N. Shatrujeet
Advertising

O&M Mumbai is 8th hottest shop in Asia: CampaignBrief Asia ranking

CampaignBrief Asia’s Creative Rankings based on performances at award shows, has eight Indian agencies/offices among a list of 119 agencies in Asia

According to advertising magazine CampaignBrief Asia's ranking of Asia's most creative agency offices, O&M Mumbai is the eighth most creative outfit in the region. The ranking - published in Issue No. 18, 2002, of the magazine - also reveals that O&M Singapore (with 1,711 points) is the hottest creative agency in the region, followed by Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore (1,069 points). Saatchi & Saatchi's Hong Kong office (967 points) occupies third position, narrowly edging out BBDO Bangkok (953 points). Leo Burnett Singapore comes in a No. 5 (with 543 points).

At No. 8, O&M Mumbai (407 points) is preceded by Dentsu Tokyo (538 points) and O&M Bangkok (424 points), but the agency has the satisfaction of pushing DY&R Singapore (390 points) and O&M Malaysia (385 points) down to ninth and tenth spot, respectively. And for O&M India, the good news is that another of its offices - O&M Bangalore - has been ranked at No. 18, overall, making it the only other India-based shop in the Top 20 ranks. Also, O&M Bangalore (215 points) marks the 200-points cutoff in the rankings - all other agencies/office thereafter have less than 200 points. In all, the ranking lists 119 agencies/offices in Asia.

In a note emailed to agencyfaqs!, a senior executive associated with the publication said, "The charts rank all creatives in Asia, based on awards won at the four big international shows (D&AD, Cannes, One Show, Clio) and the two main regional shows (AdFest and Asian Ad Awards) over the past two years only." The email also reveals that the annual rankings have been published these past five years, and that India has been included this year. Further, the publication's website clarifies: ‘CampaignBrief Asia's Creative Rankings only tabulate and score performances at award shows over the past two year period thereby putting aside old creative reputations to only acknowledge the hottest creatives and agencies.'

For India, the heartening aspect is that eight Indian agencies/offices find a place in the overall ranking. Apart from the two above-mentioned O&M offices, Grey Mumbai (109 points), Enterprise Nexus Mumbai (72 points) Contract Advertising Mumbai (45 points), Quadrant Communications Mumbai, Ambience D'Arcy Mumbai and rmg david Mumbai (40 points each) make the grade. Of these agencies, Grey Mumbai is ranked at No. 30, Enterprise at No. 44, Contract at No. 54, while the last three are collectively ranked at No. 62. Interestingly, with rmg david featuring in the ranking, O&M India's presence in the list actually goes up to three - as rmg is an Ogilvy group agency.

Another interesting list that the magazine has published pertains to the most creative Asian minds in the business. ‘A list of over 600 creatives that have won recognition at a minimum of one of the big four international award shows (D&AD, Cannes, Clio, One Show) or the two Asian regional shows (AdFest, Asian Ad Awards),' as the website explains. As per this list, Suthisak Sucharittanonta, BBDO Bangkok's ECD, is Asia's most awarded creative professional, with 745 points. Maurice Wee and Renee Lim (692 points each) of Saatchi & Saatchi Hong Kong are joint second, while Andy Greenaway (674 points) of O&M Singapore comes at No. 4.

The publication has also released a country-wise ranking of top creative people. And vis-à-vis India's ranking, O&M India again has reason to be proud. Piyush Pandey, group president & national creative director, O&M India, tops the list (did you seriously - seriously - expect any surprises here?) with 205 points. Rajiv B Rao from Ogilvy Mumbai is second with 200 points, and Haridas B from O&M Bangalore is third (195 points).

Arab Iqbal and Abhijit Avasthi (both O&M Mumbai, again) share the fourth place with 107 points each. Breaking O&M's stranglehold, KS Gopal of Quadrant Mumbai is at No. 6 (with 71 points). But seventh-placed Vidur Vohra (45 points) from O&M Bangalore brings the agency back into the list. At eighth spot there are five individuals, each with 40 points - Priya Pardiwalla, Vijay Kuruvilla, Josy Paul (all rmg david Mumbai), Anisha Sarin and Priti Arora (both Grey Mumbai). Komal Bedi Sohal from Quadrant Mumbai comes in at No 13 (with 39 points), while Vikram Gaekwad of Leo Burnett Mumbai is in next with 35 points. The publication, however, adds that ‘Several writer and art director credits from Indian agencies could not be sourced.'

One ranking, which is certainly significant from the agency network perspective, is that of the Top Networks in the Region. Here too, O&M (with 3,809 points) proves to be the bellwether, while Saatchi (with 2,721 points) and BBDO (1,532 points) troop in at second and third place, respectively. Leo Burnett, Dentsu, DY&R, Lowe, D'Arcy, TBWA and Grey follow suit, in that order. © 2002 agencyfaqs!

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