Civic activist and advertising industry veteran Gerson da Cunha dies at 92

Da Cunha, who started his career as a journalist working for the PTI after graduating in science and then jumped into advertising, was associated with a slew of platforms engaged in civic activism

Ad man Gerson da Cunha, a multi-faceted personality very passionate about civic activism in later years, died here on Friday. He was 92.

Da Cunha, who started his career as a journalist working for the Press Trust of India after graduating in science and then jumped into advertising, was associated with a slew of platforms engaged in civic activism, including AGNI (Action for Good Governance and Networking in India).

Mumbai First, a public-private partnership which had him as a governing board member, said it is deeply saddened by the passing away of Da Cunha. Senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai recalled that Da Cunha had helped distressed Mumbaikars affected by the 1992-93 communal riots.

In a 25-year stint in the advertising industry, Da Cunha had gone on to head Lintas, one of the most formidable names in the advertising business then, and switched to the social sector, which saw him work with the Unicef at global locations.

The work at Unicef had led to him being honoured by the Brazilian government with a medal of 'Order of Rio Branco' for his services to the Latin American country in 2018.