Still an ad person.
Just with a
bigger brief.
I started in advertising because I loved ideas. I still do. But after agencies, brand-side roles and a business of my own, my brief is much bigger now.
These days I lead 30 creatives at Quickads—and spend as much time on people, money and systems as I do on the work itself.
Advertising first.
I started as an intern in 2007. Full-time in 2008. AI came much later.
My advertising years took me through Ogilvy, Leo Burnett, Grey and FCB. Campaigns such as British Airways’ Fuelled by Love and Nestlé’s 100 and Running are part of that chapter.
That part has not changed. The work has to earn somebody’s attention.
Start with Fuelled by Love ↗Then I sat on
the other side.
Brand-side taught me that the campaign is only one encounter. The app, the pack, the store and the delivery at someone’s door all have to recognise each other.
At Licious, I worked across photography, packaging, digital, retail and campaigns. The product image in the app mattered. So did the packaging at someone’s door.
I managed approximately ₹4 crore in annual creative and production budgets, including ₹1.7 crore in vendor spend. Every creative decision also had a number attached to it.
Teachmint / Creative Director
I led the creative work as the business shifted from B2C to B2B.
Teachmint / Additional Brand Director responsibilities
At the same time, I also carried Brand Director responsibilities. It was an additional remit, not a promotion.
And then I had
my own business
to answer for.
At S3 Creatives, the creative brief and the business brief landed on the same desk—mine. Across more than 20 clients, I led the work, priced it, built the team and made sure we delivered what we sold.
S3 was acquired in October 2025. I am proud of the portfolio. I am prouder that we built a business worth acquiring.
The S3 chapter ↗Now, the team
is part of the work.
At Quickads, six people became 30. One pod became six.
I’m the Creative Head. I lead strategy and creative direction, hire and develop people, and build systems for how the work gets made. Together, the team delivers more than 500 performance videos a month.
AI is part of the daily workflow. Judgement is still the job: what is worth making, what needs another round and what should never leave the room.
How the team grew ↗I want to like the work.
And know why it works.
That is what I bring now: creative judgement, with responsibility for the team, budget and machinery around it.
The full job-by-job history is on LinkedIn. This is where you can see the work.
The full career, if you’re curious ↗
What are you trying
to make happen?
If you’re hiring a creative leader, building a team or fixing how the work gets made, email me.
sanjeevkumar.balan@gmail.com Find me on LinkedInBangalore, India. Open to roles in India and internationally.