Monday, May 9th, 2005
Confessions of an advertising man
Back in the ’80s, South Bombay was advertising heaven and God occupied the corner office on the 15th floor of Express Towers at Nariman Point. But even God (Alyque to friends) couldn’t make Lintas India’s number one agency. That honor belonged to HTA, whose offices were located at PM Road, Fort. Size, however, was no measure of creativity. The country’s creative powerhouse was a small agency called Trikaya Grey, aptly located on the tree lined Rampart Row. Flanking it, like bookends, were an art gallery and a music store on one side and the Bombay Natural History Society and Lion’s Gate on the other.
But nothing, as Axl Rose said, lasts forever. South Bombay is now South Mumbai, Lintas is now Lowe, HTA (still number one) is now JWT, Trikaya Grey is now Grey Worldwide and the country’s creative superpower is now O&M. All of these agencies (except Lintas) have shifted from South Mumbai to the former cotton mill precincts of Parel and Lower Parel.