Goafest 2025: Rethinking creativity and masculinity in Indian advertising

On Day Two of Goafest 2025, the festival spotlighted two powerful sessions that challenged industry norms, one on creative integrity, the other on gender narratives in advertising. In a keynote, Ashish Chakravarty (Executive Director & India Head of Creative, McCann Worldgroup) urged advertisers to move beyond the obsession with awards and return to the core principles of storytelling, originality, and impact.

This was followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion titled Mardon Wali Baat, which explored the evolving portrayal of masculinity in Indian advertising. Featuring Karthi Marshan (Principal, Marshan.Ink) and Nisha Singhania (Co-Founder & Director, Infectious Advertising), and moderated by Manisha Kapoor (CEO and Secretary General, ASCI), the session unpacked how brands can challenge stereotypes and craft narratives that reflect the emotional complexity of modern Indian men.

As part of this session, Ashish Chakravarty, Executive Director and India Head of Creative at McCann Worldgroup, addressed the shifting priorities in the advertising industry and urged creatives to return to the core of why they joined the field.

According to Chakravarty, the pursuit of awards should not drive creativity. Instead, self-expression and the desire to solve real problems should be the foundation of all advertising work. “Awards are a byproduct,” he noted, emphasizing that the most impactful ideas often emerge from a place of passion rather than pressure.

Chakravarty underscored the importance of immediate impact, noting that jurors and audiences alike often do not have the time or patience to unpack nuance. He stressed that well-crafted ideas with an element of surprise are more likely to stand out. He encouraged creatives to explore multiple executions instead of settling for the first viable concept and highlighted the value of proactive, self-initiated projects as a source of strong ideas.

In closing, he advised attendees to leverage platforms like LinkedIn and media coverage to amplify their work and to always prioritize clarity, storytelling, and originality.

Panel Discussion: 'Mardon Wali Baat' – rethinking masculinity in Indian advertising

A panel titled “Mardon Wali Baat: A Discussion on Masculinity in Advertising” brought forward critical conversations about how Indian men are portrayed in mainstream media. The panel featured Karthi Marshan, Principal at Marshan.Ink, and Nisha Singhania, Co-founder and Director at Infectious Advertising. The discussion was moderated by Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).

Singhania emphasized that masculinity is multifaceted and should not be reduced to outdated tropes. “It’s not just about physical strength,” she said. “Masculinity includes emotional depth and vulnerability.” She also criticized the recurring narrative in advertising that men are a “work in progress” or in need of change, noting that such portrayals no longer reflect modern realities.

Singhania also pointed out that legacy brands tend to fall back on outdated data and lack the patience to build new narratives, even though Indian society is evolving and becoming more inclusive.

Marshan challenged the binary framing of masculinity versus feminism, calling it a false dichotomy. He advocated for moving beyond rigid gender and sexuality labels, instead encouraging human-centered storytelling. He also argued that disruption is effective and that audience attention is the most valuable currency in today’s media environment.

“Marketers underestimate the audience,” Marshan said. “People are more progressive than we give them credit for.” He pushed back against the idea that long-term investment is always necessary, suggesting that timely and bold messaging can have significant impact.

Together, the speakers highlighted a need for advertising to evolve with changing social norms, urging brands to rethink how masculinity is portrayed and to connect with audiences through more inclusive and honest narratives.