Advertising professional and former Managing Director of Publicis India, Bharat Dabholkar joins OAC 2025 speaker lineup

Bharat Dabholkar, the celebrated advertising professional, former Managing Director of Publicis India, renowned actor and theater professional, is joining the esteemed speaker lineup for OOH Advertising Convention (OAC) 2025. Known for his multifaceted career spanning advertising, theatre, and film, Bharat will bring his uniquely creative and strategic depth to the OAC stage. Bharat will address OAC on the topic- ‘Different enough to make a difference?: The key question for OOH’s future’, striking a relevant chord with all stakeholders in the OOH eco-system.     

An economics graduate, lawyer, and business management graduate, Bharat Dabholkar comes with an illustrious advertising career that saw him craft iconic campaigns for a vast array of brands. His work includes all Amul products, notably the legendary Amul Butter hoardings campaign, which famously won him a gold trophy for 14 consecutive years for excellence in advertising. He also developed memorable campaigns for Parle brands (Frooti, Appy, Thums Up 500), all Tata Tea variants, Tata Namak, Good Knight, Hit, major banks like Bank of India and State Bank of India, LIC, L’Oréal, Nestlé, and many others. As the former Managing Director of Publicis India, part of the world’s second-largest agency network, he led significant growth. His entrepreneurial spirit also saw him successfully establish and run an advertising agency in Tanzania and Kenya for 14 years. 

Beyond advertising, Bharat is a prolific writer and director in theatre and film. He has written and directed 33 English plays, including “Bottoms Up,” the longest-running play in Indian English theatre history. His acting credits span Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Bhojpuri films. He wrote and directed India’s first Hinglish feature film, “God Only Knows,” and Doordarshan’s inaugural Hindi breakfast serial, “Dhamal.” Notably, he conceptualized and shot the music video for late Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji’s famous poem “Unki Yaad Karen” and penned the iconic 2014 campaign line ‘Abki baar, Modi Sarkar.’  

The 19th OOH Advertising Convention (OAC) 2025, a landmark event for the Out-of-Home industry, is scheduled for July 18-19, 2025, at The Westin Mumbai Powai Lake. Under the compelling theme ‘Mapping a New OOH-scape,’ the convention will deep-dive into the future of the OOH medium, examining cutting-edge technological advancements, evolving consumer behaviors, and novel creative approaches shaping the sector.  

Running concurrently, the OAC Expo will offer a comprehensive showcase of the latest solutions and innovations. The event will culminate on the evening of July 19, 2025, with the prestigious OOH Advertising Awards (OAA) 2025 ceremony.