Ravi Deshpande started his career in 1985 as an art-director with Clarion followed by Ogilvy & Mather. In 1987, Ravi went on to join Contract, a newly formed JWT company with not much to boast about. His agenda soon became, to create a unique identity for Contract. Between 1988 and 1999, Ravi turned Contract into the melting pot of the best creative minds in India and led the agency to win over 400 awards for creative excellence at the national and international front (Cannes, British D&AD, Art Directors' Club New York). The agency went on to win Agency of the Year at the Advertising & Marketing national awards four times and the Agency of the Year in Ad Club Bombay, in 1999. At an individual capacity, Ravi won numerous national and international awards and Art Director of the Year Award twice at the Advertising and Marketing national awards. In 1999, Ravi was awarded Creative Professional of the Year at the Strategic Marketing Management programme organised by the McKinsey & Company. He was awarded for "Outstanding Contribution to the Advertising Industry in India" by one of the top management institutes in India. The Advertising Club of Madras, recently nominated him as one of six living legends of Indian advertising in the last 50 years. After a long and successful inning at Contract, in August 2001, Ravi started "Lemon" in alliance with Euro RSCG Worldwide, armed with the firm belief that unconventional and passionate agencies truly build big brands. His single-minded goal was to create solid, lateral communication solutions that become indispensable to brands. In a short span of time, Lemon won some of the most coveted local and multinational clients in the industry. The company started to grow rapidly, won the hearts of clients and started being steadily recognised at international award festivals. Alongside Lemon, Ravi did the job of guiding Euro RSCG Indian Subcontinent and the Middle-East, as Chief Creative Officer in an advisory capacity. Only recently, Ravi was invited back to Contract as Chief Creative Officer for the region, in order to set a new direction for the agency. And entrusted with the task of making Contract one of the most creative agencies. He crafted the Contract way of working through his recent book: "Grow young". A theory based on the belief that un-boxed ideas reverse the ageing process of brands making them younger and more desirable. Along the way, he also created Contract's proprietary new tool, "Unboxing". A tool that facilitates a constant flow of fresh ideas at every point of interaction, keeping brands younger and fresher. To unwind, Ravi listens to jazz, paints, practises photography, informally studies Impressionism and soaks in the world around. That is, if there is time to unwind.