The Guthli Ad Fest 2024, conceptualized by Dr. Prateesh Nair, Founder and CEO of Miles SOBA & Agency M, blended academic rigor with hands-on industry insights at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.
A Celebration of Legacy and Talent
Themed “Celebrating Pops and Pandey,” the festival honored Padma Shri Piyush Pandey and KV Sridhar while empowering young creatives through the innovative Ed-Work Pedagogy.
Day 1: Academic and Creative Insights
The Miles Conclave united over 100 universities and industry leaders. Speakers like Shirsha Guha Thakurta, Rajeev Lakshman, Shantesh Row and Bharat Dabholkar inspired attendees with talks on women’s leadership, industry-aligned education, and impactful campaigns. Dr. Prateesh Nair highlighted Miles SOBA’s transformative pedagogy, and Varun Jain emphasized preparing students for real-world success.
Day 2: Wisdom from Advertising Giants
Fireside chats stole the show. Piyush Pandey and Prasoon Pandey discussed the evolution of advertising with Devaiah Bopanna. KV Sridhar and Santosh Padhi explored impactful storytelling with Kainaz Karmakar. Josy Paul’s session, “Creativity in the Classroom,” urged students to push creative boundaries.
Masterclasses brought diverse insights. Cyrus Broacha shared advertising anecdotes, Tanya Nambiar highlighted branding through voice, and Studio Blo’s Dipankar Mukherjee, Rishabh Suri, and Joel James demonstrated AI’s role in creativity.
A panel featuring Sneha Iype, Mandar Natekar,Shantesh Row, OR Radhakrishnan, Kashif Memon, and Partho Sengupta addressed the critical need for academia to meet evolving industry demands, offering a roadmap for students.
Day 3: Celebrating Achievements and Vision
The festival concluded with awards for excellence in categories like Times of India’s Print, Lahori Zeera’s Ad Film, Nargis Dutt Foundation’s Public Service Film, Toy Bank’s Logo Design, Rapido’s Radio, Audible’s Social Media category, and Fab India’s Best Use of AI. Piyush Pandey and KV Sridhar inspired winners, advising them to remain grounded and fearless. The Pops and Pandey Scholarship, in collaboration with the Nargis Dutt Foundation, was awarded to six students, cementing the festival’s commitment to nurturing talent.
Cultural competitions, including street plays and rap battles, brought vibrant energy to the closing day.
Miles SOBA: Leading the Future of Education
With programs in Branding & Advertising, Digital Business, and Entrepreneurship, Miles SOBA’s Ed-Work Pedagogy equips students with work-ready skills.
As Dr. Prateesh Nair stated, “The Guthli Ad Fest has sown seeds of transformation. We’re excited to see where these young creatives will lead the industry.”
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