Santosh ‘Paddy’ Padhi to chair jury of OOH Advertising Awards 2025

Santosh Padhi, affectionately known as Paddy, a towering figure in the advertising world, has been appointed as the Jury Chair for the OOH Advertising Awards (OAA) 2025. This significant appointment underscores Paddy’s profound impact and discerning eye within the creative and OOH advertising landscape. The OOH Advertising Awards are a cornerstone event of the OOH Advertising Convention (OAC), recognized as Asia’s premier gathering for the OOH industry. Set to take place on July 18-19, 2025, at The Westin, Powai Lake, Mumbai, the OAC will culminate with the prestigious OAA ceremony on the evening of the second day, July 19. Agencies and brands vying for top honors should note that the entry deadline for the awards is May 30, 2025.

Paddy’s illustrious career began with his co-founding of Taproot Dentsu. Last year, he embarked on a new venture, founding Into Creative. His innovative approach to creative communication has earned him numerous accolades at prestigious international and national advertising festivals including Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Clio, Spikes Asia, Adfest, and Goafest. His portfolio boasts iconic campaigns for major brands such as Airtel, Pepsi, Star Plus, Honda, Mumbai Mirror, and The Times of India, among many others. Having previously served on juries for esteemed global awards like Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Clio, and Art Directors Club, Paddy’s leadership promises a rigorous and insightful judging process for the OAA 2025.

Witnessing OOH’s dynamic evolution

Paddy shares his deep excitement about being part of the OAA jury. “OOH is one of the most versatile mediums in the world today, allowing brands to tell beautiful stories without restrictions,” he affirms. He views the medium as dynamic and growing, mirroring the nation’s own emergence. He is particularly eager to witness how agencies navigate industry complexities to deliver truly creative brand work. “I’m looking to see if agencies have focused on what they are good at or got distracted, I think their work will speak for themselves,” he notes.

Prioritizing problem-solving over pure AI execution

When it comes to judging campaigns that leverage creativity and AI, Paddy’s focus is clear. He views AI as a powerful tool for brand storytelling, akin to a pencil or a brush, that creatives should master. As a jury member, his emphasis will be on the core problem and how insightfully and strategically the agency or creators have solved it for the brand. “Execution comes later, it is important but just because someone has done a great piece of AI, we aren’t going to reward,” he firmly states, adding that even world-best execution or art belongs in a modern art museum, not the jury room, if it doesn’t solve a brand problem.

Ensuring craft serves the idea, not the other way around

For Paddy, the balance between craft and impact is paramount. He asserts that craft must seamlessly integrate with the idea, never overshadowing it. He assesses whether the right execution and craft are used to complement the brand story. He cautions against a common pitfall where creatives, and sometimes clients, fall in love with craft or technology, losing sight of the core brand message. For impact measurement, he combines agency-provided data with his “creative gut,” believing that a truly impactful piece of work inherently communicates its success.

Emphasizing the awards’ crucial role for the medium

Paddy reiterates his belief in OOH as an incredibly versatile medium. “Not only me but many creatives like me love versatility when it comes to performance, literally one can do anything and everything today in OOH,” he explains, highlighting its diverse forms- static, moving, audio, interactive, tech, AR/VR, real, and experiential. “Literally sky is the limit,” he concludes, emphasizing the awards’ crucial role in celebrating and driving excellence in this boundless medium.