Ravi Deshpande announces launch of Whyness Worldwide

This integrated communications agency has tied up with Boston-based big data technology company Findability Sciences and Paris-based branding and design company, Seenk.

Ravi Deshpande, former chairman and chief creative officer, Contract India, has announced the launch of his new venture - Whyness Worldwide. The firm has commenced operations today and plans to do business in India as well as overseas.

Whyness Worldwide has established two overseas strategic alliances, namely, with Boston-based big data technology company called Findability Sciences and Paris-based branding and design company called Seenk.

Deshpande, who has designated himself as the founder chairman and chief creative officer of Whyness Worldwide, refers to his firm as an "integrated communications agency for the new world" in an official communiqué.

"We address brand challenges with solutions that combine human insights, creativity, design and technology. In a sense it is an agency that bridges the gap between traditional agencies and digital agencies," he says.

In the days ahead Whyness Worldwide will utilise its alliance with its overseas partner Findability Sciences to turn "big data into a smart data", and that with Seenk to add more value to its design prowess.

Additionally, the agency will also draw on the talent of graduates from Ecole Intuit Lab, its school of design. "We wanted to mix things up and produce surprising results that actually work for brands and companies," says Deshpande, referring to the combination of design, strategy, technology, creativity and algorithms that his new company is based on.

Deshpande has 28 years of industry experience. He is a seasoned Contract hand and his advertising career includes two long spells at the agency. The most recent one lasted eight years and the previous one lasted around 13 years. In between these long stints, Deshpande started his own agency called Lemon (in 2001), along with Euro RSCG Worldwide (now Havas Worldwide). Agencies he worked at before joining Contract in 1987 include Clarion (now Bates CHI & Partners) and O&M.