India’s advertising industry just got a new player - Colloquial, an unusual independent creative agency, co-founded by Ishita Misra and Pradyot Mokashi with a philosophy of ‘No voice of its own’ that sets it apart from the start.
Colloquial is inspired by the Superb Lyrebird - a creature that can mimic anything it hears: a crow, a monkey, the wail of a baby or even the roar of a chainsaw. With no distinct voice of its own, the lyrebird becomes nature’s most versatile performer. The agency says that, for them, this is the gold standard of advertising—only with no voice of its own can it truly become the voice of the brand, the consumer, and the idea, not its own echo.
Colloquial intends to blend cultural insight with craft. Ishita’s 12 years across Lowe Lintas, Tilt, and Ogilvy have produced work such as Dream11’s ‘Ye Apna Game Hai’, The Pink Foundry’s ‘Skin Is Stronger Than You Think’, Sprite’s ‘Thand Rakh’ and more. Pradyot’s journey spans from space research to storytelling at Mullen Lintas, TVF, Tilt, and Ogilvy, with award-winning campaigns like Dream11’s ‘Ye Game Hai Mahaan’, Livspace’s ‘Don’t Try This At Home’, and the relaunch of ITC Bingo! Mad Angles with its iconic humour.
“Great creative work, that solves client problems, comes from two things, understanding of the culture and the craft to make it stand out. Our vision is clear: To create work that’s rooted in culture, moulded with craft, and made to last - in memory, in meaning, and in the market.”, Ishita Misra shares.
Pradyot Mokashi adds, “Colloquial doesn’t want to have a signature style of advertising or a trademark way of thinking. Our focus is on creating ideas that are best for the brand, brief and the consumer we’re talking to. We want to create advertising for the people and not for advertising people. We believe that great ideas are born from culture, but the ones that go on to shape it, live forever. At Colloquial, we bring those ideas to life with clarity, craft, and conviction.”
Together, they describe Colloquial as an agency that has no voice of its own, but the craft to transform itself into a billion voices.
