Advertising Rocks Shines at Goafest, Showcasing the Musical Prowess of Ad Industry Professionals

GOAFEST, INDIA – Day two of Goafest saw the triumphant return of Advertising Rocks, an initiative dedicated to uncovering and celebrating the musical talents hidden within the Indian Advertising, Media, and Marketing industry. Turns out, there are a LOT of talented folks in adland!

A Platform for Hidden Talents

Building upon the success of its first edition, Advertising Rocks provided a platform for individuals to showcase their singing abilities in front of a live audience at Goafest, South Asia’s largest advertising festival. Think of it like “The Voice,” but instead of coaches, it’s your boss cheering you on (hopefully not hitting the “reject” buzzer).

The Journey to the Spotlight

Aspiring singers submitted their entries, basically throwing their hats (or microphones?) into the ring for the opportunity to perform at this prestigious event. A panel of industry experts, including Rajeev Raja and Merlin D’Souza, founders of Brandmusiq, and Subhash Kamath, former CEO of BBH and Advertising Rocks curator, meticulously reviewed the submissions – imagine “American Idol,” but with jingles instead of pop songs. Their expert selection process resulted in four finalists for each category: Solo Indian and Solo International. Talk about a tough competition!

A Night of Musical Extravaganza

The finalists, well, they brought the house down! Each one delivered electrifying performances, captivating the audience with raw talent and stage presence that could rival any rockstar (or at least give those jingle writers a run for their money). The atmosphere? Electric! Every note, every riff, you could feel the energy. This wasn’t just about singing; it was about passion, about letting loose, about proving that the advertising world has some serious pipes!

Esteemed Jury and Audience Participation

Judging this melodious showdown? No easy feat! A panel of music heavyweights, including renowned Bollywood playback singer Harshdeep Kaur, Rajeev Raja, and Merlin D’Souza, had the challenging task of evaluating the performances – talk about pressure! But hey, who knows good music better than those who live and breathe it, right? And adding to the excitement (and maybe the judges’ stress levels), the live audience got in on the action, playing a crucial role in determining the winners through live voting. Democracy in action, fueled by music!

And the Winners Are…

Drumroll, please! After much deliberation, nail-biting, and maybe a few tears (of joy, of course), the winners were announced:

• Advertising Rocks – Winner – Solo Indian: Nishant Patil from Logicserve Digital Pvt. Ltd.
• Advertising Rocks – Winner – Solo International: Bodhisattwa Banerjee from VML India

Huge congrats to the winners, and mad props to all the finalists for sharing their amazing gift of music!

Celebrating Achievements and Recognizing Talent

Of course, a competition this awesome deserves some serious recognition. The winners of each category walked away with a cool Rs. 50,000 (because talent should be rewarded, am I right?), while the runners-up didn’t go home empty-handed, snagging Rs. 25,000. It’s not just about the money, though (even though it’s a pretty sweet bonus!). It’s about celebrating the dedication, the hard work, and the sheer love for music that these folks poured into their performances.

A Resounding Success

Subhash Kamath summed it up perfectly: “This has been a wonderful platform to showcase musical talent in our industry, and we hope to continue Advertising Rocks next year.” We second that!

Mohit Joshi, CEO of Havas Media Network India and Goafest co-chair, chimed in, adding, “Advertising Rocks was a big hit this year at Goafest, and the talent demonstrated by all participants has truly impressed us.” We weren’t there, but we can only imagine the goosebumps!

With its second edition concluding on a high note (pun intended!), Advertising Rocks has solidified its position as THE highlight of Goafest. Who needs award shows when you have pure, unadulterated musical talent, right? Advertising Rocks proved that the industry isn’t just about jingles and slogans – it’s bursting with creativity, passion, and a whole lot of musical talent just waiting to be discovered.