CopyWriter

Manas Paradkar : In Conversation With An Advertising Copywriter

Manas Paradkar is an Associate Creative Director/Copywriter at an independent creative agency called The BAM Connection in New York. He’s originally from Mumbai, where he got a foot in the door in advertising and built his nascent copywriting chops. He has a master’s in English from Mumbai University and another in Advertising from Boston University.

He has always seen himself as a translator. He grew up in a multilingual household, where translating and switching between languages for different family members was the norm. Growing up, he pursued French and Spanish, and went on to officially study translation in Paris. Currently as a copywriter on his third continent, he still works in translation. Only now, he translates brands into emotions.

He’s passionate about women’s equity and social justice issues and tries to work on projects that help advance the conversation. In his free time, he loves to travel, cook, and write about world politics.

Why are you into Advertising?

I’ve loved telling stories for as long as I can remember. I always got a kick from entertaining people, connecting with them through a compelling message. In college I first learned about advertising as a legit job. So, I started working towards it. Luckily, I was hired as a copywriter right out of post-grad. Within two weeks of working at that agency, I knew this is what I wanted to do. Advertising helps me be creative on a timer. It gives me a great outlet to tell brand stories. But it also keeps me on my toes, jumping between different projects. I love the pace and the instant creative gratification. There are great days and there are bad days. But in advertising, there’s never a dull day.

Read more: Manas Paradkar : In Conversation With An Advertising Copywriter


Did you attend school for fine art or design or Communications?

I studied English Literature at St. Xavier’s College and then Mumbai University. Then I got another master’s in advertising from Boston University.

Tell us about your many Awards? How has that impacted your career? Do clients listen to you more?

I’ve been lucky to get my work recognized along the way. But most clients don’t care about trophies. Awards help make great case studies, but for a lot of people, they’re just the cherry on the cake. Clients listen because over the years, I’ve learned to mine for insights, say the things that will solve their marketing challenge, collaborate with them as a team to grow their business, not because I have awards. 

Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?
MP: Unfortunately not. In India, we tend to celebrate the sciences so much more. I was always in awe of that family member who became a successful doctor. Or the engineer nobody could stop raving about. But there wasn’t anyone doing the kind of work that interested me.

Who was the most influential personality on your career in Advertising?

It has to be my mom. I call her Amma. She was an Economics professor who later became a business development executive in marketing. Although she doesn’t work in advertising, she encouraged me to embrace my flair for writing and storytelling. She pushed me to go into liberal arts and pursue advertising as a profession.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

From looking at great work. Every time I find myself being stared down by a blank page, I go to advertising award sites and ad magazines. Nothing gets my creative juices flowing like a pang of envy. Great work makes me insecure. And insecurity, I’ve come to realize, is a powerful motivator.

What do you think of the state of Print advertising right now. At least here in India, the released work is most often too sad?

Yeah, it’s unfortunate. As a student, I always studied print ads. They encapsulate the true meaning of advertising. Pithy copy with a compelling visual trying to incite you to buy something. I believe print advertising is a lost/dying art. I hope it makes a comeback of some sort.

If there is one thing you could change in your place of work, what would that be?

If I could, I’d inculcate more ambition in people. A raw hunger to do amazing work. Don’t get me wrong, everyone wants to do great work. But not everyone is willing to go the few extra miles in search of that great work. And I see that especially with Gen Z who are all about balance, mental health, boundaries. All of that is great, but sometimes, great work needs a little sacrifice, a little extra perseverance, a couple of extra hours of overtime. People tend to settle for good enough. If I could instill in people, I would make them see that good enough is never great.

Do you think brands whose advertising wins awards, do well in the market?

I don’t think this can be seen through a black and white lens. There have been a lot of people who win awards for their spec work, work that never really ran. But recently, there have also been a lot of brands consistently delivering work that’s effective as well as award-winning. So, I don’t think it has to be this dichotomy. For us in advertising, the real test is bolstering sales. If that doesn’t happen, you can’t hide behind the glimmer of awards.

