BS people: Sonal Dabral

Bates' loss, DDB Mudra's gain

If you try calling Sonal Dabral, you’d be greeted by a caller tune which goes something like this - “The person you are trying to urgently reach is having a tender coconut, standing on the beach. He is having a good time, just leave him alone.” The reality must be quite the contrary though for Dabral, who prepares to take over his new role as the chairman and chief creative officer of the advertising and media group, DDB Mudra.

Dabral, who started his advertising career in 1987 with Lintas Media, Delhi, made a high profile exit from the WPP-controlled Bates advertising agency earlier this year. For many, this may be Omincom’s first point scored over rival WPP after acquiring homegrown advertising group Mudra last year to firm up its India operations.

With DDB Mudra at the cusp of a new innings, Dabral is an ideal choice to head its creative agenda feel industry experts, given his repertoire of work as well as a track record of turning agency fortunes. Most prominent examples include, Ogilvy India, where he worked alongside industry biggie Piyush Pandey in the nineties for brands such as Cadbury and Fevicol and was a part of the agency’s growth story as well as his stint at the helm of O&M’s Singapore and Malaysia operations, where he created his award-winning anti-smoking commercial.

Post his international stints, Dabral today considers himself a ‘local global’—mingling with people from various strata while growing up in Agra, or being a student at National Institute of Design and during his time in the Mumbai and Delhi ad worlds. On the other hand his ‘global’ experiences have given him a different kind of exposure.

A theatre enthusiast, Dabral feels advertising and theatre have much in common. Both are all about getting into your audience’s shoes and understanding what makes him laugh or cry. This insight would surely come handy for Dabral, if he intends to “create new work that defines India” as per John Zeigler, chairman and CEO - DDB Asia Pacific, India and Japan’s brief for his new job.