Maitri Advertising Works, an independent powerhouse celebrated for its deep roots and world-class creative execution, has secured the highest honors at the inaugural ET Shark Awards – The South Chapter, from ET Brand Equity.
The agency was proudly named ‘Agency of the Year (South)’, and Maitri’s Chairman, C. Muthu, received the prestigious ‘CEO of the Year (South)’ award. These wins reflect Maitri’s philosophy: delivering creative excellence built on authentic, inside-out understanding of the Southern market.
While many agencies approach South Indian markets from an external perspective, Maitri recognized that a genuine connection requires leveraging deep local culture and language. This powerful combination of regional insight and high-quality creative craftsmanship has allowed Maitri to create campaigns that resonate on an authentic and personal level, standing shoulder to shoulder with national standards. This successful approach resulted in Maitri winning six metals at the glamorous ceremony, including three Gold and three Silver awards.
The agency’s strategic execution was highlighted by its Gold wins for culturally resonant campaigns: Asianet Poopaattu for Storytelling rooted in South Indian culture, Poopaattu for Cultural art and music integration marketing, and a Gold for the Bigg Boss Malayalam season 7 campaign.
At Maitri we believe that the agency must be made up of heroes rather than one super hero. Which eventually makes the agency the super hero. It is gladdening that all our seniors actively interact with their juniors and pass on their skills and knowledge. -C. Muthu, Chairman
Further demonstrating creative prowess, Maitri secured Silver metals for the Bgmi Thokkumootil Viral Marketing Campaign, a Humour based/Meme marketing campaign, and the MyG Onam Mass Onam Retail market campaign. The agency continues to set benchmarks, leveraging its unique strategic depth to deliver powerful results. In the south, we get to work with fantastic talent at a fraction of the cost of national campaigns, and we’ve got clients who are willing to experiment. Moving from Mumbai to Kerala has been a superbly rewarding career decision, creatively. – Francis Thomas
