Igniting Creativity: Day 2 Highlights from Goafest 2025

The second half of Day 2 proceeded with a session titled ‘WTF is Creative Leadership Now?’ under the theme ‘IGNITE THE NEW’, powered by SUN NEO and Amar Ujala. This discussion brought together names in the creative industry including Bobby Pawar, Poet, storyteller, consultant, and man of leisure; Sonal Dabral, Creative Consultant, Film Director & Founder, Tribha; Senthil Kumar, Chief Creative Officer, VML India; and Lulu Raghavan, President, APAC Landor. The session was moderated by Rohit Ohri, Founder, OHRIGINAL.

Bobby Pawar set the tone, declaring the CCO as the ‘right brain of the agency’ and the ‘instigator-in-chief.’ “If you’re not in an agency where the CCO is central, you’re in the wrong one,” he quipped, emphasizing that without creativity at the core, everything else collapses. Lulu Raghavan painted the CCO as more than a creative lead — a unifier of brand vision, a business growth partner, and a Chief Culture Officer. She stressed the importance of nurturing talent, offering clarity to clients, and embracing AI while staying rooted in intuition and insight. “CCOs must evolve and inspire while remaining grounded,” she said.

Senthil Kumar championed the role of the CCO as a ‘playing captain,’ leading by example and fostering ideas. For him, the core idea remains the ‘center of the universe’ — execution and innovation must orbit around it. “Creative leadership is about spotting, curating, and elevating team brilliance,” he said. Sonal Dabral asserted that agencies lost their edge by chasing tech, transformation, and revenue. He called for the reinstatement of the CCO as the agency’s spine, advocating for courage, conviction, and independence. “Creative leadership must be the role in any agency,” he declared. Bringing it all together, Rohit Ohri redefined creative leadership as less about volume and more about vision. “The CCO today is not the voice in the room but the one building spaces where creativity thrives,” he concluded.

Thereafter, Karan Bedi, Director & Head, Amazon MX Player, in his keynote said, streaming video ads are outperforming other formats in driving recall and building associations. With increasing engagement, digital video ad spending is on a rise and is expected to match TV advertising spends by 2026, he said.

Positioning Amazon MX Player as a player in this shift, Bedi revealed that the platform has over 1.4 billion downloads and 250 million users. Its content spans drama, romance, TV, and shows dubbed in Indian languages, now available across Amazon surfaces — from Prime Video to the shopping app. “Streaming video ads are outperforming other formats in driving recall, building associations, and boosting recognition,” Bedi asserted, adding that digital video advertising is set to overtake TV in India within a year. At Amazon MX Player, the approach rests on three pillars: reach, content, and ad solutions.

In the end, he said that Amazon has evolved its offering to provide advertisers a solution that enables connection with audiences at every stage of the customer journey. Amazon MX Player offers brands opportunities to drive reach across consumers through brand integrations, ad formats and create awareness.

Following that a seminar was presented at Gyaan Podium by IOAA titled ‘IGNITE THE ATTENTION – The Last Unskippable Medium’. The session brought together Shekhar Narayanaswami, CEO of Times Innovative Media Ltd. (Times OOH); Ajay Kakar, Head, Corporate Branding, Adani Group; Sandeep Bomireddi, Managing Director, Adonmo; and Promita Saha, Vice President, Karukrit Advertising Pvt. Ltd. The session was moderated by Praveen K Vadhera, CEO, Indian Outdoor Advertising Association (IOAA).

Industry leaders championed the role of Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising as a medium in today’s economy. Ajay Kakar emphasized that OOH grabs attention with distractions, outperforming screen-based formats. He urged the industry to stop siloing media into ‘digital’ and ‘non-digital’ — what matters is a strategy. “OOH needs thinking — not print adaptations”, he said, adding that agencies must lead clients, not just follow briefs. Shekhar Narayanaswami positioned OOH as a break from fatigue. “You can’t swipe past a billboard,” he noted. He advocated for storytelling — integrating formats with media to boost recall. Sandeep Bommireddi redefined digital as a transformation, not a channel. “Every medium, including OOH, can digitalize — integration is key”, he said. Dipankar Sanyal added that decisions are obsolete. Today’s OOH thrives on data, impressions, and metrics, bringing precision to the medium. Promita Saha highlighted the importance of context and culture. “OOH must match mindset and environment — think melas, not metros alone,” she said, pushing for custom, location-sensitive storytelling. The panel collectively echoed: OOH is no longer static — it’s strategic, data-backed, and experiential — the medium in a world of scrolls and skips.