Tell us about your favourite digital campaign that you worked on?

I think I love our recent work for an eyedrop. They were launching a new drop that protects eyes from all kinds of light. We realized there is an uptick in love for the horror genre among millennials and Gen Z. So, we dabbled in horror through our campaign “Be Afraid of the… Light.” Because conventionally everyone fears the dark, but for our eyes the scariest thing is exposure to light. We shot a commercial in our in-house studio, launched on Meta, YouTube, and TikTok. And because I love horror, I had extra fun doing all of it!

What advice do you have for aspiring creative professionals? 
Firstly, keep looking at great work. Scour the net. Find creatives whose work you find intriguing—be it artists, writers, ad peeps, influencers. Follow them. You can’t just keep waiting for the muse to appear out of thin air. You have to search for her. 
Secondly, talk to different people. Listen to them. Collaborate with them. Exposing yourself to as many voices as possible will add countless colors to your palette of creativity.

Any Desi Creatives that inspire you?

Recently I’ve been fanboy-ing over Adyasha Roy Tomar at McCann. Her LinkedIn posts give me life. They are insightful and genuine. She hits a nerve every time she writes about our lives as creatives in advertising. Another person I’ve been a huge fan of is Shantesh Row who’s the Chief Creative Officer of Slant Advertising in Dubai.

Who would you like to take out for dinner?

Hillary Rodham Clinton. I’m a fan.

What’s on your iPod? Spotify?

Lots of Sufjan Stevens, Dua Lipa, Alec Benjamin, and Troye Sivan.

Mac or PC?

Mac all the way!

What’s your Twitter Handle? Instagram?

Instagram is @manasparadkar23 
 Twitter is @manasparadkar 


Rohto Eye drops’ new campaign called FEAR NO LIGHT
Birds Eye Frozen Veggies TV Commercial from last year.

Tathagata Ray : In Conversation With A Creative Strategist

A destined art director who bent fate and chose to pursue copywriting, Tathagata is now 13 years old in this industry. An Advertising and Public Relations post-graduate from the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication, he has had notable stints at The Glitch, Jack in the Box Worldwide and Dentsu Webchutney. He is currently a part of the Creative Shop at Meta, India (previously Facebook).

“As a 12-year-old child, I was always fascinated with my father’s professional world, advertising. I would accompany him to the agency, print studios (OG 90’s advertising) and see him control shoot sets as an Art Creative Director. Safe to say, advertising was fated to be my love and kryptonite. Unlike my father, a bhodrolok from Calcutta who never felt like exploring the world, I wanted to work in advertising hot spots like Delhi and Mumbai. It started off by chasing his mad dream, but after spending 12 years in the industry, I believe I’m writing a totally different story, my story.”

Did you attend school for fine art or design or Communications?
I attended the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in 2009, after a rigorous all-India entrance examination. The path after that was easy peasy, I would hang out in the canteen during the marketing classes and attend the print and creativity classes from the front row. Lazy, or laser focused on what looked like my journey.

How do awards impact the creative career?
Awards is what fuels the beginning of one’s career, in my opinion. You want to get a few awards as soon as possible and have the upper hand in deciding where you want to head next. There are two ends of the spectrum I have seen in my career, A) being obsessed with winning awards, or B) not giving a capital F about awards. Both could be toxic. It’s important to settle somewhere in between as a creative individual. Awards for oneself and worth in the market, but profitable and effective business for the overall health of the agency.

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Sandipan Deb : In Conversation With An Advertising Creative

Sandipan Deb is an advertising creative who also happens to be one of the youngest minds in the industry, bending its creative norms and pushing its hard-set boundaries – one idea at a time. At 25, he already had a Cannes Lion to his name and went on to secure another, during just his 3rd year into the mad ad world.

This young creative believes in a loaded resume before a loaded wallet and his accolades prove it. With more than 60 national and international awards including the Cannes Lions, a Young Lion shortlist, Spikes, Effie, OneShow Shortlist, Promax, Abbys, Adfest, Spott, Kyoorius Young Blood, Young Shit (Droga5 portfolio award), he plans to add more to the kitty even before he turns 30. His phenomenal contributions also fuelled his entry as a shadow juror at the Kyoorius Creative Awards 2022.

