‘Every impossibility contains a possibility’

Varun Kumar Anand’s passion for advertising and creative production began even before he completed his graduation. It’s because he grew up with a sibling who is the business head of an advertising agency. With a strong creative bent of mind, Varun began working as a disc jockey and music producer soon after graduating. He is also interested in video production. The artistic method that companies summarise stories in one-minute video advertising always fascinated him. 

Then, in 2016, he enrolled at the Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication (AIMC). The best aspect of AIMC, according to him, is how the course structure, internal challenges, industry exposures, and workshops helped him hone his communication and creative abilities. “We were able to better grasp how multinational corporations and event organisations operate thanks to the guest lectures given by specialists from top advertising and event firms, ” he added.  

Currently, the AIMC alumnus is working with CRI Events Private Limited as the Head of Creative Communication and Design wherein he works with clients including Cargill, Bharti Foundation,  Concentrix, 7N, Pepsico, to name a few. He was also a part of 2019 Kargil Vijay Diwas event team, which was attended by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and was broadcast live on all news channels. “In addition, I have worked with celebrities Kapil Sharma, Boman Irani, Guru Randhawa and a few months ago with Shikhar Dhwan for his ‘Shikhar Dhawan Foundation’ launch event,” he said. Read the interview to know more about Varun’s professional journey. Edited excerpts:

Did you always aspire to work as a creative producer? How did you choose your career path?

My career as a music producer began soon after college. Since then, I’ve started putting my own creative efforts into making videos for my remix album and live performances. This was my initial attempt at being creative in the world of events. I was still immature at that time, and wanted to learn more about this industry.

When was your first experience with the advertising or event industry?

I received a job offer from Vermillion Communication as a creative visualiser after completing my postgraduate studies at AIMC. At Vermillion Communication, I gained valuable experience managing mainstream advertising campaigns and creative production. During my employment, I had the opportunity to conceptualise and design innovative campaigns. After working at Vermillion for a year, I joined CRI Events where I got an opportunity to create innovative designs and videos for both ground and hybrid events.

How did AIMC groom you to face challenges of the professional world?

That one year in AIMC was undoubtedly a pivotal time in my life. Discovering more about my personality, my beliefs, and my areas of enthusiasm. AIMC also taught me the value of going the extra mile to accomplish goals. My personal development, networking, and career development have all benefited from my complete immersion in the advertising and events industries.

Any key takeaways from the institute you wish to highlight? 

Opportunities like creating hypothetical campaigns and providing industry exposure to students helps them understand how an agency actually functions. The challenges and deadlines that the AIMC faculty made me meet during my post graduation year have prepared me to manage any circumstance in the real world that added to my overall development. AIMC has some of the best mentors from the industry and they will always help you develop into the best professional you can be.

Tips for the aspirants planning to pursue career in advertising and design industry

Don’t restrict your imagination, just think freely. Soak every line, shape, colour that you see around into your inner self and it will help you create any kind of advertising campaign. The word “impossible” is merely an optical illusion. Every impossibility contains a possibility.