N. Shatrujeet
Advertising

KS Gopal quits Quadrant; Menacherry appointed creative coordinator

After spending a little over five years at Quadrant Communications, executive CD Gopal is in the process of clearing his desk at the agency

After spending a little over five years at Quadrant Communications, executive creative director KS Gopal is in the process of clearing his desk at the agency. The development has been confirmed by both Noshir Desai, president, Quadrant Communications, and Gopal, who is currently serving his notice period.

"Yes, I have quit Quadrant, and I will be in the agency till July 20," Gopal spoke very briefly, when contacted by agencyfaqs!.

"Conversations around my leaving Quadrant have been on for a while," Gopal reveals. "We've been talking about it for some time now, and I finally put in my papers in the middle of last week. I just felt this was the right time to move on."

When quizzed about his next move, Gopal shrugged and answered, "I haven't really decided what to do next. Let's see… for now, I am taking a well-deserved break." He does, however, clarify that he will continue in advertising. "I would be dead if I wasn't to be in this business," he chuckles.

Gopal - who got his first big break at Sista's Advertising (now Saatchi India) before moving to Mudra Communications and Lintas (now Lowe) - is perhaps best known as the writer of the famous 60-cc Sports Star campaigns (produced out of Lintas, Chennai) that were immensely popular during the early- and mid-nineties.

He then moved to Contract Advertising as creative director, and there onwards, moved in as executive creative director at Quadrant (which had just undergone a makeover from the Pratibha Advertising of yore). It was at Quadrant that Gopal and his team produced the much-awarded ‘football pitch' film for Akai, as well as highly visible campaigns for Toshiba, Sansui, TVS Tyres, and KenStar, among others.

With Gopal moving out of the agency, Quadrant has appointed Paul Menacherry, creative director, as creative coordinator for the entire agency. "Gopal and Quadrant parting ways is a bit like two brothers going their separate ways," says Desai.

"Both know their paths are different, but the brotherly feeling stays with both. There is no ill will, and the parting has been peaceful."

Detailing the role envisaged for Menacherry, Desai adds, "Paul will play the role of a coordinator. He will orchestrate the agency's creative centrally."

For the record, Menacherry, who has been with Quadrant for the past 15 months or so, has previously been with PSL McCann, Euro RSCG India, Grey Worldwide and Saatchi India.

"The desire at Quadrant is to stretch the agency's equity within the ad industry into the marketplace," says Desai. "We want to make the equity work for the client, and there are already enough indications to suggest that the equity is translating into tangible benefits for clients such as Sansui, which has seen a stupendous sales growth over the past two years."

Desai also reveals that the agency has been investing in the planning function. In fact, roughly six months ago, the agency hired the services of old Lowe hand Lakshmi Ramamurthy, who is currently head of strategic planning at Quadrant.

"Lakshmi, who had been with Lowe for 12 years, has come on board to strengthen the agency's equity and help the creative teams deliver a better product," says Desai. "The idea is to keep the creative focus intact, while simultaneously strengthening the other areas of brand communication. Paul and Lakshmi are our central resources who will breathe fresh air into Quadrant." © 2004 agencyfaqs!

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