In his 5-yr long journey so far, a passion for thinking and an ability to gather powerful insights have led him to shape the digital landscape while creating for some of the most-loved names on the internet like TATA, KFC, ASUS, EarlySalary, Aditya Birla Health Insurance, MTV India, Times of India Digital, BIG FM, Khatabook, Baskin & Robbins, Bosch, Amazon Prime Video, VISA, British Council, game.tv, and movie/show marketing projects like URI: The Surgical Strike, Thappad, Article 15, Men in Black and more.

When not busy leading with ideas, he leads a team of talented creative writers and art directors today. And when not brainstorming on the newest brief, he loves to pen down stories, screenplays and plans on channelling his love for filmmaking in the years to come.


A little about yourself:
Well, I’m a writer/thinker in advertising with a lot of hope in my heart that my ideas will see the light at the end of the day. I try to sleep well at night and wake up with the strangest and craziest ideas for the desk. By 8:30 pm, I stop taking myself seriously, and by 8:32, everyone else stops. I am a sucker for memes, and I think meme as a category or a creative field needs more acknowledgement and appreciation. I weigh above 80, and that makes me humble and keeps me grounded (pun intended). I like having a dessert even after a homely dal-chawal meal. Like other creatives in the industry, I aim to work hard enough till the day I no longer need to introduce myself. I breathe in, I breathe out and most often snort too. I’m as human as everyone. (Laughs)

Why are you into Advertising?
To be honest, I believe this is the only profession where you’re paid to have imaginations. Though, there are other creative fields which have the same perks like filmmaking, music, writing, painting, photography, and what not. But there’s only one profession where you get to do them all in one – advertising. It’s like a dating app for creative individuals to have a fling with different creative expressions and yet stay single and uncommitted forever.
Mostly, I’m in advertising because I enjoy it. Since a kid, I have always been a fan of television commercials. Later, while doing my graduation, I discovered it in depth and in an instant, I was drawn to it. It’s fun. It’s ever evolving. It’s contagious. And, it makes you proud of what you do.

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Sriram Iyer : In a Chat With An Agency Creative

A little about yourself:

Now this where I fumble. Mostly because I don’t know how one answers this question. But I’ll give it a shot nonetheless.
I’ve been in advertising for over 10 years now. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with some wonderful people. The industry has also given me great friends, introduced me to certain substances (no, not that kind), made me gain weight, made me lose temper but also helped me find myself.

Why are you into Advertising?
I got into the industry because I thought I was good enough to be a part of it. I am still here because it continues to be fun, even though it’s equally challenging.

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Jatin Sangwan : In Conversation With A Sr Copywriter

Jatin is a Senior Copywriter at FCB Ulka. He is the kind of guy who drinks Frooti (or Maaza, never Slice) while everyone is chugging down beers. Bike riding, playing football, and reading true crime are his favourite hobbies. After herding some blue and brass elephants to his cabinet and a few Effies, he is hungry for some international stuff. When not working, he’s annoying his team by telling them bad jokes (and laughing at them). Also, super cute. 
 
Why are you into Advertising?
I love thinking up new things. Not just ads. Jokes, movie plots, products that I will never invent. And advertising is the only place that lets me do this, every day. Plus, you can work in pyjamas and sleep on the job (more often than I’d like to admit).  
 
Did you attend school for fine art or design or Communications?
Nope. 

Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?
I did not get to decide my role models. My parents did that for me and was often a colleague’s son or daughter.

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Rajesh Sinha: In Conversation With A Creative Director

Rajesh is currently working at Innocean Worldwide, NCR, as a Creative Director. He is a very affable person. He has a mass market sensibility and thinks from his heart. He loves to come up with visual ideas as much as crafting good lines. He believes that the greatest advertising insight is the fact that people just love a good story.

