FCB's Ulka that shaped Indian advertising

A 152-year lineage, a history that spans the foundation of modern advertising, has come to a quiet, strategic end, absorbed in a corporate mega-acquisition. This is the story of Foote, Cone & Belding (FCB) and its Indian operation Ulka, bidding farewell to one of the global as well as Indian creative giants.

Omnicom's restructuring on December 1, 2025, led to the retirement of the iconic names DDB, FCB, and MullenLowe. DDB and MullenLowe will be absorbed by TBWA, and FCB will merge into BBDO. In India, the absorption took a different, more strategic path. The FCB Group India entities (FCB Ulka, FCB Kinnect, FCB Neo) were consolidated into McCann Worldgroup India. This local decision was a calculated move by Omnicom to ensure continuity, strategically leveraging the proven local leadership and strong client synergies established by the FCB team.

The roots of FCB stretch back to 1873 with the foundation of Lord & Thomas in Chicago. It was redefined when Albert D. Lasker took the helm in 1912.

He was instrumental in gaining public acceptance for Kotex sanitary napkins, and he popularised the idea of drinking orange juice through his promotion of Sunkist.

In 1942, Lasker passed the torch, selling the firm to three key executives who renamed it Foote, Cone & Belding (FCB). The agency went public in 1963 and expanded internationally through the 1970s and 80s, with major clients such as Mazda and AT&T.

By 2000, it operated more than 190 offices across 102 countries. In 2001, Interpublic Group acquired its holding company, True North Communications.

The homegrown agency at the heart of FCB’s India legacy

Half a world away, the Indian story began with Ulka Advertising, established in 1961 by Bal and Ann Mundkur. Ulka quickly earned a reputation not just for creativity, but for deep strategic rigour and campaigns that resonated profoundly with consumers. This foundation of strategic independence allowed it to secure a top-five position in the competitive Indian market before integrating with its global partner, becoming FCB Ulka in 1997.

In its later years, the Indian entity, known as FCB Group India, adapted to the digital age, creating specialised verticals like FCB Kinnect for digital marketing and the FCB Neo, building an integrated offering that spanned every facet of modern communication.

The leaders who shaped the legacy

While we look at an agency, we cannot forget its architects. The agency’s cultural impact in India is intrinsically linked to the leaders who steered its evolution.

Joining in the late 1980s, Anil Kapoor was the force who propelled FCB Ulka into the top tier of Indian agencies. Under Kapoor’s leadership, the agency went on to win accounts like Sundrop, Santoor, Tata Motors, Mahindra Auto in Mumbai, LML, Whirlpool, Hero Honda, Naukri.com and Docomo in Delhi and many more.

Ambi M. G. Parameswaran leveraged the agency’s strategic core, working to build and reinforce Indian brands like TCS, ICICI Bank, and Santoor Soap, embodying the agency's strength in brand architecture.

Another notable leader the agency had was Swati Bhattacharya, who was also recognised as the first woman Chief Creative Officer an agency ever had.

She has led some of the iconic campaigns, like the Sindoor Khela or the NoConditionsApply. One of her multiple works for women's empowerment is the 'Unbox Me' campaign for UNAIDS. An ad film was launched to raise awareness regarding the rights of transgender children.

As Group CEO in the final, transitional years, Dheeraj Sinha injected renewed creative momentum. Significantly, following the corporate merger, his leadership was recognised and valued, leading to his appointment as CEO of the consolidated McCann Worldgroup India.

The creative portfolio of FCB and its Indian as well as global arm is vast, leaving an indelible mark on cultural landscapes worldwide.

Ads that spoke to the masses

Let's take a look at some of the iconic ads given by FCB, globally as well as in India, where they became part of the national memory.

The Amul Manthan, a series of advertisements, highlighted the Amul cooperative model and its role in empowering rural women in India. The campaign, which began in 1996 and returned in 2011 and 2013, used clips and the theme of the 1976 film Manthan to show how women dairy farmers gained economic independence.

Another unforgettable jingle was the Nerolac paints, with the tagline 'Jab ghar ki raunak badhani ho', establishing the fact that the agency did not just aim to sell the brand but create an unforgettable image for it that would probably be remembered for generations.

It created the famous jingle, “Haldi aur chandan ke gun samaye Santoor, jeevan ko kuch aur sajaye Santoor,”and the santoor mummy concept that continues to be an effective campaign idea even today.

NoConditionsApply, the campaign for Times of India, led by Swati Bhattacharya as the CCO, aimed to change the 400-year-old Bengali Hindu ritual of Shindoor Khela from one of division to one of inclusion.

FCB’s ‘This Girl Can’ campaign for Sport England became one of the most recognised modern advertising efforts in the U.K. Launched to encourage women to participate in physical activity without fear of judgment, it featured unretouched imagery and a direct, candid tone that challenged stereotypes and normalised imperfection.

This brand retirement was not a performance failure; it was a pure corporate rationalisation. The strategic imperative of the merger was to simplify overlapping networks, eliminate duplication, and maximise cost efficiency, a cold, cost-driven move that outweighed the historical legacy and even the current creative primacy of the brand.

The retirement of the FCB name marks the final curtain call for a pioneering institution. Yet, the principles of scientific rigour, the spirit of cultural sensitivity, and the commitment to measurable results that defined its long journey, the very essence of what built icons like Nerolac and Amul, remain deeply embedded in the DNA of the new corporate entities that now carry its legacy forward.