Ram Sehgal to be conferred with AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award 2018

The Advertising Agencies Association of India announced that this year’s AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award will be awarded to legendary ad man Ram Sehgal. This is the highest honour to be given to an individual in India for his/her outstanding contribution to the Advertising Industry.

 This award is being bestowed on Ram Sehgal in recognition of his outstanding leadership and contribution to the advertising industry; in literally establishing Delhi as a premier centre for advertising in India – it was this foundation that later led JWT Delhi to become the largest office in India and among the largest in the world; in moulding ‘Contract Advertising’ into one of the finest agencies of the day in so much that it was fiercely independent and a worthy rival to its own parent HTA; in attracting and nurturing some of the finest talent to ‘Contract Advertising’ across disciplines; in leading Contract to be recognised as a powerhouse for strategy and creative; in leading AAAI and establishing one of the finest training programs in the industry ever; in setting the highest standards of professionalism that became the standard for generations that followed; and not in the least for his immeasurable contribution to social causes.

 Making the announcement, Mr Nakul Chopra, President, AAAI, stated that “Mr Ram Sehgal has been a role model for generations in our industry – he is a legend in his own right. The manner in which he led Contract to becoming one of India’s finest and most respected agencies became an inspiration for the entire industry to try and emulate. He richly deserves this honour”

 Chairman of the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award Selection Committee Mr Ashish Bhasin said, “Ram Sehgal embodies the pioneering spirit of Indian entrepreneurship while being part of a larger international agency network. The foundation he laid thirty years ago has grown to be a worthy jewel in the international group’s crown.”

 Members of the Selection Committee for this award included Sam Balsara, Srinivasan K Swamy, Ambi Parameswaran, Nakul Chopra, and Jaideep Gandhi.

 The AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award is presented annually to an individual who has been a practitioner of advertising for twenty-five years and had been in the top management position; has been or continues to be an active participant in industry bodies and or made significant contributions in shaping the industry priorities which enabled the advertising industry to grow, prosper and  become more professionalized;  individual  known for his integrity, ethical practice and leadership qualities;  contributed to his Company/Companies growth by innovative thinking and taking them in newer directions; involved in projects of social consequence which is seen as a role model for the industry at large and had been an industry veteran.

This award was instituted in 1988 by AAAI and 25 persons have been bestowed with this award earlier.The AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Mr Ram Sehgal on 26^th July 2018 in Mumbai.