Kaushik Mitra joins Bates David Enterprise as creative director

Kaushik Mitra, of the famous Maneland Jungle Lodge creative, has moved from Leo Burnett to his alma mater, Bates David Enterprise, as creative director.

Mitra started his career with Clarion (now Bates David Enterprise) Kolkata in 1994 as copywriter. He spent six years there and worked on ITC (Gold Flake, 555), Berger Paints and Taj Bengal. In 2000, he moved to Mumbai as group head for Leo Burnett.

At Leo Burnett, Mitra handled Bajaj two wheelers Caliber, Boxer and Eliminator; Hitachi air-conditioners; Fiat cars; IndianOil; McDonald’s and Reliance Mobile. Mitra was responsible for the McDonald’s ‘Humare Zamana ke Daam’ campaign.

While at Leo Burnett, in 2005, Mitra and his art partner, Harshad Rajadhyaksha, were nominated as the only team from Asia to work on the launch of the Fiat model, Grande Punto, in Europe. In 2006, Mitra received a Cannes Lion for the campaign he executed for Maneland Jungle Lodge, a resort bordering the Gir forest in Gujarat. The campaign humorously showcases the lodge staff with missing limbs and ears to explain the proximity the lodge enjoys to the lions at Gir.

After seven years at Leo Burnett, Mitra has moved back to where he started. Clarion later merged with Bates and is now Bates David Enterprise. Mitra reminisces, “It’s not the same agency I worked in earlier. It’s a young and ambitious agency, with new people, new accounts and a lot of new energy. I like the place.” He will handle all the key brands at Bates David Enterprise.

A student of economics, Mitra has won many accolades for his work in the field of advertising. While with Clarion, he picked up an Abby, one New York Festivals award and two A&M Awards – all of them for the Gold Flake Open Tennis campaign done in 1996-97. His recent wins include a bronze at Cannes 2006 and a silver at the London International Awards 2007.