagen and other brands.
• Brands I worked on/handled: Volkswagen. Lipton Iced Tea. Top Gear Magazine. Good Food Magazine. Gulf Oil. Nirmal Lifestyle. Korum Mall. Fashion at Big Bazaar.

Jan 2009 – Sep 2009 · 8 mos · Mumbai Area, India

• While Grey sparked my interest in automotive advertising a year before, DDB Mudra turbo-charged it into a full-blown passion, firing on all cylinders.
• DDB Mudra gave me the opportunity to work on Volkswagen. An iconic brand led by a marketing team carefully handpicked and nurtured to be the best clients I’ve ever worked with. Bishwajeet Samal, Abhimanyu Sikarwar and others, led by the fierce Lutz Kothe. A team that not only valued good creative work but pushed the agency to deliver better, brief after brief.
• Under the leadership of Rajeev Raja and Bobby Pawar, and powered by Ajmal Mohammad, the best art partner one could ask for, I worked on several campaigns in my short stint. The most noteworthy was the Depreciation campaign that went on to become a case study for the network.
• Brands I worked on/handled: Volkswagen. Lipton Green Tea. Neutrogena Personal Care. Reliance Communications. Novartis (Calcium Sandoz).

Sep 2009 – Dec 2012 · 3 yrs 3 mos · Mumbai Area, India

• My first time as a Creative Director. Handling a large team and even larger clients like Surf Excel, Axis Bank, Knorr and Pureit. Under the tough leadership of Arun Iyer and Balki.
• Had a generous amount of teething trouble, shifting from being a creative person to becoming a Creative Director. It was perhaps as traumatic for Arun as it was for me. But I did find my feet eventually and did some good work under Arun and Amar Singh’s mentorship.
• Learnt how to lead a team. Learnt how to lead by example. Learnt how what you bring to the table is as important as what you are capable of helping your team achieve. Learnt the business side of things and the impact it has/should have on the work I do. It helped me further strengthen my understanding of writing scripts, making films and radio spots, leading a team and handling big businesses.
• Brands I worked on/handled: Axis Bank. Surf Excel Detergent. Pureit Water Purifier. Knorr Soups. CloseUp Toothpaste. Hamam Soap. Rexona Soap. Camlin Stationery. Karvy Financial Services. Canara Robeco Mutual Funds. Plus, all brands of Lintas Healthcare.

Nov 2006 – Dec 2008 · 2 yrs 1 mo · Mumbai Area, India

• I was at Grey at, perhaps, the agency’s most tumultuous time. What with 2 changes of guard in less than 3 years.
• Joined the visionary, Raj Kurup, and probably the most soft-spoken creative leader, Vikram Gaikwad. Later worked with the firebrand Priti Nair and the exhaustingly energetic Brijesh Jacob.
• Was part of the largest team of talented people in my career, who were all around my age.
• Worked on big brands like Audi, IndianOil, Ambuja, Parle Agro and more.
• One of my proudest assignments/achievements was an 8-page, long copy newspaper special supplement for Audi. It turned out to be such a hit that Mercedes and BMW were compelled to follow suit with their own supplements.
• Brands I worked on: Audi Passenger Cars. Parle Agro. Ambuja Cement. IndianOil XtraCare. IndianOil Aviation. Kinetic Scooters. JM Financial. Motilal Oswal Financial Services. Ranbaxy Pharma (Pepfiz).

