JITB hires Vinay Venkatesh as creative group head

Jack In The Box Worldwide has appointed Vinay Venkatesh as creative group head. Venkatesh will report to Samit Malkani, creative head. Prior to his appointment, Venkatesh was creative director at Ogilvy One, handling the the digital activity for Vodafone.

On the appointment, Roopak Saluja, co-founder and managing director, Bang Bang Films and Jack in the Box Worldwide, said, "Who could say no to a beard like that? Not only is Vinay a proven and talented multidisciplinary creative leader who'll further boost our creative mojo, he's got a night job as the frontman for leading metal band, Bhayanak Maut. That's the kind of well-roundedness that adds to the diversity and eclectic culture we've nurtured at Bang Bang and Jack in the Box."

Prashanth Challapalli, business head, Jack in the Box Worldwide, added, "Vinay brings hardcore digital brand building experience having spearheaded the creative on the Vodafone Zoozoo digital account. We are in the middle of a massive expansion programme with major new business wins like Windows Phone and Forest Essentials. At this stage, we need a strong line of creative leaders and we couldn't have found a better fit than Vinay."

Samit Malkani, creative head, Jack in the Box Worldwide, pitched in, saying, "It's great to have Vinay coming on board. Vinay brings a wealth of experience across mainline advertising and digital marketing, and will have the opportunity to use that experience on some of our key brands. This is a big step towards making our creative vision a reality, and I'm looking at him as a partner-in-crime to make that happen."

On his appointment, Vinay Venkatesh said, "I'm thrilled to join the Jack In The Box Worldwide family. They seem extremely happy to have me (and my beard) onboard. The energy here is infectious and I'm looking forward to working with a young and talented team."