CV
Professional Summary
Creative leader with 20+ years of experience driving brand growth, storytelling, and innovation across India’s top advertising agencies. Known for blending strategy, craft, and emerging technology to deliver business-impacting ideas.
Now focused on building brands for the modern landscape — where creativity meets data, content, and AI. Experienced in leading integrated teams, shaping brand narratives, and mentoring creative talent to produce award-winning, culture-relevant work.
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Key strength: translating brand purpose into creative ecosystems that engage audiences across platforms — from film and digital to social.
Work
Experience
Group Creative Director, Ogilvy
Pond's, Tresemme, Comfort and Indriya Jewels
July 2022 -
March 2024
Executive Creative Director, Network Advertising
Blue Dart, Vinod Cookware, HDFC, Essilor, National Stock Exchange, Tata Motors and others
Sep 2018 -
July 2022
Senior Creative Director, FCB Interface
Mahindra XUV 300, Mahindra Rise, Unilever, Meru cabs (social media), Tata Durashine. Also did a project for Hopscotch.com, as a Mothers’ Day digital activation, which got 3.3 billion TikTok views, 6.6 million YouTube views, was streamed for 0.23 Million minutes and heard for 0.24 Million Minutes on Gaana.com.
Nov 2014 –
Aug 2018
Creative Director, ideas@work
Rustomjee, LinkedIn (social media), Shoppers Stop LIFE, Gera, Rajesh LifeSpaces, P. N. Gadgil & Sons, The Coffee Co. and others
Nov 2012 –
Oct 2014
Creative Group Head, McCann Erickson
Parachute (hair and skincare), Stayfree, CNBC Awaaz, Maybelline and others
Nov 2010 –
Oct 2012
Associate Creative Director, DDB Mudra
Helped relaunch BBC TopGear Magazine in India, worked on Femina, Lonely Planet Magazine, Kalpataru and others
Sep 2006 –
Oct 2010
Creative Supervisor, Ogilvy & Mather
The Economist, Pond’s, Lakme (skincare), Future Generali, Mattel Toys and others
Mar 2006 -
Sep 2006
Copywriter, Bates Enterprise
Tata AIG and Marico Corporate
Feb 2005 –
Mar 2006
Copywriter, Enterprise Nexus
The Times of India, Femina, Killer Jeans, Ramada Caravela Resort and others
Mar 2004 –
May 2004
Trainee, McCann-Erickson
Coca-Cola (helped launch Vanilla Coke), Tata Indicom, Stayfree, Strepsils, Sweetex, Vaseline and Radio Mirchi
Awards
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2019:
MCube Awards for Best Content in a PR Campaign, Best Viral Marketing Campaign,
Best Digital Campaign by an eCommerce Enterprise, for Hopscotch ‘Style Rap
feat. Mom’
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2017:
Abby Copywriting silver, print bronze for LIFE, Silvers and Bronzes across Print, Corporate and OOH for Rustomjee
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2016:
Abby OOH Bronze, Copywriting Bronze for The Coffee Co, Silvers and Bronzes across Print, Corporate and OOH for Rustomjee
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2015:
Abby Bronze OOH and Copywriting, for All That's Good
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2014:
Spikes Copy Craft Finalist for Yatra.com 'Exotic Travellers'
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2010:
One Show Outdoor Merit, Clio Poster Merit, Adfest Silver Lotus (Poster), Cannes Outdoor Bronze, Abby Print Silver, Outdoor Bronze, Integrated Campaign Silver,
Direct Response Print Gold, all for The Economist ‘Whale’, ‘Baby’, ‘Bag’, ‘Vulture’
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2009:
One Show Design Merit for The Reader’s Shop ‘Dogs’
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2008:
Abby TV Silver for Videocon Air Conditioners 'Clinic’, Abby Press Bronze for
The Reader’s Shop ‘Hands’
Education
2003 - 2005
Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication | Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Management (Specialisation: Advertising)
2003
University of Mumbai | Master of Arts (Part 1), English Language & Literature
2002
D. G. Ruparel College | Bachelor of Arts, English Language & Literature
Interests and Activities
I moonlight as an author and have written four novels. Two were published by HarperCollins India and one by Hachette. My latest,
What Will People Think? was published in the UK last November by Corvus Books and was published in India in July 2025 by
Penguin Random House.
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I’ve also blogged for Campaign India magazine in the past, have freelanced forThe Free Press Journal and various publications of
The Indian Express and The Times of India over the years and have written my personal blog since the days Internet 2.0 was just a gleam
in the eye of long form writers.
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A writer who loves to write, basically.
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Surprise, surprise.