The Guthli Ad Fest 2024, envisioned by Dr. Prateesh Nair, Founder and CEO of Miles SOBA & Agency M, proved to be a transformative event in advertising education. Hosted at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, the festival brought Miles SOBA’s revolutionary Ed-Work Pedagogy to life, merging academic excellence with hands-on industry experience.
A Tribute to Creativity and Legends
With the theme “Celebrating Pops and Pandey,” the festival honored Padma Shri Piyush Pandey and KV Sridhar, providing students an unparalleled opportunity to connect with these icons and dive into the art of impactful storytelling.
Day 1: Pioneering Academic-Industry Synergy
The event kicked off with the Miles Conclave, where thought leaders like Shirsha Guha Thakurta advocated for gender equity in creative industries, Rajeev Lakshman emphasized aligning education with industry trends, and Shantesh Row and Bharat Dabholkar explored the nuances of advertising campaigns. Dr. Prateesh Nair and Mr.Varun Jain highlighted Miles SOBA’s Ed-Work Pedagogy as a game-changer, blending theoretical learning with real-world applications.
Day 2: Fireside Chats and Creative Masterclasses
The second day was filled with inspiring sessions. Fireside chats featured Piyush Pandey and Prasoon Pandey (moderated by Devaiah Bopanna), delving into the evolution of advertising, while KV Sridhar and Santosh Padhi (moderated by Kainaz Karmakar) explored the craft of storytelling in impactful campaigns. Josy Paul’s session, Creativity in the Classroom, inspired students to redefine the norms of advertising.
Interactive masterclasses included:
Cyrus Broacha, sharing storytelling insights infused with humor.
Tanya Nambiar, unraveling the emotional power of voice in branding.
Studio Blo Workshop, led by Dipankar Mukherjee, Rishabh Suri, and Joel James, showcasing AI’s role in reshaping advertising.
A panel featuring Sneha Iype, Shantesh Row, Mandar Natekar, OR Radhakrishnan, Kashif Memon, and Partho Sengupta provided students with actionable insights on bridging academia and the evolving demands of the advertising industry.
Day 3: Celebrating Excellence and Talent
The festival culminated in an exciting awards ceremony celebrating outstanding creativity across 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. Winners were awarded by Piyush Pandey and KV Sridhar, whose words inspired young creatives to take risks and embrace innovation.
The prestigious Pops and Pandey Scholarship, in collaboration with the Nargis Dutt Foundation, was awarded to six exceptional students, fostering the next generation of advertising leaders.
A cultural extravaganza including street plays, rap battles, and stand-up comedy highlighted Mumbai’s vibrant collegiate talent.
Miles SOBA: Redefining Education
Through its Ed-Work Pedagogy, Miles SOBA equips students with three years of professional experience alongside academic programs, enabling them to lead and innovate in the business & advertising world.
As Dr. Prateesh Nair concluded, “Guthli Ad Fest has planted the seeds of creativity and leadership, and we’re eager to see how far these young talents will soar.”
#GuthliAdFest2024 #MilesSOBA #FutureOfCreativity #EducationMeetsInnovation
Metformin wonder drug Some health trends come and go. This one didn’t. The idea of…
1981 Toyota Hilux You’d think trucks would only get better with time. More power, more…
Mens swim trunks Let’s be honest. Most men don’t think too hard about swimwear. You…
Eco-friendly home Most people don’t think about this. But your home affects how you sleep,…
mental health trends You can feel it if you spend even a few minutes online…
workplace burnout Success in 2026 will appear different from how it did a few years…