Exclusive: Rajdeepak Das on Leo Burnett India’s hattrick at Abby Agency of the Year

New Delhi: After a hiatus of seven years, Leo Burnett returned to participating in the Abby Awards in 2022. Since then it has been on a spree of bagging the ‘The Agency of the Year’ title. 

On winning the ‘Agency of the Year’ title once again at Abbys 2024, Rajdeepak Das, CCO Publicis Groupe South Asia and Chairman Leo Burnett South Asia, said, “People say the first year is a fluke, the second year is a coincidence, again for the third in a row, F*** it up!”.

Leo Burnett India has been making waves in the global advertising scene, recently clinching several prestigious awards, setting the stage for the upcoming Cannes Lions 2024. 

When questioned by BestMediaInfo.com about the agency's recent winning streak, Das expressed a cautious outlook. He emphasised that winning is not merely a habit but a result of relentless hard work in business development, creative ideation, campaign execution, client servicing and then awards. 

The agency’s notable victory spans brands such as Spotify, Whisper, Oreo, Ikea, Flipkart, and Pepsi, which the agency onboarded as its client two years ago. “Pepsi is now the most awarded brand in the country. We made Spotify from ground zero.”

He went on to share with BestMediaInfo.com that clients get equally thrilled about winning awards. “While awards are not everything, they are a by-product of recognition for the substantial work done in the category.” 

The Abby Awards, along with Effies, are local awards in which Leo Burnett India participates. The agency returned to participating in Abbys when it partnered with the One Show, enhancing the award's credibility with KPMG as the auditor. 

It is said that the kind of work that wins at Abbys has a high chance of performing well at Cannes Lions as well. However, Das insisted that it’s very difficult to predict anything when it comes to the Cannes Lions. 

Giving an example, he explained, “Sometimes, a student might be performing well in her or his school but doesn’t earn that much when he or she sits for board exams. Similarly, one can’t predict the jury's mood at Cannes.”

Having said that, good work always wins everywhere, as stated by Das. “Even the school’s best student ends up ranking in the top 10 in board exams,” he said. 

Recently, Leo Burnett India promoted Vikram Pandey (Spiky) and Sachin Kamble to Chief Creative Officers for South Asia, reflecting the agency’s commitment to nurturing internal talent. Das believes in promoting from within to maintain a strong, intuitive working relationship. Pandey has been associated with Leo Burnett for over 16 years and Kamble for 10 years. 

Das emphasised encouraging and promoting talent from within the agency rather than getting people from outside. “One only gets people from outside when they don’t find that in-house. With them, I don’t have to have a conversation. We can just look at each other and figure out what’s on our minds. In fact, the Gatorade and Lay’s Smart Farm teams were born and brought up in Leo Burnett. They are true-blooded Burnetters.”

Even when it comes to his decade-long association with Leo Burnett, Das believes that there is so much more left to build, achieve, and create at Leo Burnett that he never gave a thought to moving anywhere else. 

Setting the bar high hasn’t come easy for Das and his team at Leo Burnett. “Every day I get anxious about producing great work for clients. I believe in dreaming so big that it makes you stop having sleep. People like us are helping India transform into a creative superpower.” 

Reflecting on the increasing pressure faced by creative agencies in India, Das acknowledges the evolving nature of creativity, mediums, and consumer engagement. 

He draws inspiration from industry stalwarts like Piyush Pandey and Mohammed Khan, understanding that staying relevant requires adapting to these changes. While recognising the stress associated with the industry's demands, Das emphasises the core purpose of creative agencies: solving client problems. He believes that by focusing on this objective, the journey becomes more enjoyable and fulfilling.

Leo Burnett India’s core philosophy is to impact the lives of one billion people in good ways. To do so, the key is empathy, whether it’s through storytelling, a solution, an app, or even a platform, concluded Das.