Devina Joshi
Advertising

O&M, Bangalore, spruces up its creative team

The agency has hired Deepak Joshi and Jacob KJ from Euro RSCG and McCann-Erickson, respectively. Meanwhile, associate creative directors EJ Clement and Meera Hadap have been promoted as creative directors

O&M, Bangalore, is in expansion mode. The agency has increased the width of its creative team with two new creative directors, Deepak Joshi and Jacob KJ. While Joshi has moved from Euro RSCG, Bangalore, where he was creative director, Jacob used to be creative director with McCann-Erickson.

In addition, two associate creative directors, EJ Clement and Meera Hadap, have been promoted as creative directors. All four creative directors will work under Rajiv Rao and V Mahesh, group creative directors, O&M, Bangalore.

The interesting bit is that both Joshi and Jacob started their career together 18 years ago in a small agency in Kerala. They even worked together at McCann for a brief while on brands such as Levi’s (they worked on its launch in India nine years ago).

Joshi remarks, “Both of us know O&M’s Rao and Mahesh on a personal basis through common friends. I particularly appreciate the skills, judgement and the kind of work that these two have done for various brands, including Hutch. Having the opportunity to work with them is what made the decision to shift to O&M so easy.”

Joshi has worked with a number of agencies such as MAA Bozell, Contract (Mumbai), Contract (Delhi), McCann (Bangalore) Saatchi & Saatchi (Bangalore), Madison Creative (Mumbai) and, finally, Euro RSCG, Bangalore. At Euro, where he spent around three years, he worked on brands such as Dell, Weekender, Adrenalin (a software package from the Polaris Group) and Parikrama, an NGO.

Joshi recalls, “My best work in my Euro days has been for Parikrama. I have done some interesting work for a charity concert that they host every year.”

Jacob says about his move, “I was with McCann for close to 14 years. Things were going a bit too smoothly for me, if I may say so! McCann is a great place to work, but I was seeking a change after my long stint there. And what could have been a better place to move to than O&M?”

At McCann, Jacob, who has always been in the art department, played a key role in winning the pitches for Britannia and TVS Apache. He has handled brands such as TVS, Kwality Walls, Intel, MetLife Insurance and ITC Aashirwaad Atta. Prior to McCann, Jacob has worked for agencies such as OgilvyOne and Contract. He has also handled BPL Pro FX, the home theatre system, for which he bagged a gold at the New York Festivals in 2000.

At O&M, Joshi and Jacob will be collectively working on brands such as IBM, Lenovo, Hutch, the Prestige Group of Builders and Deepam Silks, a sari retail outlet in Bangalore. They will also participate in the pitch process at times.

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