Ranjeev Vij quits BBDO India as VP and business director

Sumedha Srivastav - Televisionpoint.com | Mumbai
Ranjeev Vij, vice-president and business director on the Hewlett Packard (HP) business, BBDO India, has quit. Apart from heading the HP account, Vij was also in-charge for new business initiatives for the agency.

Vij confirms to Televisionpoint.com that he is joining experiential advertising and marketing agency, Iris Nation, as board director, but refused to divulge further details on joining the company. He will be flagging off the innings at this new destination on August 10, 2009.

Vij says, "I really enjoyed my stint at BBDO India, especially on business development and taking the lead on cross-fertilization of knowledge and sharing within the BBDO and Proximity Network."

Speaking about the advertising industry, he adds, "I love this business and am most passionate about brands. I think our world is very dynamic and fluid at the moment and there is huge potential for agencies who can deliver solutions with strong ideas."

Josy Paul, chairman and national creative director, BBDO India, says, "His (Vij) interest in the integrated and new media propositions, even at the regional level, was quite evident. I guess he has found out where he wants to be. Known to be the adventurous kind, Vij is heading for something which he wishes to pursue. However, he will always see a home in BBDO."

Vij joined the agency in July last year to head the HP business - the agency won the creative duties for the brand's imaging and printing solutions from Publicis India following a global realignment.

Vij began his career with RK Swamy/BBDO as an account executive in 1994. In 1995, he joined Bates 141 (then Enterprise Nexus) as senior account executive. During his four-year stay at the agency, he launched Sony Wega and Handycam.

He joined Ogilvy (then Ogilvy & Mather) in 1999 and was designated group head on the Vatika shampoo business. He joined Lowe in 2001, for a short stint, as brand services director on the confectionery business for Nestlé.

Vij returned to Bates in 2002 as account director. He left in 2004 to join Rediffusion Y&R (then Rediffusion DY&R) as client services director. He was later elevated to handle the brand unification of Bharti Airtel's three businesses - Airtel mobile services, Airtel broadband and fixed line services and Airtel enterprise services.

He moved to VGC in 2007 as associate vice-president. Vij has also done short stints at Lowe and DraftFCB Ulka (then FCB Ulka). Some of the brands that Vij has worked on include Pepsi Foods (Quaker Oats), Real Broadcasting, General Motors, Whirlpool, LG and Dabur Vatika.