RK Swamy/BBDO’s Mukesh Anand puts in his papers

Mukesh Anand, associate creative director, social rural division, RK Swamy/BBDO, Delhi, has put in his papers. Anand says he had been toying with this decision since July, but it’s only now that he has chosen to end his two-year association with the agency.

Anand says he will now work on a special project. He is one of six Indians who have been chosen to participate in the ‘MEDIAIDS’ television training project, which is a European-India media response to HIV/AIDS, under the European Union-India Economic Cross Cultural Programme.

Anand cites the reasons for his decision as ‘purely personal’. He says, “For a long time, I was feeling this craving to do something else, which would let me follow my passion. I think this project is the perfect outlet for me.”

“I have been associated with the social rural division of RK Swamy/BBDO for around two years. We have done some real effective work, and I am definitely going to miss the opportunity and freedom I enjoyed there,” he adds.

During his tenure at RK Swamy/BBDO, Anand reported to Ravi Ananthkrishnan, general manager of the social rural division of RK Swamy/BBDO. Ananthkrishnan says he respects Anand’s decision. “Anand and I get along very well. In fact, I learnt quite a few creative insights from him. Now that he wants to move on, I wish him all the best in life,” he says.

As for his plans after the ‘MEDIAIDS’ project, Anand says, “I have never planned my future as such because I honestly believe that ‘future planning’ is a misnomer. Right now, I am concentrating on this workshop. As for joining another ad agency, someone has to make a really tempting offer that I can’t refuse, and that doesn’t very happen easily.”

The ‘MEDIAIDS’ workshop, which involves six participants from Europe, and another six from India, will happen in two stages – from September 16 to October 3 in New Delhi, and from November 19 to December 3 in Berlin, Germany. The objective of the workshop is to utilise the medium of television to address, inform and educate viewers about HIV/AIDS, without alarming or scaring them.

Under the project, a small community of media professionals will be formed in India and Europe, and the participants will develop prototypes of public service advertising and news story and news feature formats that are suitable for regional and international telecast.

Prior to RK Swamy/BBDO, Anand had worked for agencies such as McCann-Erickson, JWT and Thompson Social and Rural, Delhi.

So far in his career, he has worked on several campaigns such as the TB Films with Vivek Oberoi, the ‘School Chale Hum’ campaign on education, the ‘Prevention of Girl Child Trafficking’ campaign for UNICEF and the ‘Yauvan Mangal Mela’ campaign for NACO.

© 2005 agencyfaqs!