Remembering Fali Vakeel, the last of the Mad Men in Indian advertising

Ad veteran and former VP of Lowe Lintas, Fali Vakeel passed on Saturday morning at the age of 71.

In a LinkedIn post by MullenLowe Lintas Group, the company grieved over the veteran’s loss and said, “Advertising loses its colour. Your wit and wisdom will forever resonate in our hearts. Your legacy at Lintas will never be forgotten.” 

Famously known as the ‘Last of the Mad Men in Indian advertising’ by his colleagues, Vakeel joined Lintas in the early ‘80s. Before his long relationship with Lintas, Vakeel spent a total of eight years at JWT and McCann in London. 

At Lintas, Vakeel headed multiple regional markets, spending 15 years leading the Bengaluru office. In 2011, he was appointed as the Chairman of the company. Even after stepping down from his role as the vice chairman of Lintas, Vakeel maintained strong ties with the agency, continuing to serve as a Trustee of its Employee Welfare Trust.

People from the advertising and marketing industry took to their social media and expressed their grief: