Igniting Creativity: Day 2 Highlights from Goafest 2025
The second half of Day 2 proceeded with an engaging session titled ‘WTF is Creative Leadership Now?’ under the theme 'IGNITE THE NEW', powered by SUN NEO and Amar Ujala. This thought-provoking discussion brought together some of the most prominent names in the creative industry including Bobby Pawar, Poet, storyteller, consultant, and man of leisure; Sonal Dabral, creative consultant, film director and 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. Sonal Dabral painted the modern 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 strategic clarity to clients, and embracing AI while staying rooted in human intuition and cultural insight. “CCOs must evolve and inspire while remaining creatively grounded,” she said.
Senthil Kumar championed the role of the CCO as a ‘playing captain,’ leading by example and fostering breakthrough 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. Lulu Raghavan asserted that agencies lost their creative edge by chasing tech, transformation, and revenue. She called for the reinstatement of the CCO as the agency’s creative spine, advocating for courage, conviction, and creative independence. “Creative leadership must be the supreme role in any agency,” she declared. Bringing it all together, Rohit Ohri redefined modern creative leadership as less about volume and more about vision. “The CCO today is not the loudest voice in the room but the one building safe, collaborative spaces where creativity thrives,” he concluded.
Thereafter, Karan Bedi, director and head, Amazon MX Player, in his keynote said, streaming video ads are outperforming other formats in driving brand recall and building positive brand associations. With increasing viewer engagement, digital video ad spending is on a steep rise and is expected to match traditional TV advertising spends by 2026, he said.
Positioning Amazon MX Player as a key player in this shift, Karan revealed that the platform has over 1.4 billion downloads and 250 million active users. Its content spans drama, romance, reality TV, and international 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 brand recall, building positive brand associations, and boosting brand recognition,” Karan 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: differentiated reach, unique content, and contextual ad solutions.
In the end, he said that Amazon has evolved its offering to provide advertisers a full-funnel solution that enables meaningful connection with their audiences at every stage of the customer journey. Amazon MX Player offers brands exciting opportunities to drive relevant reach across consumers through rich in-show brand integrations, innovative ad formats and create awareness.
Following that a knowledge 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 evolving role of Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising as a high-impact, unskippable medium in today’s fragmented attention economy. Ajay Kakar emphasised that OOH grabs attention with minimal distractions, outperforming cluttered screen-based formats. He urged the industry to stop siloing media into ‘digital’ and ‘non-digital’ — what matters is a consumer-first strategy. “OOH needs original creative thinking — not print adaptations”, he said, adding that agencies must lead clients, not just follow briefs. Shekhar Narayanaswami positioned OOH as a break from digital fatigue. “You can't swipe past a billboard,” he noted. He advocated for phygital storytelling — integrating physical formats with social media to boost brand recall. Sandeep Bommireddi redefined digital as a horizontal transformation, not a siloed channel. “Every medium, including OOH, can digitalize — integration is key”, he said. Dipankar Sanyal added that gut-led decisions are obsolete. Today’s OOH thrives on data, impressions, and performance metrics, bringing precision to the medium. Promita Saha highlighted the importance of consumer context and local 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 last truly unskippable medium in a world of scrolls and skips.
Next in line was a candid and compelling conversation presented by Network18 under the theme 'IGNITE CONVERSATIONS' titled ‘WHY SO SERIOUS? The Making of Gautam Gambhir’. This captivating fireside featured Gautam Gambhir, cricket legend and Team India Coach and was moderated by Anand Narasimhan, Sr Anchor and managing editor Spl Projects CNN News 18.
Dismissing the obsession with statistics, Gautam declared, “10,000 runs don’t matter — it’s match-winning moments that define you,” referencing his gritty 97 in the 2011 World Cup Final. He emphasized that true recognition comes from the common man. “You play for people who watch the game with heart,” he said. Gambhir urged young athletes and leaders to embrace failure and back their decisions with conviction. “It’s okay to make mistakes,” he said, reflecting on the mindset that powered him through high-pressure matches like the World Cup and Champions Trophy. In a parting note that underscored his grounded 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 dynamic conversation featured fireside sessions with Suniel Shetty, entrepreneur, actor, investor and mentor, sportsman at Heart and Deepak Dhar, founder and 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 holistic wellness — including nutrition and mental health — for his peak fitness later in life. “Fitness isn’t just muscles; it’s sustainable health,” he said, urging audiences to move past nutrition myths.
Discussing Hunter Season 2, Shetty highlighted its emotional depth. “It’s not just action — it’s about a father’s journey to rebuild family bonds,” he said, emphasizing the show’s strong music, production, and message of unity and respect for uniformed forces. He wrapped up with a message of gratitude, noting that “honest effort earns lasting fan loyalty.”
Further, in a dynamic conversation with Aruna, Deepak Dhar, emphasized the relentless pursuit of bold storytelling formats. He highlighted the need to scale compelling narratives into mass entertainment with the right blend of story, format, and face. “Adaptation is key,” Dhar said, citing the importance of localizing global ideas for Indian audiences.
Speaking about Rise and Fall, he described it as a social experiment examining power and personal hustle, set in a symbolic house split into a basement (struggle) and penthouse (privilege). The show features a diverse cast—from celebrities to activists—and blends branding seamlessly into the environment. Dhar credited simplicity, structure, and strong creative teams for hits like Campus Beats and The Night Manager, underlining, “Great content is built on process and passion.”
Adding a touch of exclusivity to the day’s agenda was a Wine & Cheese invite-only gathering hosted by Amazon MX Player. The crowd was buzzing with excitement as Advertising Rocks presented by Muzartdisco kicked off, setting the stage for an epic battle of creativity and talent. Advertising Rocks is a unique musical competition that shines a spotlight on the hidden talents within the advertising, media, and marketing community. It offers professionals from the industry a dynamic 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 main sessions, Goafest Day 2 also hosted a series of insightful masterclasses, offering attendees deep dives into emerging trends and creative strategies shaping the industry. Shahad Anand, in a session powered by MediaKart, explored immersive advertising in ‘Next-Gen Ads: Where Context Meets 3D creatives.’ Sana Shaikh, in a Flipkart-sponsored session, presented ‘Stay Ahead: Decode Flipkart Ads’ Latest Innovations & Product Launches,’ offering a look into the platform’s evolving ad solutions. Nick Eagleton, supported by D&AD, shared key principles in ‘Storytelling: The Fundamentals.’ while Senthil Kumar, in a session sponsored by VML, delivered ‘Split Second Storytelling,’ focusing on crafting impactful narratives in minimal time.
The festival also featured experiences at Bioscope – The Cinema where attendees were treated to exclusive 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 gala dinner was presented by Times Network and the Afterhours Party with DJ Melroy was presented by Amazon MX Player.
