ADGEEK
Animal’s approach to culture, craft and commercial growth
Kunel Gaur and Sayantan Choudhury discuss Animal’s development from a design studio, the thinking behind its Hyatt wedding work and how creative independence meets client expectations of business impact.
The conversation
Join us for an in-depth conversation with Kunel Gaur, Founder & Creative Director, and Sayantan Choudhury, Senior Partner & Creative Director at Animal—the independent creative agency that’s redefining Indian advertising with their fearless approach to storytelling and design.
From a design studio in 2013 to one of Adweek’s 100 Fastest Growing Agencies worldwide, Animal has carved out a unique space in India’s creative landscape. This episode dives deep into their journey, creative philosophy, and the cultural insights that drive their award-winning work—including the acclaimed Hyatt “Perfectly Yours” wedding campaign that broke category conventions
In this episode:
• Their journey into advertising and how childhood dreams of space shaped visual obsessions • The market gap and cultural insight that fuelled Animal’s founding vision in 2013, and how it’s evolved into products like Veu and Deck • Balancing creative independence with commercial growth while nurturing curiosity in the next generation of talent • The storytelling alchemy behind the acclaimed Hyatt wedding film and weaving India’s diverse cultural narratives into global briefs • Their “creative spark” process—from brand brief to breakthrough idea • Measuring the business impact of meaning-driven, culture-driving work for ROI-focused CFOs and CMOs • Winning pitches in a crowded marketplace: what gives Animal the edge • The rise of immediacy and tech-enabled briefs—from NFTs to AI—and where they draw the line on automation • Looking ahead: q-commerce, gaming, new-media opportunities, and how consumer shifts will reshape agency models • Rituals and routines that sustain them through client firefights and people-first leadership • Advice for independent agencies scaling up and the next generation of Indian ad geeks
And stick around to find out: Why do Sayantan and Kunel love pitching to junior executives during client meetings?
Tune in for a masterclass on forging lasting connections between culture, creativity, and business impact.
Kunel Gaur - @kunelgaur
Animal - @weareanimalco
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra
Additional subjects
Guests
Kunel Gaur
Kunel Gaur is the founder of Animal. Alongside Sayantan Choudhury, he discusses the agency's development from a design studio into a broader creative business. The conversation examines taste, cultural insight and the balance between independence and growth. His appearance places design judgement within the commercial life of an agency.
Sayantan Choudhury
Sayantan Choudhury joined The Indian AdGeek as Senior Partner and Creative Director at Animal. In conversation with Kunel Gaur and Vishal Mehra, he examines the agency's creative approach. Storytelling, cultural meaning and the process of turning a brief into an idea feature throughout. The interview explores how a distinctive point of view can support an independent creative business.