Agnello Dias

Based in Mumbai

Agnello Dias, fondly known in the industry as Aggie, is currently the Co-founder at Spinach Experience Design. With a career spanning over three decades, he has shaped the landscape of Indian advertising through his ideas, bold decisions, and iconic campaigns.

Agnello began his journey in 1989, working across agencies such as Dart, Interpublicity, Lowe, and Leo Burnett before taking on the role of Chief Creative Officer at JWT India in 2005. Under his leadership, JWT rose to become India’s No.1 creative agency and made global history in 2007 when Dias led the team to win India’s first-ever Grand Prix at Cannes and the country’s first Titanium/Integrated Lion—putting Indian advertising on the global map.

In 2008, Dias made the unconventional move of leaving the country’s then largest network to co-found Taproot India with Santosh Padhi. Within a year, Taproot was ranked among the world’s top 20 independent agencies and later became part of Dentsu. The agency produced award-winning and culturally resonant work for brands like PepsiCo, Nike, Coca-Cola, The Times of India, Mumbai Mirror, Unilever, DeBeers, and Airtel.

Agnello has been invited to speak at Cannes, Sydney, Vienna, Singapore, Melbourne, and Budapest. His work has been recognised globally at platforms such as The One Show, Clio, Cannes Lions, D&AD, Spikes Asia, New York Festivals, and more. He has also served as jury chairman at international advertising festivals.

Among his many honours, Agnello was named AAAI’s Copywriter of the Year, NDTV’s Creative Director of the Year, IMPACT's Person of the Year, and was conferred the title of Communicator of the Decade by the Association of Business Communicators of India. He is also the only Indian advertising professional to feature in Fast Company’s list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business. His campaigns have even received commendations from the British House of Commons and been adapted by the Election Commission of India.

In 2019, he was inducted into The Advertising Club of Calcutta’s Hall of Fame, cementing his place as a legend of Indian advertising. Today, Agnello continues to chart new paths as an independent advertising and marketing consultant, while also co-founding Spinach Experience Design, a UI/UX design and development venture.

Social Media Handle:

- LinkedIn - Agnello Dias

Website: spinachexperience.design