Creativity is a much-abused term

23 September 2008

Within 10 days of quitting as regional creative director of Grey Worldwide, Raj Kurup at 31 floated his own ad shop CreativeLand Asia last June. Interviewed by Aruna Rathod

Adman Raj Kurup's window looks out to the white flowers  a bougainvillea tree. His office at Andheri, Mumbai, is very informal and doesn't have any walls dividing the juniors from the seniors - a culture he actively promotes in his office. Within 10 days of quitting as regional creative director of Grey Worldwide, Raj Kurup at 31 floated his own dream CreativeLand Asia a year ago in June.

Along with Vikram Gaikwad, his art partner from Grey and finance professional Ajay Nair, who was CFO at Leo Burnett India, Kurup set up CreativeLand.

Now as chairman and chief creative officer, the agency handles brands such as Frooti, Appy Fizz, Bailley,  Mintrox, ButterCup, Café Coffee Day, Reliance Bigadda.com, Guinness Beer, Baileys Irish Cream, Nilaya Wine and others.

From advertising and brand management, Creativeland Asia has already made forays into design, film production, motion picture, brand incubation and licensing, music and digital media.

In an advertising career that spans nearly a decade and a half, Raj Kurup has worked in six countries in Asia and Europe and has to his credit over 280 awards including the Asia Pacific Adfest, Cannes, Abby, Goafest, Creativity Annual Ohio, London International Awards and New York Festival among others.

He is also a speaker at the Profile Intermedia Hocshule Fur Kuntz in Bremen, Germany and is on the panel of quite a few award juries, most recent being the London Advertising Awards.