Guthli Ad Fest 2024: Shaping the future of creative education

The Guthli Ad Fest 2024, spearheaded by Dr. Prateesh Nair, Founder and CEO of Miles SOBA & Agency M, brought innovation to the forefront at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

Legacy meets innovation

With the theme “Celebrating Pops and Pandey,” the festival honored advertising legends Padma Shri Piyush Pandey and KV Sridhar while showcasing Miles SOBA’s Ed-Work Pedagogy, a transformative blend of academic rigor and practical learning.

Day 1

The opening day featured the Miles Conclave, gathering over 100 universities and industry leaders. Key speakers, including Shirsha Guha Thakurta, Rajeev Lakshman, Shantesh Row, and Bharat Dabholkar, inspired discussions on women’s leadership, aligning education with industry, and successful campaigns. Dr. Prateesh Nair emphasized Miles SOBA’s innovative pedagogy, while Varun Jain highlighted its focus on future-ready graduates.

Day 2

Themed “Celebrating Pops and Pandey,” Day 2 featured riveting fireside chats. Piyush Pandey and Prasoon Pandey discussed advertising’s evolution with Devaiah Bopanna, while KV Sridhar and Santosh Padhi shared insights into storytelling with Kainaz Karmakar. Josy Paul’s session, “Creativity in the Classroom,” inspired students to rethink creative boundaries.

Masterclasses enriched the day, with Cyrus Broacha sharing industry anecdotes, Tanya Nambiar exploring voice branding, and Studio Blo’s Dipankar Mukherjee, Rishabh Suri, and Joel James showcasing AI’s creative potential.

A thought-provoking panel featuring Sneha Iype, Mandar Natekar, Shantesh Row, OR Radhakrishnan, Kashif Memon, and Partho Sengupta provided strategies for bridging academia and industry, emphasizing adaptability and innovation.

Day 3

The festival concluded with awards across categories, including Times of India’s Print, Lahori Zeera’s Ad Film, Nargis Dutt Foundation’s Public Service Film, Toy Bank’s Logo Design, Rapido’s Radio, Audible’s Social Media category, and Fab India’s Best Use of AI. Over 2,000 attendees celebrated the winners, who were honored by Piyush Pandey and KV Sridhar.

The Pops and Pandey Scholarship, awarded in partnership with the Nargis Dutt Foundation, supported six talented students, reinforcing the festival’s commitment to nurturing talent.

Cultural highlights, including street plays and rap battles, brought vibrancy to the final day.

Miles SOBA: Pioneering Creative Education

Through innovative programs in Branding & Advertising, Digital Business, and Entrepreneurship, Miles SOBA equips students with real-world skills and three years of work experience, preparing them to lead.

Dr. Prateesh Nair summed it up: “The Guthli Ad Fest has planted the seeds of change. These young creatives will shape the industry’s future.”