K Kurian, founder and chairman, Radeus Advertising, passed away on Monday morning. He was 80. Kurian has to his credit the famous Limca commercial, which created history with the jingle, ‘Lime ‘n’ Lemony Limca’.
Kurian joined Radeus as an industry expert in 1974. He was also a founding member of the MRUC (Media Research Users Council) and ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India). K Kurian was the third recipient of the AAAI Premnarayan Lifetime Achievement Award.
Radeus became part of TBWA India, and then Anthem in 1994. Kurian continued to be chairman of Radeus, which handled its set of clients independently. These included Limca, Amul Butter and Amul Chocolates, as well as LIC and LIC Housing Finance.
Kurian worked with TBWA India until 2006, when he gave up due to health reasons. K George John, chairman and managing director, TBWA India, says, “When he joined us in 1994, I told him that he’d be a lifetime employee of the agency and that continued until his last time.”
In 1970s and 1980s, Kurian wrote for The Economic Times under the pseudonym, Zacharay. Every advertising and marketing professional read him without fail. From 1985 to 1990, he continued writing these articles under a new pseudonym, Marko.
Kurien Mathews, director, TBWA India, who has worked closely with Kurian for 14 years, says, “In many ways, he was a mentor to me. I have learnt a great deal from him. Most importantly, I will remember him for the high ethics and values that he maintained in this profession.”
He continues, “Kurian, along with Walter Saldanha, were among the few who followed the AAAI (Advertising Agencies Association of India) rules of the 15 per cent commission.”