Graphic Design
The Evolution of Whoa Mama in Design!
Anek Ahuja shares the story, vision, and creative strategies behind the success of Whoa Mama design studio.
In the bustling world of advertising and design, it’s rare to find a story that starts with a burger. But for two hungry 21-year-olds, Shaun D’Sa and Anek Ahuja, their journey began in a burger joint, leading to the creation of Whoa Mama—a design studio that would challenge industry norms. With a name inspired by a mind-blowing burger, the studio has grown into a beacon of creativity and innovation in the design world. We interviewed Anek Ahuja to explore their unique journey, their approach to branding, and how they’ve maintained a cutting-edge presence in both digital and traditional media.
Hey, "Whoa Mama" — that's quite a catchy name! Can you share the story behind it?
Two hungry 21-year-olds, Shaun D’Sa and myself Anek Ahuja, step into a burger joint while thinking of a name that expresses work that blows your mind. The burger we both ate was called the Woah Mama
So, before we dive into the nitty-gritty, how did it all start for Whoa Mama?
Shaun & I were both working for different agencies, tired of the culture and the mundane work, we wanted to only work on clients that we thought were interesting. We wanted to build a company with a culture that allowed everyone to be free and create an inspiring space that allowed everyone to be creative. So we quit our jobs after working for about two years and started Whoa Mama. Shaun came from a print and branding background, while I specialised in Digital Design, animation and websites. We bought two high-powered computers with saved up money, opened up a studio space on the terrace of my house and built our first website.
At Whoa Mama, crafting brands through evolving strategies is the key. How do you adapt and evolve these strategies to keep communication effective across offline and digital platforms?
As a 17-year-old firm, we've seen how digital platforms started and boomed. For us Branding is more than the platform. Crafting brands and communication means creating a meaningful story that speaks clearly to its audience. Once we crack that then it's really about adapting the story to the platform. It also helps that we've been around from a time when everything was print and outdoor to understand how brands and their owners have evolved.
Naming is a significant part of your brand creation process. How do you collaborate with clients to ensure the name you craft aligns with their business agenda and vision while still allowing them to play an active role in the process?
At Whoa Mama, we believe the brand is a child, and there are two parents: the client and the agency. A successful relationship between two partners means clear communication, understanding and respect. That's the only way the child grows up to be successful. Once the client understands this, naming their baby becomes easier. Of course, we do extensive research and work with a legal team to ensure we aren't presenting names that are already wordmarked. The name is considered carefully in alignment with the brand's positioning and most importantly with the communication that follows.
How do you ensure a brand's visual identity remains consistent and memorable across all touchpoints, from logos to email signatures, while adapting to changing times?
When we create an identity, our focus shifts to creating a design system that's an expression of that identity. As a firm, we have a strong foot in digital design, offline communication and film. This helps create strong, user-friendly guidelines for clients so anyone who plans to work with the brand has a clear understanding of brand templates. After workshopping and delivering the visual identity manual, it becomes the client's responsibility to make sure they enforce the guidelines.
How do you uncover a brand's sweet spot in the market through user profiling and competitive audits, ensuring it resonates instantly with its audience?
We used external agencies many times to get consumer insights before we began. That makes a big difference. But more than that, sweet spots are when you can create positioning and an identity that can get customer to stop in their tracks and notice your brand. Sometimes, just standing apart from the competition can do that, going the unconventional route or choosing a colour that the category doesn't use.
From environment design to technology integration, you cover it all. How do you help brands create unique consumer experiences across different industries?
Consistency. Every brand needs to have a consistent language they use across their touch points. As a firm, we believe creating that consistency is the key. We have worked with over 20 different industries, and every time we work with a new industry, it excites us because we take a deep dive to understand the client's business. Once you have a full view of the client's business model, vision and objectives, the job becomes easier. Furthermore, it's a trusting client that allows us to dream further - both creatively and financially, we push the boundaries and arrive at beautiful new ways to represent their agenda.
What unique challenges do you face when crafting advertising campaigns that seamlessly integrate both traditional and digital marketing channels? Could you share examples?
I'll give you one unique challenge that we had. We had to market a Saree for Palam Silks that had musical notes printed on the Pattu (border) of the saree. The client wanted to launch this through the Margazhi season (classical music).
First, we wanted the notes to mean something, so we got a popular classical musician to give us notes of Ragas. He gave us 5 Ragas.
Next, we wanted to record those ragas, so we took him to Kanchipuram to record the sound of the Loom that would move from side to side. This made a rhythmic sound. He used the rhythm and then recorded the ragas over it. The rhythm created from the Loom replaced what would be drums or tablas.
We then launched a website that allowed women to take a personality quiz that would point them to a Raga that would suit their personality. Which in turn would point them to the particular saree to buy.
We also had a press release where models wore the different ragas and then walked the ramp with those ragas playing at the back.
With incredible access to the industry, new-age creatives prefer to start their studios. Today, we can see several strong brands which have come out by partnering with these niche studios. Being one of the OG small but big impact agencies in India, do you think monolithic agencies are losing a bit of speed?
I think the market is booming big or small. The real question is as an agency are you purely relying on referrals, and names in the market or are you marketing yourself? At Whoa Mama we made this shift, we extensively market our work. The minute you don't market yourself you will lose speed. Every brand we work with arrives and sustains with the delight of the studio's top creative and servicing management actively involved in their work. The big-small advantage, to us, is a prime reason our clients respect our integrity and work.
If you were given an unlimited budget and resources to create a project, what would it be, and why?
At Whoa Mama, we are a collective of graphic designers, artists, writers, musicians, architects and terrarium designers. Everyone has a fine aesthetic and commendable art capabilities, even our account managers are illustrators and painters. With all this creative energy and wealth in-house, our future lies in creating products of art, bringing design into your home and your everyday life.
Innovation and pushing boundaries seem to be integral to Whoa Mama's approach. Can you share some examples of projects where you've embraced experimentation and achieved groundbreaking results?
We once cut a royal enfield bullet into half right down the centre for a biker-themed bar that we branded called the Chu. The entire process of finding a defunct bike, splitting all the parts and then installing it on a wall, was a super fun experiment that gave us a beautiful installation.
Before you go, one last question. what advice do you have for young creatives or designers looking to start their studio?
A studio's culture cannot be bought or borrowed, you have to create your path, one which becomes a lifestyle that others proudly adopt. One in which everyone can be heard and not crushed. Everyone's time and integrity is important. Building a culture means building up people and having them smile daily. All clients and jobseekers gravitate towards the energy and charm of a studio's culture. For the work to come in; spend energy on putting your work out there, spend money on marketing. Stick with it during the tough times. Communicate with your partners and your clients. Shoot the gun first when you mess up. Create roles and responsibilities, and don't step on anyone's toes.
