Brendan Conan Pereira, the co-founder of Chaitra Advertising, now known as Leo Burnett, passed away at the age of 96. Pereira played a significant role in launching Vimal, working closely with Dhirubhai Ambani.
Pereira’s journey in advertising began in 1945 when he enrolled at the Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art, where he studied block-making, lithography and photography. In 1949, he joined L.A. Stronachs Advertising as an apprentice before moving to D.J. Keymer (now O&M) as a visualiser and assistant to the art director.
In 1956, Pereira moved to the UK for further education and experience, joining Rapier Design and later Baron Moss as Art Director.
Returning to India in 1960, Pereira joined Aiyars Advertising to work on the Beechams account. He spent a year in London with Beechams to understand their products and global marketing strategies. By 1961, he was back in India as Aiyars’ creative director, eventually joining the board when Aiyars linked with LPE, London.
In March 1972, Pereira co-founded Chaitra Advertising (now Leo Burnett) with Walter Saldanha. He left Chaitra in 1983 to establish his consultancy, Glima. Later, he supported the formation of Nova Advertising Palace.
Pereira was the president of the Communication Arts Guild (CAG), Mumbai, from 1976 to 1993, and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2014, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Cathedral of the Holy Name Archdiocese, Mumbai.
Pereira retired in 2001 but remained active in charity work for the church and various NGOs.