Nov 2005 – Nov 2006 · 1 yr · Mumbai Area, India

• Got the opportunity of a lifetime to work with and learn from not one but four great leaders. The legendary Mohammad Khan & Bhupal Ramnathkar, and the mavericks Vipul Thakkar & Karan Rawat. Under their unbiased (and unnerving) mentorship, I wrote my first long-copy campaign (Marico Industries), which was not only liked but also won multiple awards.
• Had the fortune of having Mohammad praise (“Now that’s Enterprise copy”), appreciate (“I like it because it doesn’t have any unnecessary adjectives and adverbs”), and also threaten me (“I’ll break your knees if I see a hyphen in a question again”). All in the same meeting.
• Discovered the value of putting a real pen to real paper. Used up reams of used paper from the photocopier. Wrote the same line a hundred times until I had a headline. Worked with some seriously talented writers and art directors. Had discussions about the meanings of phrases like ‘gilding the lily’. (Google wasn’t a thing yet).
• Learnt to focus on work and work alone. Learnt that all that really matters is your idea; it’s the answer to almost every problem you will face in advertising.
• Had the distinction of being the last copywriter to join Enterprise before it became something Mohammad Khan himself walked away from.
• Brands I worked on: Marico Industries. Ravissant Store. Inorbit Mall. STAR News. The Times of India. ICICI Bank Credit Cards. Ramada Caravela Goa. XYLYS Watches. IDBI Bank. Killer Jeans. Elder Pharma (Tiger Balm).

Jun 2001 – Sep 2005 · 4 yrs 3 mos · Sri Lanka

• Masters DDB. A small agency that made a big difference in my life.
• Learnt to live on my own. Learnt to live in a foreign country. Learnt and honed several skills in advertising – from copywriting to art direction, from filmmaking to radio production, from client servicing to planning. In fact, I doubled up as an Art Director and even won an award!
• Discovered that observation and common sense can teach you a lot. Learnt how to face clients, what to say, when to say it and, most importantly, when to shut up.
• Worked on Sri Lanka’s No. 1 advertiser - Dialog GSM (now Dialog). A brand so big, it was split between 4 agencies, with us getting a small share at the time. By the end of my tenure, we were pulling a lion’s share of the work, much to the chagrin of the other agencies. A feat made possible by some rather sweet people. Especially, my boss and Creative Director, Mike Masilamani, who gave us the freedom to explore and dare.
• Over 4 years, we won several businesses, countless advertising awards and a lot of respect!
• Brands I worked on/handled: Dialog GSM (Sri Lanka's No. 1 Telecom Company). Mount Lavinia Hotel. Clogard Toothpaste. Gold Hair Care. Elephant House Soft Drinks. Nation's Trust Bank. Citigroup. BIC Razors. Intel Sri Lanka. Compaq. Toshiba. Mahaweli Reach Hotel.

Jul 2000 – May 2001 · 10 mos · Mumbai Area, India

• Joined the Direct Marketing team, which also helped me take a close look at all the hard work that agencies put in to earn, manage and grow enormous legacy brands.
• Worked on some great brands like Tata Motors and TCS, and several big pitches. Worked with some amazing people, many of them industry giants. All of them friends for life and a few of them I still turn to for guidance.
• Devoured hundreds of One Show, New York Festival, D&AD and Archive books. Played Scrabble. Spent endless nights.
• Learnt a lot about writing better, and interestingly got a life lesson that proofreading is an equally important skill (from no less than the Executive Director himself - Ambi Parameswaran).
• Brands I worked on: Tata Consultancy Services. Tata Motors. Mahindra & Mahindra Motors. CEAT Tyres. HDFC Bank. WebDunia Internet Service Provider. HDFC Realty. Cummins Engines. Channel Nine Gold. Knoll Pharma (Digene, Brufen & Bruzen).

Sep 1999 – Mar 2000 · 6 mos · Mumbai Area, India

• High on winning the top honour at the AAAI’s Copywriting Course, I joined the oldest advertising agency in India thinking I’ll be the next David Ogilvy, who’ll change the world.
• Thankfully, I came face-to-face with the sobering reality of the advertising industry. Notably, how difficult it is to win, nurture and maintain clients to keep the wolf from the door.
• But it did not dent my love for advertising. In fact, it bolstered it. Thanks to some genuinely nice people, including the owner. They helped me learn a thing or two-fifty about copywriting, art direction, studio production and even client servicing.
• (AAAI - Advertising Agencies Association of India)
• Brands I worked on: Boston Computer Institute. Godrej Properties. Ramada Hotel Palm Grove. The Carlton Resort. The Retreat Resort.