MUMBAI: Santosh Padhi—better known as Paddy—is back in the game. The celebrated adman, who co-founded Taproot before selling it to Dentsu, has launched his independent creative agency, Into Creative, with a mission to bring back big, brave, and fearless ideas.
Paddy will serve as chief creative officer & chairman, with Ayesha Ghosh as CEO & co-founder. The founding team also includes Yogesh Rijhwani (creative lead), Tania Dey (strategy and digital), Namrata Gosavi (design and digital), and Gargi Vegiraju (business lead).
"I could have retired on an island, but adland’s calling was too loud to ignore," said Paddy. "This industry has given me everything, and it’s time to give back. Our focus will be on doing brave, fearless, creative brand work. Indian brands and platforms have grown in number, but creativity hasn’t. Oddly enough, brands are being built on creativity. Somewhere the passion of creative agencies to push boundaries has been lost. In a world where anything is now creatively possible, we are here to fill this vacuum.”
More than just an ad agency, Into Creative aims to craft big directional ideas—concepts that don’t just live in ads but shape brand universes. The agency’s offerings span brands, insights, ideas, design, tech, digital, content, and collaborations.
Said Ayesha Ghosh: "More experiments happen when independent. Sure, some fail, but some lead to triumphant discoveries. We’re here for that. We see ourselves as multipliers. When one collaborates with high creative integrity, respecting every platform, that's when true magnification of ideas happens "
The six founders, all ex-Wieden+Kennedy India, have worked on some of the country’s biggest brands, including Jio 5G, Hero Vida EV, Jindal Steel, Jockey, and Zoya. Paddy and Ayesha also share history from their Taproot days.
Into Creative officially launches in Mumbai on March 30, aligning with Gudi Padwa/Ugadi—a day marking new beginnings. The agency is already in talks with brands, with announcements expected soon.
The creative revolution starts now.
