From being paired as a creative duo by Josy Paul in the Brand David days in 2002 to joining J Walter Thompson in 2007 to seeing the agency transform into Wunderman Thompson, first, and then as VML, one of the last Indian creative teams to stand the test of time for two decades, Ex-JWT Executive Creative Directors Steve Mathias and Priya Pardiwalla, have now decided to go independent.
As part of the same, the two have now come together to launch their own creative and content agency called ‘Steve Priya’ and set up their first office in Mumbai.
Talking about the reason behind the name of their new agency, Priya and Steve said, “While we had about four-five names, we shortlisted it down to two. And in the end, we went with neither. From our own experience and after talking to many of our clients, we realized that everyone struggles with the name of the agency, especially the newer ones, but what clients do remember are the people. It’s not just a brand name. We’re putting our neck and reputation on the line.”
“We decided to go with the name our clients, colleagues, directors and partners use to refer to us, ‘Steve Priya’. It’s how they save our numbers on their phones. It’s the name of our YouTube channel. It’s how we sign off all our mails. It’s a brand we’ve fought hard to build over the last 22 years,” they mentioned.
The creative duo is amongst one of India’s last few creative teams that have stuck together for more than two decades now and have come up with a showcase of 230+ campaigns including IPL’s Jumping Japang ad wherein they featured Farah Khan and made her choreograph steps that made the entire nation dance, casted an old couple for Goodknight at a time when the category norm was using kids, launched the new Škoda philosophy in India with a woman wedding planner as the protagonist, etc.
Cut to now, the independent agency, which has already signed on some accounts and will be announcing the wins shortly, is dedicated to fostering creativity and innovation across every level, aiming to achieve several key objectives.
According to the creative duo, Steve Priya, as an agency first and foremost strives to craft communication that not only promotes brands but also captivates audiences, building engagement akin to the content one eagerly consumes.
“It endeavors to create compelling and original screenplays for both feature films and series, aiming to inspire and entertain viewers with unpredictable narratives,” the agency mentioned.
The agency is committed to nurturing its employees’ growth, emphasizing a culture where talent flourishes unrestricted by hierarchy or seniority. It prioritizes building relationships with clients based on trust and transparency, enabling a collaborative partnership.
Furthermore, Steve and Priya also pointed out that for them, the starting point for creating any advertising is that ‘No one. Absolutely no one is interested in watching an ad’ and that’s probably why people hit that skip button with a vengeance.
“We’re looking for clients and brands who’re seeking solid brand building work through a fresh and unexpected route. Not tried, tested and retested. There’s no point discovering a place that’s already crowded. Commercials especially have become terribly formulaic. The only guys who are benefitting from them are YouTube, Spotify and others who charge you to make it ad-free!” they opined.
