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BBDO gets Varun Mehta as senior creative director

Mehta returns to advertising after an 18-month-long sabbatical.

Varun Mehta has joined BBDO India as senior creative director - special projects. He returns to advertising after an 18-month-long sabbatical, during which he pursued photography and writing. Mehta will be based in Mumbai, and will work closely with Ajai Jhala, CEO, BBDO India, Josy Paul, chairman, national creative director, BBDO India, Raj Deepak Das, executive creative director, BBDO India, and Sandipan Bhattacharya, executive creative director, BBDO India.

BBDO gets Varun Mehta as senior creative director
Says Josy Paul on Mehta's appointment, "We are fortunate to have him at the BBDO Ashram. Varun is a multi-talented and hugely creative guy. BBDO India will leverage his strengths as a conceptualiser, copywriter, photographer, illustrator, QuarkXPressor and sculptor!"

Paul further adds, "Like cricketer Harbhajan Singh, we expect Varun to throw a few 'doosras', and create some surprising solutions for our client's brand problems. He will translate marketing objectives into creative strategies and help in production and marketing collateral. His craft will be our weapon as well as a blessing at the BBDO Ashram."

Talking about his appointment at BBDO, Mehta says, "I've wanted to work with Josy since his David days. The people I'll be working with are extremely creative guys who care about nothing, but good work. This is a rare opportunity. I consider myself lucky to be at BBDO Ashram."

Mehta started his career in advertising in 1999 as a copywriter with O&M (Ogilvy & Mather), and was there for nearly three-and-a-half years. While there, he worked on various accounts like Orange, World Gold Council and Asian Paints. Following that, he had a short stint with McCann Erickson for about eight months. He then moved to TBWA India for a period of about two years, and handled clients like Samsonite, BPL Mobile and Indian Oil. Mehta also spent a year with JWT as creative director, handling key brands such as Airtel, DayOne, Indian Airlines, Bacardi and Sugar Free.

After his stint with Rediffusion DY&R, where he handled brands like Airtel and Bacardi, Mehta shifted to Mudra and looked after brands like Godrej, Nutrine, STAR News and Philips.

He won accolades for The Economic Times' The Power of Ideas, and the Cycle Agarbatti campaigns.

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