YOU CAN call him the 'Big B' of advertising world. Mainly, because he has attained the same stature. And then, like Amitabh, he too belongs to your very own Allahabad.
Meet tall, fair and very handsome Mahesh Chauhan —ranked among the top advertising brains of India.
Not yet 40 (37 to be exact), Mahesh is the president Rediffusion DY&R, India's top advertising company.
And though entry into the field was by a fluke, the growth was 'definitely' talent for the guy who gave you the famous 'definitely male' one-liner to Bajaj Pulsar bike.
"It was simply a providential interaction with some advertising people that defined the career I would embark upon," recalls Mahesh, who was sure about not pursuing engineering after the years at IIT Mumbai.
"Those were the fabulous years for my all-round development as I did everything other than study. Years full of interactions, doing a bit of theatre, youth festivals, organizing events, the works. Not to forget hours of carrom, football and badminton. I did everything other than academics, which was always a necessary evil.
The romance with advertising began when he joined Ogilvy India. "I began my career in 1992 as a trainee earning Rs 3000 a month. Insufficient for survival in Mumbai city," he recalls.
{{/usCountry}}The romance with advertising began when he joined Ogilvy India. "I began my career in 1992 as a trainee earning Rs 3000 a month. Insufficient for survival in Mumbai city," he recalls.
{{/usCountry}}But the survivor in me never let go. I have never learnt to lose after the IIT saga, in fact I hate it now. So onwards I went, at times doing freelance work to earn the extra buck to take care of my lifestyle.
Believer of creating environments that are bereft of hierarchy but infused with high-octane energy, passion, fun and yet driven towards shared and well defined goals, Mahesh is today a 15-year-old veteran of advertising field.
Having worked across geographies and categories (both MNCs and Indian Companies), his initial campaign was of Cadbury's and Shell.
Later, he went on to work on Colgate Palmolive, Taj Group of Hotels, Tata Motors business, Bajaj Pulsar, Castrol, BP and Amaron Batteries. In addition to this, he also handled VIP (undergarments), Grasim and The Economic Times.
At Ogilvy, Mahesh scaled greater heights, increasing his own portfolio and responsibilities.
It is here that he discovered his talent as a new business leader. Some of the key accounts that were won by Mahesh and his team were Tata Corporate, Amaron Batteries, Bajaj, Grasim, VIP, Playwin Lottery, Pfizer and ITC.
In 2002, in recognition of his efforts, the agency expanded his role as Regional Business Director (Africa, Middle East and South Asia) to manage the Castrol and BP businesses.
However, his unmitigated dislike for comfort zones and his own desire to challenge his self-concept, made Mahesh return to Rediffusion DY&R as Vice President of the agency's South operations.
As they say, good talent never goes unnoticed and in 2004, Mahesh was relocated to Mumbai to head Rediffusion DY&R's alternate agency, Everest Integrated Communications, as its President.
Under his leadership, the agency not only found itself a new identity – Everest Brand Solutions, but a belief that cutting-edge work can be created across categories, products and services.
Happily settled with a lovely wife, Deepa and two fabulous daughters, Mahesh prefers to call himself a student of corporate world. "I am not a giant as I have miles to go in my career," he declares.