Having worked in the field for 23 years, Kainaz Karmakar, chief creative officer of Ogilvy India, has won 40 accolades for her out-of-the-box, brave and innovative approach to advertising
Right out of college in 1999, having graduated in psychology, Kainaz Karmakar was a stranger to advertising. “I stumbled upon advertising,” says the chief creative officer (CCO) of Ogilvy India. When plans to study abroad didn’t materialise, she was exploring options. “Back then, there were broadly two aspects to advertising, art direction and copywriting, and while I loved writing, I didn’t have the knowhow of the craft,” she adds. “It’s been 23 years since my first stint, and I’ve never wanted to do anything else.”
Karmakar today is an influential voice in advertising. She has been the driving force behind some of the most powerful and successful advertising campaigns in India. Known for her out-of-the-box, brave and innovative approach to a brand’s identity, Karmakar believes communication holds the power for positive change. “Effective communication through advertising can be a catalyst to change,” she says.
She is known for her work around social issues. Her campaign for Savlon Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks won Asia’s first Grand Prix for Creative Effectiveness at Cannes Lions and was featured as the ‘Iconic Work of the Decade’. The Beauty Tips by Reshma advertisement that campaigned for a ban on the open sale of acid won the first Glass Lion for Ogilvy India. She has won over 40 awards that include the prestigious Cannes Golds, One Show Gold, D&AD Awards, D&AD Impact Awards, Spikes, and AMES.
One of her recent successes is Bournvita’s forced pack campaign that talks about ethical parenting. She has won multiple accolades for her work on brands like ITC, Mondelēz, CEAT tyres and Brooke Bond Red Label, Unilever, Fiat, Bajaj, McDonald’s, Heinz and Cadbury, among others.
With a coffee mug in her hand and a constant smile on her face, Karmakar reminisces about her entry into advertising. She started her journey with FCB Ulka in 1999 from where she jumped ship to Leo Burnett in 2000. “That’s where I met Agnello Dias who has been my biggest teacher. He taught me the craft of advertising,” she says. In 2006, she moved to JWT where she met Harshad Rajadhyaksha and worked there until early 2010, when she shifted to Ogilvy with Rajadhyaksha. “Harshad and I were told that outsiders can’t make it big in Ogilvy. People said that to be successful and rise the ranks, one has to be born and bred in Ogilvy.” But this didn’t hold them back. “Harshad and I approached ideas with complete innocence and dedication, which worked in our favour,” she adds. Today, both Karmakar and Rajadhyaksha are the CCO of Ogilvy India.
(This story appears in the 16 December, 2022 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)