After nearly two decades at network agencies, including a stint as chief creative officer, Dentsu, Aalap Desai launched tgthr, an independent creative agency, aimed at doing things differently and more meaningfully.

In our May issue of Manifest, we caught up with Desai to understand the vision behind launching tgthr, the agency's first Cannes Lions win in year one itself, the creative process of developing 'Loocator' (for Harpic) and more... 

"I started thinking about launching tgthr because so many people were putting in so much effort, but not much of it was coming out because of the system. At tgthr, I am solving problems and learning something new," he said. 

Working with brands like Reckitt, tgthr bagged a Cannes Lions in just a year of its inception. Reflecting on the importance of such awards, Desai shared, "Winning a Lion is tough, and once you do, clients know you’re serious—they see commitment, not just big talk. I feel that for independent agencies, especially if they win something, they have a better in into bigger rooms and bigger conversations."

As the advertising industry continues to evolve, Desai believes that the biggest challenge for the space is that it has become a 'smaller paymaster'. 

He said, "The biggest challenge is that we are still gunning for money, and I am not talking about independents or networks, but advertising overall. Quality compromises happen on the creative end and it’s a serious problem. Most of the work has become mediocre because clients are not paying enough for creative thinking. They are concentrating their money on media and production. Clients are more interested in 'isko jaldi se jaisa bhi hai banate hai, aur khub chala dete hai,’ so that a person gets exposed to it 50 times. It doesn’t matter how interesting or uninteresting the message is, as long as the person is registering the brand, they will put money in the media."

To read the full conversation with Desai, click here to buy the May issue!