MUMBAI: Ajay Gahlaut, who had recently stepped down from the position of chief creative officer of Ogilvy North and deputy chief creative officer of Ogilvy India, has joined Publicis Worldwide India as chief creative officer and managing director. Publicis confirmed the appointment in a press statement and shared that Ajay will be based out of agency’s Mumbai office.
He will begin his stint at Publicis on 4 February 2019.
On joining Publicis Worldwide India, Ajay said, “I’m looking forward to my journey with Publicis. The new age thinking here excites me. It’s a nimble set up based on the principles of collaboration and integration to deliver the ‘Power of One’. The quality of work is already solid and I look forward to working with the teams to raise the creative bar both in terms of variety and quality of work.”
Prior to Ogilvy, Ajay has had stints with McCann, Saatchi & Saatchi, among others. With over 25 years of experience, he has worked on world-renowned brands such as Pernod Ricard, BMW, KFC, Taco Bell, Dabur, Perfetti Van Melle, Mother Dairy, Pizza Hut, Sprite, Best Foods, HT Mint, Philips, among others.
On Ajay’s appointment, Publicis Communications, South Asia CEO Saurabh Verma said, “Anyone who knows Ajay or even follows him on Twitter, will know that he’s one of the finest storytellers in the country. His ability, experience, and talent in transforming brands by creating stellar communication across formats or platforms, is truly remarkable. With, Srija, Neeraj, and Ajay at the helm, Publicis Worldwide India is going to be a force to reckon with. I welcome Ajay to the Publicis Groupe, and wish him the best of luck.”
Publicis Worldwide India managing director Srija Chatterjee said, “We’re in this phase of transformation at Publicis Worldwide India. Today, the industry is all about constantly listening to clients and anticipating their needs. It’s about delivering the best-in-class creative idea and doing it over and over again for each of your brands. Ajay is one of those creative mavericks who has been able to do that, consistently for over a long period of time. I’m truly excited to work with Ajay and I look forward to a great partnership.”
Publicis Worldwide India CSO and managing partner Neeraj Bassi stated, “I am most delighted to welcome Ajay on board at Publicis. He has been a friend and guide to me since 2011. Together we delivered some stellar work on marquee brands and have won several well-fought pitches. Ajay’s ability to simplify problems is legendary and his dogged persistence to ‘crack’ the real problem that will lead to a tangible impact on business is a big asset for any brand. I look forward to partnering him again and working on ideas that become part of life.”
