Mergers create conflicts when it comes to creativity: Josy Paul

In a candid chat with agencyfaqs!, the hardcore David enthusiast reveals the reasons behind his exit from the agency after the formation of Bates David Enterprise

In another 15 days, Josy Paul will quit David, the agency he has nurtured since its inception seven years ago.

As anticipated by many in the industry, Josy doesn't see himself fitting into the new scheme of things at Bates David Enterprise. In his words, "Mergers might be fruitful for many companies and businesses, but when it comes to a creative outfit, they create conflicts."

"I think a collaboration is a better way to grow than a merger," he muses.

Josy Paul

But he doesn't seem upset by the merger. He says the new entity will grow, with a new culture in place. Then, why did he quit? "My point of view didn't match that of the new company," comes his straight reply. "It was simply time for me to get out of the way of this merger."

Seven years ago, rmg david was launched amidst fanfare as the agency with the 'spirit of play'. The thought behind that was simple: one should keep the inner child alive, because children provide the most original and innocent ideas. Josy himself coined the philosophy, 'think like the navy and act like the pirates'. The agency took pride in not having top brands in its portfolio, as it believed in growing smaller businesses to take on the big ones, much like David and Goliath. "We were a challenger entity from the beginning," recalls Josy in a pensive mood.

In 2005, rmg david was reborn as David, with a fresher outlook and larger team. David has played a crucial role in shaping brands such as Alpenliebe ('Lagey Raho'), Asahi Glass ('See More'), and Essar (in fact, the 'Gandhi' ad for Essar even fetched David and India its first One Show pencil, a silver one at that).

When asked about his next destination, Josy says that he may set up something on his own, or even join another advertising group. He says, "My first loyalty is still with Ogilvy and WPP. In case nothing works out, I might look beyond the WPP Group. But one thing is for sure: I will pursue a prospect where I can retain my professional views and explore greater creative ideas."

But hadn't he planned his exit long ago, because talk of the merger has been around for some time? Comes his reply: "It's not easy to depart from David. Till the last moment, I tried to put across my point of view."

So, will others at David follow suit? "It's for each individual to take a call, but I tried to ensure that they are secure." However, it is as yet unclear what roles will be assigned to the rest of David's top team - Kumar Subramaniam, president; Manish Sinha, national planning head; and Praveen Vadhera, country head, Wall Street David.

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