But, the prospect of high-profile creative chiefs taking charge of agencies doesn’t always excite advertisers. “It does not make the product more creative or less just because a creative chief is leading the agency. It is difficult for him to be personally involved in everything. It depends on who is working on the account,” says Abdul Khan, vice-president (marketing), Tata Teleservices Ltd.
KBS Anand, vice-president (marketing and sales), Asian Paints Ltd, who also played a part in the Cutting-Shutting Asian Paints campaign from O&M, says that “even before he (Pandey) became chairman, he was just as involved with our work because he was the NCD.”
Some clients, however, say that creative standards suffer when the creative chief become agency in-charge with much more on his plate. “Most of the creative directors who have sprung to the position of chairman (have) become less accessible to clients. With their star power and aura, they bring in new business but are least involved with the creative work once the business comes in,” says an advertiser, who doesn’t want to be named.
If anything, the rise of creative heads is the result of undue media attention, say ad veterans such as Kapur of WPP. “Thankfully, I belonged to a different age when management chiefs were given iconic status because they were seen as the turnaround men. Then came a time when the media started giving undue attention to creative directors. The management in global offices sits up and takes notice. Why not make him a leader?”
Management skills seem to hold less weight in such high-rung appointments, Kapur says: “Ad networks feel that by appointing a creative chief as chairman, they’re sending out a signal that the creative product is the highest priority. But the fact is that many creative directors do not have a head for numbers and don’t fare well in client relationships.”
Experience has shown that very few advertising start-ups founded by creative people have grown to mega stature, says Kapur, adding that Mohammed Khan’s start-up Enterprise was an exception, and that agencies which show vitality and growth such as JWT India or Rediffusion DY and R Pvt. Ltd are not run by creative heads.
“Josy Paul ran a small agency (David) that never grew in business. Again, he quit JWT after a mere eight months. What was the management expertise and growth that he brought to the party?” asks Kapur.
For all the doubts and potential negatives, however, the creative chief’s day in the sun seems secure.