India's advertising capital still the top draw

Eleven years ago Mr S. Ramamurthy joined advertising agency Grey (then Trikaya Grey) in Bangalore. Work brought him to Mumbai (then Bombay) in year one, and introduced him to a senior creative person in advertising Mr Parvez Shaikh. He got a call in four months of the meeting, and moved to Mumbai — something he had never imagined doing.

After three years at Contract Advertising and four more in Ogilvy & Mather, and a clutch of awards for his work, Mr Ramamurthy is today an ad film director with Nirvana Films. It's not just pleasures like casting for and directing the recent Levi's commercial for women's denim that have rendered him inseparable from the city. He's one of the many talented advertising creatives who have been drawn to Mumbai — and stayed on.

The who's who of India's advertising industry — creatives in particular — is in Mumbai. That's just one of the reasons for aspiring creatives to pack their bags and head here.

Mr Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman and Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather South Asia, once led Delhi University's cricket team, but leads Ogilvy's charge from Mumbai today.

He said, “There are clients all across the country and it's not that great work happens just here, but Mumbai lends itself to advertising. The ecosystem in which Mumbai's advertising industry operates is most conducive — from post-production studios to music, everything is here.”

While that has served the industry well, another inspiring creative, Mr R. Balki, now Chairman and Creative Head, Lowe India, urges us to give the professionalism in the city its due.

“Yes, there is the infrastructure needed to creative work. What also works in Mumbai's favour is the professionalism — people here know the value of time, and that matters a lot in a field like advertising. Things have to get done when you need them to,” said Mr Balki.

Having directed successful and acclaimed films like Cheeni Kum and Paa alongside leading Lowe's lilting work, he should know. The ad man-cum-film maker moved to Mumbai from Bangalore in 1999.

While each agency has its list of complaints about the lack of talent coming into advertising, it's not that bad on the creative side, at least in Mumbai.

The HR head of an advertising agency, who did not wish to be named, noted that it was ironic that fresh trainees in copy and art were willing to join the Mumbai office of the same agency at lower salaries — and sometimes without salaries.

Consistency in creative output from the city is evident in the advertising that it churns out — a fact underlined by the recently announced Effie Awards 2011 results (awards for advertising effectives). Mumbai-based Cadbury was adjudged ‘Client of the year'. Bringing up the top three were Vodafone and Hindustan Unilever, all Mumbai-based clients.

Some of the most talked about work during the year — be it Vodafone Zoozoos (return during IPL) or Idea's 3G campaign — have also come from the Mumbai offices of Ogilvy and Lowe, respectively.

Said Mr Ramamurthy, “There are ad film makers in other cities who are doing very well.

“But I find getting things done here is easier; clients here, for instance, are also faster in responding to ideas. If you want something done, there's a response — yes or no — much faster. And if it's a yes, it just gets done.”

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