Sideways Consulting has announced the appointment of Nilay Moonje as creative head. It has also elevated Sameer Sojwal, its creative lead, as creative head. Both Moonje and Sojwal will jointly lead the creative team at the agency.
Moonje moves from Ogilvy, where he was group creative director.
The duo will report to Abhijit Avasthi, founder, Sideways Consulting.
Avasthi said, “The last six years have set the stage for Sideways’ next growth phase. Sameer and Nilay are from that rare breed of creative folks whose work moves the marketplace and inspires the industry too. They are adept at traditional and new-age businesses and think beyond advertising in areas like product design and tech dev which are important to Sideways. Sameer and Nilay will be supported by our other creative group heads such as Misht, Viraj, Ninad, Vaibhav and Namaah.”
Sojwal said, “My four years at Sideways have been one super fun ride. The great thing is that apart from mainline advertising you get exposed to and get the opportunity to contribute in other fields like product design, technology and digital and also work with some talented people from those fields, which isn’t possible in a traditional outfit. It adds to one's learning curve. For me, Kinu has been a friend and mentor for many years now, and with Sonali, the mantra is to have fun in whatever you do. This reflects in the work that is put out. Now, in my new role as creative head, along with my long-time friend Nilay, we plan to take Sideways to greater heights and have fun doing so.”
Moonje said, “There couldn’t be a better time to be at Sideways. It is a great intersection of innovation, tech and advertising. To have this opportunity to lead the creative product and the next phase of growth is exciting. I am extremely grateful to Kinu and Sonali for welcoming me into this wonderful place. To get to lead along with a long-time buddy in Sameer is even more special. We have a great team at Sideways, and we look forward to creating great work together.”
With over 18 years of experience, Moonje has also worked with companies like the DDB Mudra Group and Leo Burnett.