‘SHINE ON YOU
CRAZY DIAMOND’
Here’s Josy Paul’s spontaneous take on the exit of
Ajai Jhala from the agency that the two of them
built from scratchQ] Josy, how difficult will it be to ‘Create Acts, not Ads’ without Ajai?
Our belief in ‘Acts, not Ads’ is gathering momentum naturally. It doesn’t
need Ajai or me anymore. It has taken a life of its own. Ten years ago, when
we started out, we founded BBDO India on the belief that India needs more
acts, not ads. It is the Indian avatar of BBDO Worldwide’s powerful mantra
‘The Work, The Work, The Work’. ‘Acts, not Ads’ is working for brands,
industry and society. It’s adding greater meaning to brand commitment.Q] We always thought of Josy Paul and Ajai Jhala as the yin and yang of
the agency. What happens when yin is separated from yang?
Where there’s a yin there’s a yang. They are never fully separated.
Sometimes they take a sabbatical or a short holiday. It’s a bit like water.
When rivers separate, they eventually meet at the sea.Q] You chose to have a CEO partner instead of a CEO who reported into
the Chairman, and you have had a great relationship. Do you hope to find
another CEO partner or just another CEO?
When Ajai and I first met, it was in a dream. We didn’t start with the
CEO or Chairman thing. We were keen to do something new. It was about
discovery. The wonderful thing about discovery is that it does not care about
designation. Discovery does not know if you are the CEO or the Chairman.Q] What’s a song that you would like to play for Ajai?
I’d play this song for Ajai... ‘Shine on you Crazy Diamond’ by Pink Floyd
from their album ‘Wish you were here’.FEATURE^31July 22> 2018 [ impactonnet.com ]hours. The leadership meetings in the
mountains of North India and Matheran
in Maharashtra. The creative collaborative
sessions where everyone rolls up their
sleeves and brainstorms to solve a problem.
Drinking rum with Josy.Q] Is BBDO going to occupy
mindspace even after you leave?
Yes, of course, because of its people,
values and work, but above all for the spirit
of partnership and co-creation instilled
into the organization by Josy. But it is a not
a one-way street. I have left a bottle of my
marmite and the promise of more mangoes
from Jai Farm next summer as a way of
them remembering me!Q] The invite for your farewell party,
‘the most disobedient party of the
decade’ that Josy sent, says ‘Ajai
Jhala - the ashram man, with his
jungle logic who built this agency on
social disobedience...’ Ajai can you
talk of this jungle logic that has stood
you in good stead?
The jungle has taught me to appreciate
at a visceral level the concept of flight or
fight. Over time, I have improved my ability
to control my flight response. This has
taught me not to panic at the first sign of a
crisis or the first sight of a lion. As for jungle
logic, every January I would tell Josy if I
had spotted a lion or lioness at my father’s
plantation near the Gir Forest and as surelyas day follows night, we would win a Lion at
Cannes in June. Coincidence, correlation or
causality!!! Go figure.Q] Talking to us last year, you said
that you always look to attain a
peak state of flow, where ability and
challenge are equally matched... how
is that going to play out in the months
ahead?
I plan to spend time in nature walking,
doing yoga, writing and farming in a
mindful state. So hopefully I will experience
flow and transcendence in a deeper and less
fleeting way.Q] What’s on the agenda for you
immediately? When do you leave the
city? Where do you go from here?
I leave for Kent in the third week of
July. I am looking forward to spending time
with my family, walking in the fields and
woods that surround our home and reading
BBDO India’s book ‘Experiments with Social
Disobedience’.Q] What would be your key take-
aways from the 10 years spent at
BBDO?
Take a position, have a distinctive point
of view, act on it and for heaven’s sake don’t
obsess about differentiation.Josy Paul and Ajai Jhala @ [email protected]