Welcome Session: Jagdish Ramakrishnan

Tomorrow O&M Jakarta will have a special guest. Some famous advertising person are perceived as rock stars. Not based on the look (although I have to admit some great Creative Directors manage to look good), but based on their works and award achievements. Yes, creative ranking, too.

This will not be the first time this office invite a guest speaker for an inspiring session. The last speaker was John Merrifield and I really really enjoyed his session. I hope tomorrow we’ll get another inspiring one.

So I google the name, and the result is amazing. Not merely because he has tamed many prestigious international awards like Lion Cannes, D&AD, Clio, OneShow, and many more, but also because I found out that he cares about animal’s and nature’s welfare. I really can’t wait to meet him!

With roots in Chennai, Jagdish Ramakrishnan, or ‘Juggi’, worked forseveral agencies in India before moving to Singapore in 1995, where he has gone on to become one of Singapore’s most lauded and consistent creative talents. He has defended his reputation with wins at Cannes, the Clios, D&AD, and One Show for both Aware and Greenpeace. Runner-up as Creative of the Year at Media’s Agency of the Year Awards last December, losing out to two ECDs, Ramakrishnan heads an award-winning team that includes fellow Top-10 Saatchis Singapore creative, Richard Copping. Citing animal rights, wine, and travel among his many interests, outside of the advertising community Ramakrishnan volunteers with Acres, an animal welfare group, and also acts as a guide for the Nature Society.

In Aug 2007 Juggi left Saatchi to join BBDO as ECD in October and the agency has already moved to form a new creative leadership team comprising of Andrew Petch, Richard Copping and John Kyriakou.

Ramakrishnan, who replaces Farrokh Madon who left for McCann Erickson, will work together with BBDO Singapore CCO and chairman, Danny Searle. BBDO MD, Jean-Paul Burge said “as we move from a being a strong local agency to a centre of excellence in the region, one of my key pre-occupations is to ensure that we have an unfair share of the best talent. With Juggi we have this, he is a great addition at a time when the business is growing and BBDO Singapore is developing Total Work ideas that are both effective and creative”.

Source : Brand Republic News and Media and Marketing Interactive

These are some of his well known works;

Thai SPCA – Cannes 2007 Lions Winner

Penguin – Cannes 2007 Outdoor Winner

Republic of Singapore NAVY: Stop Dreaming

D&AD 2006 winner yellow pencil – Writing For Advertising category