Lintas company began operating in Mumbai, India in 1969 as the Indian division of the advertising wing of Lever brothers. It worked as a subsidiary of Lintas international which was established in 1899 and was later made a part of Unilever. During this period, the agency made many popular advertising campaigns under its director Alyque Padamsee. The agency was training grounds for a number of subsequently successful personalities in the Indian advertising scene. Up to the 1980s, Lintas, daCunha, HTA, Purnima advertising, Mudra communications, Trikaya Grey and O&M were among the largest advertising companies in India.
Take over by the Lowe group
In 2000, the company changed its name to Lowe Lintas following the global merger of IPG networks, Ammirati Puris Lintas and the Lowe Group in November 1999. MullenLowe Lintas Group was then helmed by Prem Mehta, with Executive Creative Directors R. Balakrishnan and K. M. Sridhar leading the creative function. At the time, with billings of over $11 billion, MullenLowe Group was ranked as the fourth-largest global agency group worldwide, with offices in 80 countries, while MullenLowe Lintas Group is one of the top three advertising agencies in India by revenue. In 2007, Lintas India sold the 51% stake it owned in MullenLowe Lintas Group to its international partner, the Interpublic Group. Since then, the agency has been a part of MullenLowe Group, which in turn is held by the Interpublic Group. MullenLowe Lintas Group has produced India's first television commercial, and also introduced the discipline of Channel Planning to India. It has introduced Shyam Benegal, Gerson da Cunha, Rama Bijapurkar, Gautam Rajadhyaksha and Alyque Padamsee. R. Balki, former Group Chairman, quit advertising and retired from the group in the month of August 2016. In addition to Lowe Lintas, the group started two new agencies - Mullen Lintas - a challenger agency, in August 2015, and - beta version of a full service omni-channel agency, in August 2017. In May 2015 the multinational company Lowe Worldwide merged with Mullen, a US based agency to form the MullenLowe Group, which in turn became part of the Interpublic Group of Companies. Headquartered out of London, Lowe Worldwide has over 100 offices in 82 countries. As per its website, MullenLowe Lintas Group offers advertising, digital, public relations, strategic design, rural marketing, and video content. Geoff Cottrill is currently the president of American operations.
