“We started YUWEUS almost a year and a half ago as a new-age brand communication ideas agency. Why new-age? Well, we approach work with a modern-world ideology – we believe in the power of collaboration and we focus on sharp, efficacious solutions.“

“We have tried to step beyond the regular and craft solutions that are creatively innovative and razor-sharp. So, when Rotary International briefed us on spreading Thalassemia awareness, we achieved it through a 5500 km India Long Drive. When East India Pharma wanted to connect with people during the festive season, we created a film series of 6 quirky #NonstopPetPuja Tales that was viewed by 2.25 lakh people online. And when a Durga Puja committee in Kolkata desired to garner higher eyeballs than its most popular neighbour, we brought in pundits from Banaras to perform live Ganga Aarti and create the ultimate show-stopper for every pandal-hopper.“

What made you start YUWEUS?
A) We were tired of the regular.
B) We saw the potential of converting businesses into brands.
C) We sensed the need of new-age brand communication models. It might come to you as a surprise but Kolkata, where we are, is a thriving hub of entrepreneurship. There is an A-list of homegrown companies doing great business, but unfortunately that’s where they have stagnated. They have never considered taking the brand building approach. With us having connections in various business houses and with over 2 decades on individual experience in brand communication, we have set a vision to apply new-age models, including tech integration, to sprout brands out of businesses.

Tell us about your team. How did you all come together?
What YUWEUS has put together today is a group of seasoned advertising, marketing and brand development experts, working in concord to deliver disruptively disproportionate results. The team is led by the co-founders of the agency – Sanjeev Dassani and Aanton Mookherjee. Although being from the same school, Sanjeev and Aanton first met during their stint at RK Swamy BBDO, where this copy-art duo won a number of awards together. While Sanjeev went on to lead the agency’s creative team in Eastern India for over a decade and grew as a strong national resource for RKS BBDO, Aanton moved on to the ABP Group’s strategic business development team ABP ONE and later to a digital startup by the group. We know him more as the guy who conceptualized the award-winning Cadbury Mishti campaign and the co-founder of the world’s largest quizzing festival – Kolkata Quiz Festival (now Kolkata International Quiz Festival), as well as the recently launched ProQuizzin League, the first ever quiz sports league in the world. Others believed in Sanjeev and Aanton’s vision and it’s the reason why we have one of the most proficient brand communication forces in the city.

What does YUWEUS do which sets it apart?
The name reads YU-WE-US (you-we-us) and ‘coherence’ is the philosophy behind the way we approach our work. We don’t work for our clients, we work with them. We strongly believe – no one knows a business better than the one who lives with it. So, we interact with our clients, imbibe their understanding of the market and blend it with our expertise, to provide realistic solutions and create great communication ideas that work.

How would you define the work culture at YUWEUS?
Deadlines instead of working hours. Co-authority instead of authoritarianism. Excellence instead of options. Solutions instead of designs. Effectivity instead of 360.

Do you function like a traditional advertising agency? Or would you call yourself more of a branding agency?
We would call ourselves an ideas impact agency. The time of being traditional is over. Consumers are flirting with new mediums and methods. Being interactive is the call of the day for brands. Grabbing eyeballs isn’t enough, impact is the key. Our aim is to provide brands with smart ideas that not only surprise the consumers, but also create the required stickiness.

What do you feel about the state of brand building in India?
Most of the brands are still relying on visibility. Traditional mediums are still the premium ones. The power of technology is yet to be unearthed. The competition is not just from other brands, but also from the vast tsunami of content that is hitting the consumers every day. Simply put: a brand will grow if it is there where the consumer is ready to see it, and that too without forcing itself onto him or her. Period.

Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up? Who was the most influential personality on your career in Brand Building?
Sanjeev: It was not idolizing, but admiration – Piyush Pandey and Prasoon Joshi for their rare ability to bring simplicity into creativity. But what influenced me more was great work, instead of great names. No better way to learn brand building, than observing the journey of successful brands.
Aanton: Satyajit Ray. He understood people like no other, and created stuffs that have been relevant for decades.

Any other Indian ad agencies you admire?
Ogilvy. For their sheer consistency of fresh ideas. And some of the newer hotshots like Taproot, BBDO India and CreativeLand Asia. For their courage to swim against the tide.

What advice do you have for aspiring creative professionals? Would you advise them to take on graphic design as a career option? Or Advertising and brand building?
The world needs great ideas. Whatever be one’s skill – art direction, graphic designing, copy writing or strategic thinking, the need is to employ it into creating impactful ideas that solve business needs of the clients. A good-working communication is always better than a good-looking one.

Who would your team like to take out for dinner?
Big clients. With loads of moolah. And with hunger for quality.

What’s on the company iPod?
We believe in individual choices. And iPods are so out-of-date.

Mac or PC?
PC. It’s all about comfort.

What’s your Twitter Handle? Instagram?
Twitter & Facebook: @yuweusindia
Linkedin & Instagram: @yuweus