M&C Saatchi's Arjuna Gaur joins Leo Burnett as ECD

Leo Burnett India has announced the appointment of Arjuna Gaur as executive creative director (ECD). In his new role, Gaur will be based out of the agency's New Delhi office, and will lead the creative function for the agency's North operations. He will report to RajDeepak Das, chief creative officer (CCO), Leo Burnett, South Asia. He joins Leo Burnett from M&C Saatchi Kuala Lumpur.

Speaking about his move to Leo Burnett India and working with (RajDeepak) Das, Gaur says, "Most people I met prior to joining Leo Burnett spoke with great authority about the future of advertising, and how their respective agencies were going to define it. Raj on the other hand, spoke very fast, threw a million ideas at me, a million very good ideas. Now the truth is, nobody really knows the future of advertising, not even that hipster on stage with the big slide on 'storytelling in the digital age'. So when someone tells you that they love cool s**t and we should get together and create more cool s**t, you go with it."

Welcoming Gaur on board, Das shares, "I have met a multitude of creative people in my career, but (Arjuna) Gaur is one of those few people who personifies 'creativity'. We have worked together for seven to eight years at BBDO India, and I love the energy he brings to the table. I love that he is a geek, I love that he understands human behaviour, applies it to his craft, and makes the ad-meet-the-tech-meet-the-idea. And, most of what he knows is, self-taught. He is truly an all-rounder, and I am happy to have him on board the Leo Burnett ship."

Gaur brings with him 10 years of experience, including stints at Grey and BBDO India, where he worked with Das. He has worked across categories and brands, his most well-known work being the 'I Feel Up' campaign for 7UP, Quaker Oats' 'Make India Heart Healthy', and 'Art By The People' for GE India among many others.

Leo Burnett India's clientele includes names such as McDonald's, Complan, Glucon D, Thums Up, Maaza, Tide, Whisper, Samsung, Tata Capital, Tata Chemicals, Sony, Adlabs Imagica, Bajaj Discover, HDFC Life Insurance and Bacardi among others.