Raghu Bhat calls it a day at Contract

Raghu Bhat, senior vice-president and executive creative director, Contract Advertising has put in his papers at the agency. Bhat, who has had a successful art-copy partnership with Manish Bhat, (who quit a little while earlier) says he is leaving to pursue his involvement with Fungus Designs, a new venture which manufactures laptop bags. He is also working on promoting Taxi-Vitamin K, a store co-owned by his wife.

Confirming the move to Campaign India, Bhat said, “I have been involved with Fungus Designs for a while now, and as we were looking to build the business on a larger scale, the project required more time and effort than I was able to give, considering my work at Contract. I also felt the need to step back and take some time off, before I evaluate other options in advertising. It’s good to take some time off, doing things that are related to advertising in some form, as it helps rejuvenate your creative spirit. I am not leaving the industry. Alongwith my partner Manish Bhat, we are evaluating offers that we have got from other agencies on joining them and we will see if something works out at a later stage. For now, I am going to be involved in promoting Fungus Designs and Taxi-Vitamin K.”   

Bhat, alongwith Manish Bhatt, has been behind campaigns for brands such as Tata Indicom, Aegon Religare, Dominos, Tata Press Yellow Pages and Cadbury Celebrations, among others. The duo have won at domestic and international award shows such as the Abbys, The One Show, D&AD and Cannes Lions.