Why are you into Advertising?
I was in Chennai, doing an engineering course. It was really boring. I used to read lots of magazines those days. Once I read about advertising in ‘Competition Success Review’ in their regular section called ‘Fast Track Careers’. That got me interested. I also did a small course in advertising from The British Institute. Then I applied at a few agencies and joined Equations, a small agency in Chennai. 

Did you attend school for fine art or design or Communications?
I did a diploma in advertising from The British Institute and BBA from University of Madras. 

Tell us about your Awards? How has that impacted your career? Do clients listen to you more?
I have not been a big believer in awards. But I do think it helps in advancing ones career. I have been featured in Lurzer’s Archive a couple of times and recently won a bronze in MTV Buzz In Content Awards, 2021 for Sony Alpha cameras. 

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Divya Bhatia : In A Chat With An Advertising Creative

Divya is a writer, dreamer, scribbler, not necessarily in that order. She always writes her first drafts in pencil coz that’s the only way she can pen down her thoughts as they whizz by. (Pen down with a pencil, yes ironical).

Why are you into Advertising?
For someone who’s curious about almost everything, advertising is a great place to be. Where else can you learn about the chemical formulation of Crocin to how hair oils actually work, or the impact a genuine Government programme or how women influence purchase of men’s products.

Did you attend school for fine art or design or Communications?
Nope.

Tell us something about the advertising awards… Do they convince clients to be more creative in their brand building efforts?
I believe awards are great. Specially if they are on real work. If not, they are still pretty cool. They compel people to think ‘what if’.
Different clients see awards differently. For some it’s a clear Not Me.
For others they want to be there, they want to be the ones who trailblaze.
Awards bring a certain clarity. I value that.

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Shouvik Tarafder : In Conversation With An Advertising Creative

A seasoned wordsmith, Shouvik has spent a decade wandering in the world of Advertising & Marketing. Prolonged exposure to the madness has left him referring to himself in the third person.
Along the way, he has made friends with Burger King, Hersheys, Nestle, Bloomberg Quint, Times of India, Goodknight, Vodafone etc. He has also channelized his love for movies into movie channels like Movies Now, Romedy Now, MNX & MN+, spearheading their creative mandates in the process.
In terms of accolades, he has bagged a few Kyoorius Elephants as well as Spikes Asia award. He also came very close to winning a Nobel Prize, but then the alarm rang!
When he is not being chased by deadlines, Shouvik likes to Netflix & Chai. Once a vociferous reader, he now only has casual flings with books on weekends. His love for world cinema often takes him down rabbit holes, as he enjoys reading up about movies almost as much as watching them.

Why are you into Advertising?
To tell stories. Every brief is an opportunity to do so. Whether it’s through a TVC, a billboard or even over Instagram stories. The mediums are constantly evolving but the crux of it all still remains the same. Tell timeless tales in the shortest time possible.
Also, there’s no other job that pays you to stare at a wall during working hours.

Did you attend school for fine art or design or Communications?
I did my Bachelor’s in Media Science from NSHM School of Media Communication in Calcutta. Ours was the second ever batch. So one might say we collectively took a leap of faith. And it paid off.
The fun part however, was going back to college later on as the copywriter leading the account for my agency. From brochures to ad campaigns, I did it all for my college.

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Vrinda Varnekar : In Conveersation With An Advertising Creative

Vrinda is a 20-something writer from Pune, who loves her hometown but secretly loves Mumbai more. She also loves dogs, windy days, K3G, and is allergic to lactose, lies, and misogyny.

Why are you into Advertising?
It’s funny, but when I was a child I often found myself thinking of alternate endings to TVCs, or making up print ads in my personal diary. I find advertising to be a very thrilling blend of creativity, understanding of culture and human psychology, and of course, the power it has to make or break a brand. I have been a journalist for 3 years, dabbled in travel writing and content writing, but I find advertising to be the craziest, most amazing ride I’ve been on. It’s been 5 years, and I only love it more and more by the day!

Did you attend school for fine art or design or Communications?
I studied in Ahmedabad for my post grad- I studied creative communications at MICA.

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