Bapi Bit quits Publicis to pursue direction

Bapi Bit, senior creative director, Publicis Ambience has called it quits. He moves from agency life to life behind a camera.

He has spent more than a year at the agency and has worked on brands such as Marico, Nerolac and Digjam. However, the director's bug has taken him towards ad-film direction. In the past, when Bit worked with Rediffusion Y&R, he had directed a short film called Analogue and sent it to a couple of film festivals. He has also worked on an ad film for Factz magazine's Miss Teen contest and on Cupid Condoms. He, along with his team, won the Yahoo Uncannies this year for Cupid Condoms.

Prasanna Sankhe and Ashish Khanzanchi, national creative directors, Publicis Ambience, wish Bit all the very best in his new innings. "Though we are sad to have lost a talented resource in him," adds Sankhe.

Bit will join Swastik Films, a fairly new production house, to set up its ad and feature department. "It was a good offer and came at the right time, which is why I took it up," says Bit.

Bit has been part of the advertising fraternity for 15 years. He started his career at O&M Delhi. In 1995, he moved to Oman to work with Ad Inc. (now DDB Oman) as art director. Subsequently, he moved to Dubai to work with M&C Saatchi. Bit has also worked with the Singapore office of M&C Saatchi. He spent two years with the South Africa based Whitelink Advertising as creative director and operated from its Dubai outfit as well. While in South Africa, he was responsible for the launch of the Peugeot 206. Some of the brands that he handled in Dubai include Parker, Rover and Holiday Inn.

He returned to India in 2001 and started working with Euro RSCG. In the four and a half years that he spent with Euro RSCG, he worked on brands such as SET Max (the Deewana Bana De campaign) and HDFC. In 2006, Bit moved to Rediffusion Y&R to work on brands such as Onida, Indian Oil and Kaya Skin Care. Before he moved out of Rediffusion Y&R, all of Colgate's brands were being handled by Bit.