Mudra, Ahmedabad, its origin and modern story

A.G. Krishnamurthy started his advertising journey in 70s. He worked with Shilpi Advertising as an account executive. In 1976, much like the trend then, he moved to the client side. Krishnamurthy joined Reliance Industries as its advertising manager, and was assigned to oversee the advertising mandate of their fabric brand Vimal. Four years later, he decided to set up his own creative shop, Mudra Communications, an agency under the Reliance Industries umbrella that in the beginning had a pipeline of work from its parent company. He soon branched out, working with local businesses in Gujarat to begin with before adding clients from across India. With a crew of 15 professionals cooped up in a 500 sq ft office in Ahmedabad, Krishnamurthy was giving agencies in Bombay, the reigning city of glitz for the industry, tough competition.

There has been much change in advertising, the agency and the people since. In 2011, Mudra was acquired by American media and marketing giant Omnicom Group, subsequently rebranded as DDB Mudra and merged with DDB Worldwide, owned by Omnicom. Krishnamurthy retired from Mudra in 2003 and became an independent consultant. He passed away in 2016 in Hyderabad. However, AGK’s legacy lives on, and the agency’s home base, Ahmedabad continues to fuel the spirit of young businesses even today.

The origin story

In the 1980s and 90s, Mudra was generating campaigns that created stickiness and caught the attention of brands and agencies outside Ahmedabad. The agency has created timeless taglines, iconic jingles, and ads that a generation of Indians have grown up watching or listening to — from I Love You Rasna, Dhara Dhara Shudh Dhara, The Mint with the Hole, God's Own Country, Zindagi Ke Saath Bhi Zindagi Ke Baad Bhi, Humko Binnies Banta, and one of the earliest, Only Vimal.

Aditya Kanthy, CEO of Omnicom Advertising Services India, says the agency was ahead of its time. It was the first agency outside Bombay to rope in photographers who specialised in shooting with celebrities for Vimal campaigns. They were also the first to integrate a big brand like Reliance into cricket marketing in 1987. That combative spirit was baked into the agency as it set up offices across the country. However, Mudra’s “spiritual home was and will always be Ahmedabad,” believes Kanthy.

Krishnamurthy always wanted that too. That’s one of the many reasons he decided to set up Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA) in 1991. It was the first residential academic institution in the Asia-Pacific region dedicated to meeting the needs of the marketing and communications industry. It started as an internal training programme but within a couple of years opened its doors for everyone. In fact, Kanthy too studied in MICA in the early 2000s.

Ogilvy’s Kunal Jeswani, Leo Burnett’s Raj Deepak Das, WondrLab India’s Saurabh Varma, Tata Starbucks’ Sushant Dash, Bandhan Bank’s Apurva Sirca, FCB Group’s Dheeraj Sinha, Talented’s PG Aditya and Binaifer Dulani are some of the notable MICA alumnae.

The modern story

Shekhar Pandey, vice president (strategic planning), DDB Mudra Group, is currently one of the most senior employees of the agency’s Ahmedabad office. Pandey and his team have been working with latter-day startups and new-age businesses born and incubated in the city. Pandey credits the success of the agency to the depth of engagement that’s engraved in them since its inception. “The way we do business with them, it matters. It’s a signal of their and our ambition combined,” he adds.

Kanthy agrees. He says, “The depth of client engagement in Ahmedabad is unique. They make sure that they spend a lot of time with their agency partners. That’s why relationships here don’t look transactional.”

For instance, Ishan Technologies, an information and communications firm founded in 2000, wanted to work with a communications and ad agency that was established and could understand their business. Pinkesh Kotecha, chief marketing director, Ishan Technologies, says working with a locally-based national ad agency offers several advantages. “Their local presence helps us with better customer service, good turnaround time. Additionally, being a national agency, they have the resources, reach and expertise to execute large-scale campaigns across multiple locations, ensuring consistent brand messaging and maximizing market penetration,” he explains. A local agency with a countrywide presence brings a powerful combination of local insights, nationwide capabilities and a proven track record, making it a valuable partner for businesses aiming to effectively connect with their target market, adds Kotecha.

Simpolo Group, a manufacturer of premium tiles, also works closely with DDB Mudra’s Ahmedabad office. In fact, it’s the first time the brand has teamed up with an agency. “Operational advantage, speed of work, understanding of working style and most importantly, a great understanding of working with entrepreneurs made us work with DDB Mudra,” says Bharat Aghara, director and chief marketing officer, Simpolo Group.

Ahmedabad has created brands that have become category leaders. It’s a trend that has been going on for decades. Today it has become one of the main business centres in India and has a very good startup ecosystem as well. That’s why brands like Simpolo Group, Ishan Technologies, and other believe in the legacy that Krishnamurthy, Mudra and the city have built.