Hot Young Creatives Flashback: Hottest 2013 talent still hot or not?

They were some of our hottest talent in 2013's edition of Hot Young Creatives. We asked them to evaluate themselves today and give us honest feedback on their own performance in 2014.
Surprisingly, our HYCs past weren't unduly generous in the comments section of their personal report cards. Though we'd have loved a few cheeky evaluations, after all, advertising's hardly the place to be proper and modest

Godwin D'mello, 29 Associate Creative Director, DDB Mudra Group



In an environment where ad legends are celebrated for their decade old work, D'mello believes an adman is as good as his last ad. Strictly basis the last set of ads he's made, our last year's HYC, then a copywriter at McCann, thinks he's had a better run this year around. His films for HBO form a sizable chunk of the work he's happy with.

D'mello moved to DDB Mudra in February this year. Just a month after Rahul Mathew, his mentor at McCann, shifted to the said agency. No tales of grand celebrations in office after he attained the HYC title. Woes of a strenuous agency life or jealous ex-colleagues, who knows? Never mind that, his family and distant relatives more than compensated for the lack of revelry at work. His mother, who thought her son was up to no good, was especially impressed.

Natasha Nair, 25 Copywriter, Ogilvy & Mather



After spending close to three years in advertising, two years at Law & Kenneth and a year at DDB Mudra Group, Nair joined Ogilvy Mumbai just a month ago and is currently working with executive creative director Anup Chitnis' team on brands like Bru Coffee, Tata Motors, CEAT Tyres and Mahindra Life Spaces. She is not counting herself as any miniceleb, at least not until she has awards or work that is recognised to prove her worth.

"Personally, I have become an improved version of myself", she says in the last year. She feels, however, that she is yet to live up to her potential what with people around her who are gunning for awards and doing something new and pathbreaking every day. That's the goal next year: meet your own expectations.

Ryan Mendonca, 30 Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather



Ryan Mendonca was wholly reluctant to evaluate himself on whether he's lived up to the 'Hot Young Creative' title. "I can't do this without sounding vain!" he claimed. But when persuaded, he gave in and assessed himself anyway. He didn't say whether he was hot or not, but rated himself at a modest 'medium spicy'.

Fair enough. His life also seems to have taken a few good turns since he was crowned HYC last year – he has been promoted, the perks of which include having a bigger desk and a chair with a neck rest. He is pretty excited about the public acknowledgement of his neck (his words, not ours). In closing, Mendonca and his neck seem to think that they're doing very well for themselves, thank you very much.

Yohan Daver, 25 Creative Partner – Copy, BBH India



2014 has been a reasonably good year, says Yohan Daver. The copywriter bagged awards at The One Show and Spikes for the Skoda Rapid campaign, and recognition at local award shows for VAT 69's 'No We Can't' film and contextual print ads. He was also a part of the team that cracked the TV-led 'VAT 69 – One in a 100' campaign. Watch it the next time you turn on the television.

Daver has no complaints from the year gone by, but believes he can do much, much better. And how has life treated the ex-Hot Young Creative since he became one last year? "Honestly, very little has changed," he says with a true sense of modesty. We suppose that includes his self-confessed disdain for taxi drivers, who, he believes, are constantly conspiring to take him for a ride, and that's figuratively speaking.