KV ‘Pops’ Sridhar is the National Creative Director at Leo Burnett India

“I come from a sports\ theater family, while my father was a sports person and my maternal grand father was a film\ theater actor. Ours is a bindas Andhra Brahmin family.”

Why are you into Advertising?
I am a science graduate from Osmania and a fine art graduate from Gulbarga. Some how I felt advertising is a science of art, therefore I thought I could find my place

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Did you attend school for fine art or design or Communications?
My academical training was in Fine art; therefore I had to learn commercial art on the job. My first job in advertising was a cut\paste finishing artist, where I had to bribe my seniors with beer to learn commercial art.

With your busy schedule as an NCD, do you have enough time left to indulge in Creative?
You can never take “C ” out of NCD’s job. In Advertising creativity does not just mean twist in the story or writing an award winning commercial, finding an unorthodox solution is creative, simplifying a complex problem is creative, digging a potent insight is creative, just about anything which enhances the business or enriches the consumers is creative.

Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?
Before advertising Mahatma Gandhi and Hermann Hesse and later Bill Bernbach and Leo Burnett.

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

Where do you get your inspiration from?
Life. Family and from younger colleagues.

Tell us something about the work environment at Leo Burnett… 
We are a HumanKind agency and believe that only creativity has the power to change the human behavior. Human values and creativity are valued and nurtured.

Do you have any kind of a program to nurture and train young talent?
Induction into our HumanKind philosophy, training in human insights and creativity. Run every live project as a workshop.

What about new and young film makers/photographers? Do you consciously keep looking for newer talent and try someone completely new?
Yes. All the time. We belive younger and fresher minds are better than old and tired ones. Our ECD’s constantly keep an eye on assistant Directors and photographers.

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?

Good thematic print is almost dead in our country unfortunately. The truth is Scams are keeping the art alive. Its sad while spends on print as a medium is growing the quality  of advertising is declining.

Do you think brands who’s advertising wins awards, do well in the market?
Absolutely will do well in market because the parameters to judge good advertising and award winners are the same.

What advice do you have for aspiring creative professionals?
If enjoy life your chances of enjoying advertising are greater.

What is your dream project?
To takeover DAVP and create communication for Government of India.

Some of the spectacular work at Leo Burnett under  ‘Pops’ as NCD:

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