Next in line was a conversation presented by Network18 under the theme ‘IGNITE CONVERSATIONS’ titled ‘WHY SO SERIOUS? The Making of Gautam Gambhir’. This fireside featured Gautam Gambhir, Cricket Legend & Team India Coach and was moderated by Anand Narasimhan, Sr Anchor & Managing Editor Spl Projects CNN News 18.

Dismissing the obsession with statistics, Gambhir declared, “10,000 runs don’t matter — it’s moments that define you,” referencing his 97 in the 2011 World Cup Final. He emphasized that recognition comes from the man. “You play for people who watch the game with heart,” he said. Gambhir urged athletes and leaders to embrace failure and back decisions with conviction. “It’s okay to make mistakes,” he said, reflecting on the mindset that powered him through matches like the World Cup and Champions Trophy. In a note that underscored his philosophy, he summed it up: “Cricket is a part of my life, not my life.”

The following session was part of ‘IGNITE THE NEXT’, presented by Amazon MX Player, and was titled ‘Rewriting rules of Storytelling’. This conversation featured sessions with Suniel Shetty, Entrepreneur, Actor, Investor & Mentor, Sportsman at Heart and Deepak Dhar, Founder & Group CEO at both Banijay Asia and Endemol Shine India. The session was moderated by Aruna Daryanani, Director, Amazon MX Player.

In a conversation with Aruna, Suniel Shetty reflected on discipline, storytelling, and the evolution of Indian action content. He credited consistency and wellness — including nutrition and health — for his fitness later in life. “Fitness isn’t just muscles; it’s health,” he said, urging audiences to move past nutrition myths.

Discussing Hunter Season 2, Shetty highlighted its depth. “It’s not just action — it’s about a journey to rebuild bonds,” he said, emphasizing the show’s music, production, and message of unity and respect for forces. He wrapped up with a message of gratitude, noting that “effort earns loyalty.”

Further, in a conversation with Aruna, Deepak Dhar, emphasized the pursuit of storytelling formats. He highlighted the need to scale narratives into entertainment with the right blend of story, format, and face. “Adaptation is key,” Dhar said, citing the importance of localizing ideas for Indian audiences.

Speaking about Rise and Fall, he described it as an experiment examining power and hustle, set in a house split into a basement and penthouse. The show features a cast — from celebrities to activists — and blends branding into the environment. Dhar credited simplicity, structure, and teams for hits like Campus Beats and The Night Manager, underlining, “Content is built on process and passion.”

Adding a touch to the day’s agenda was a Wine & Cheese gathering hosted by Amazon MX Player. The crowd was buzzing as Advertising Rocks presented by Muzartdisco kicked off, setting the stage for a battle of creativity and talent. Advertising Rocks is a competition that shines a spotlight on the talents within the advertising, media, and marketing community. It offers professionals from the industry a platform to step out of the boardroom and onto the stage. As the clouds took over the skies of Goa, delegates gathered for a Sundowner which was powered by Truecaller & BIG LIVE.

Alongside the sessions, Goafest Day 2 also hosted a series of masterclasses, offering attendees dives into trends and strategies shaping the industry. Shahad Anand, in a session powered by MediaKart, explored advertising in ‘Next-Gen Ads: Where Context Meets 3D creatives.’ Sana Shaikh, in a Flipkart-sponsored session, presented ‘Stay Ahead: Decode Flipkart Ads’ Innovations & Product Launches,’ offering a look into the platform’s ad solutions. Nick Eagleton, supported by D&AD, shared principles in ‘Storytelling: The Fundamentals.’ while Senthil Kumar, in a session sponsored by VML, delivered ‘Split Second Storytelling,’ focusing on crafting narratives in time.

The festival also featured experiences at Bioscope – The Cinema where attendees were treated to screenings curated by Amazon MX Player, YouTube Shorts, SET India, and SONY SAB.

The stage was set for ABBY Awards 2025 Powered by One Show. SET India and Sony SAB in association with Snapchat presented the Broadcaster, Public Relations, Design, Direct, Technology awards whereas ShareChat and Moj presented the awards in the Digital & Digital Craft, Mobile categories.

The dinner was presented by Times Network and the Afterhours Party with DJ Melroy was presented by Amazon MX Player.

Read also: Goafest 2025: Day 1 sets the stage to ignite minds and celebrate creativity

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