Tuesday, September 06, 2011

JWT The Retro-Brigrade!

Their First Big Campaign Delivered Unexpected Results. Presenting the Cannes Lions Gold Winners this year – Vanguards of the Retro-Brigade: Anupama Ramaswamy & Simran Sahni

They have not stopped beaming since the time they bagged their first Cannes Lions Gold this year for the Fujifilm ‘Inner Smile’ Campaign. The campaign was not only well gulped down by the international jury at Cannes, but it has also brought home a whole baggage of awards including 2 awards at the Goa Fest, 5 metals in Adfest and 2 in Spikes! And the creative minds behind all this haven’t lost their lust for more!

Their repartee on the same goes thus, “After all, who doesn’t want to be Piyush Pandey or Prasoon Joshi and redefine advertising with their work and simultaneously win lots of awards? Greedy? But that’s us!” These girls with the Midas touch are flag bearing representative of the new leadership race at JWT Delhi – and Anupama Ramaswamy, Senior CD (ART) and Simran Sahni, Creative Director apparently take no prisoners.

But the road that took them to the Lions Gold was not adorned with candy floss. As they reveal (and that too almost in unison), “Our first faceoff was a typical meeting at work where the senior pairs you up for a project. It was an LG commercial brief and we were working in Lowe Lintas at a very junior position at that time.” This was in the year 2005. After their maiden assignment, the duo again teamed up for small assignments for clients like Convergys and Lowe.

However, to really catch the big fish, one has to go deep into the ocean; and the duo did that! The one big opportunity that elevated them to notable status (and also made them take advertising seriously!) was of Apollo Hospitals. Call it destiny’s undoing – the two were not even briefed for it! Anupama shares, “That was the campaign that we did just for the heck of it. But eventually, we loved it and showed it around proudly. Surprisingly, it was the last round of the pitch and the agency presented only that campaign, which later made them win the account.”

Their first impressions on each other are dispassionately honest! “It was very comfortable working together in the first project. As we worked on, we listened to each other’s ideas... There was no ego among us, especially from my side, about how art directors think! Also, Anu was very polite with my scribbles and rough layouts,” exclaims Simran. To this, Anu adds her own take, “She is one of the most positive persons I have met in this world of skeptics and cynics. She is a complete believer and the spark between us was instant, as I could tell her any of my thoughts without (the apprehension of) her judging me.”

The duo that has managed to grab 13 awards in their relatively short career span and has enabled many exceptional commercials to see the light of day including the award-winning Woodland outdoor campaign, Lay’s, Boost, et al is currently investing their hearts and souls in Nokia. That’s the biggest account on which they are working in full swing currently.


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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2011.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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