Prasoon Joshi, regional creative director (Asia Pacific) at McCann Erickson, is an example of a small town boy making a mark in the glitzy-glam world of advertising. Originally from Lucknow, Joshi completed his MBA from IMT Ghaziabad in 1992. Despite a flair for writing and poetry ? he was a published poet at 17 ? and a strong inclination towards music and theatre, Joshi was all set for a career in the corporate world. “I was far too sensitive to be rebellious and wanted to fulfil my parent’s wishes by obtaining a degree in business management and a stable career,” he recalls.

Joshi got his first taste of advertising when he did his summer job at Grey Worldwide (then Trikaya Grey), Delhi. He later took up the campus placement offer at Grey and worked as a client service executive for a year. “I had no plans to get into the creative side of advertising initially,” he says.

Switching from the business side of advertising to the creative side was an unheard of thing at the time. So that was the first big milestone in Joshi's career. “I knew the business side of it and I knew the jargon. I was also a writer at heart. Yet, the transition was difficult initially,” he recalls. That involved thinking less structurally and more instinctively.

Once that set in, Joshi was on a roll. On a more intrinsic level, he had found his calling. “Looking back, that was the most significant turning point in my life. I trusted my instinct and shifted gears to do something I thought I would enjoy more,” he says. And that turned out to be a good career decision too. Joshi soon moved to Ogilvy & Mather (&M) Delhi. After a couple of years, he was transferred to &M Mumbai ? a city at the centre of the ad world.

In his 10-year stint at &M, Joshi rose to the position of creative director. “To be successful in advertising, it is important to observe a lot, rely on your instincts and absorb whatever you see around you,” he says. Add to that an ability to learn and unlearn and a readiness to change, and you have all that is crucial in advertising. This is particularly so if you want to make the switch to the creative side from a corporate or business background.

Joshi was faced with the need for a change in 2003, when he reached a glass ceiling at &M. He had had offers earlier, but none tempting enough. Then came an assignment he could not refuse. But it was also an offer riddled with risks. McCann Erickson had been christened a “creative graveyard” by then. The likes of Alyque Padamsee and Vikas Gaitonde (ad veterans both) had joined the agency and left soon. Coca-Cola, the biggest client for the agency, was on the backfoot.

With the risk came opportunity. “Joshi completely overhauled the creative work culture and mindset once he joined,” says an agency executive. New accounts poured in. What’s more, his ‘Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola’ campaign ? the first localised campaign for Coke in India ? won rare acclaim in ad festivals and for the agency as a whole.

What is Joshi’s secret of success? “I don’t believe I’m successful yet,” is the modest retort. But his mantra for good advertising, he adds later, is to stay away from formulae.

“My philosophy is to have no philosophy at all,” he declares. After the hit campaign for Coke, Joshi was elevated to the position of regional creative director for the entire Asia-Pacific region. “That signifies a recognition for Indian advertising,” says the boss of a rival agency.

In his spare time ? if he has time to spare ? Joshi is a lyricist. He has received the Screen Award for best lyrics for Saanson Ko in the film Hum Tum. He is clearly one person who doesn’t need advertising to prove his mettle.

Based on a conversation with Gouri Shukla in Mumbai