Advertising veteran Pratap Bose passed away on Thursday after battling a major illness. He is survived by his wife and two children. Industry executives expressed disbelief at the untimely demise of the ad veteran with Storyboard18. They remembered him as an ever-smiling calm individual who not only dreamt big but also helped many to achieve their true potential.
With over two decades of experience working with top agencies such as Ogilvy India and DDB Mudra Group, Bose was known for his expertise in building the outdoor advertising business in India. After serving as the CEO of Ogilvy India and the COO of DDB Mudra Group, Bose took the entrepreneurial plunge in 2015. He co-founded The Social Street, a marketing communication agency, along with his business partner Mandeep Malhotra. After scaling and developing the business for over five years, he stepped down in 2020 and worked as a marketing consultant until recently.
Mandeep Malhotra, his business partner at Social Street, who has also worked with Bose at Ogilvy and DDB Mudra, owes a lot to him. “I have worked closely with him for over two decades. He played a crucial role in shaping who I am today, as well as influencing the lives of thousands of people he touched throughout his career. Technically, he was the face of the out-of-home agency business in India,” Malhotra shares.
Bose served as a mentor and guide to Malhotra, teaching him not only the tricks of the agency business but also fishing. Malhotra remembers Bose as a happy and cheerful individual who was always excited about new possibilities and avenues in the advertising and marketing world.
Outside of advertising, Bose had many interests. He was passionate about sports and wildlife photography, as well as collecting art.
It is no wonder that his former colleague Bobby Pawar, chairman, and chief creative officer of Havas Group, compares Bose’s personality to the spring season, symbolizing growth and optimism. Pawar worked closely with Bose as a part of his core team at DDB Mudra Group. “He nurtured the ground for so many to grow. He enriched the soil where we planted our dreams. To me, he was a giant of a man, not just because he was over six feet tall while I stood at a mere five-foot-four. It was his spirit that made him a significant presence in people’s lives. He was generous to a fault,” Pawar writes in a LinkedIn post.
Pawar, in a heartfelt note, expresses that Bose played an instrumental role in transforming Mudra into a creative powerhouse, but above all, he was a great friend. “He would tell captivating stories after having a couple of whiskeys. And that laugh of his—it began in his belly, shook his body, illuminated his crinkled eyes, and infected everyone around him. Reason tells us that he is gone, but I ask, is he truly? Because there are parts of him that live on in all of us who loved the man,” he adds.
Ajay Kakar, a brand and marketing consultant, recalls the various roles Bose played throughout their two-decade-long journey together. Kakar worked with Bose as a colleague at Ogilvy Bengaluru, then as a client-agency partner, and later as a managing committee member of Ad Club when Bose served as the industry body’s president.
“My earliest memory of him during our Ogilvy days was his ever-smiling face—always positive, always optimistic. He was a Chartered Accountant by profession, and in some way, I could relate to him because I was also pursuing a CA degree until I was drawn into the advertising industry,” he recalls.
Kakar remembers Bose’s ever-smiling face and his calm demeanor even in the most testing situations. “Whenever we had any issues, whether with clients, colleagues, or just in our day-to-day activities, his calm expression and smile reassured everyone, saying, ‘Don’t worry, it will all be okay’,” he recounts.
According to Kakar, Bose always aimed high and then focused his mind on how to make those aspirations a reality. He was equally dedicated to nurturing talent among those who worked with him or were associated with him in any capacity.
“It was his ambition to excel in whatever he chose to do, whether it was making the OOH business formidable at Ogilvy, leading the agency as its CEO, or building Mudra into a creative agency of great repute. He also initiated a new venture, The Social Street, which quickly became the most awarded agency at the Abby Awards. He also fostered talent that now holds a prominent place in our industry,” he adds.
Kakar expresses his regret that while Bose achieved most of his dreams, unfortunately, life did not give him the time and opportunity to fully savor the fruits of his labor and life.