-By ArdorComm News Network
June 22, 2023
Sylvester daCunha, the visionary behind the iconic Amul Girl campaign, has passed away. DaCunha, along with his art director Eustace Fernandes, created the famous campaign in 1966 when he was the Managing Director of advertising agency ASP.
He transformed the image of the Amul butter brand by introducing the lively and relatable Amul Girl, aiming to capture the hearts of Indian housewives. The Amul campaign, known for its witty and timely advertisements, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2016.
The news of daCunha’s demise has deeply saddened the advertising industry, as he was highly respected and regarded as a legend in Indian advertising. Tributes poured in from various personalities, including Pavan Singh, General Manager-Marketing at Amul India, who expressed his condolences in a social media post.
Jayen Mehta, MD of Amul, shared the news of daCunha’s passing and highlighted his significant contributions to the company since the 1960s.
Very sorry to inform about the sad demise of Shri Sylvester daCunha, Chairman of daCunha Communications last night at Mumbai
A doyen of Indian advertising industry who was associated with Amul since 1960s. The Amul family joins in mourning this sad loss @RahuldaCunhaॐ Shanti 🙏 pic.twitter.com/cuac1K6FSo
— Jayen Mehta (@Jayen_Mehta) June 21, 2023
RS Sodhi, former Chief of Amul, expressed grief on Twitter with a heartfelt picture.
— R S Sodhi (@Rssamul) June 21, 2023
Air India, in a tweet, paid tribute to daCunha’s visionary mind that brought the charming Amul Girl to life, inspiring generations with creativity and storytelling.
We pay a tribute to Sylvester daCunha, the visionary mind who brought the charming Amul Girl to life. Capturing the hearts of millions, his brilliance will continue to inspire generations to come, reminding us of the power of creativity and storytelling.
May his soul rest in…
— Air India (@airindia) June 22, 2023
Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta Group, recognized daCunha’s influence on Indian households, referring to the Amul Girl as a beloved part of childhood memories.
in almost every indian household you will find our beloved amul girl..a big part of our utterly butterly delicious childhood memories
sad to hear about the demise of sylvester dacunha – the man who gave India her favorite cartoon 👧🏻
om shanti 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/hB5GFVYd93
— Anil Agarwal (@AnilAgarwal_Ved) June 22, 2023
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also mourned the loss, recalling his father’s association with daCunha on the Advertising Club’s magazine.
Saddened by the passing of Amul’s ‘UtterlyButterly’ campaign creator Sylvester daCunha. He was a good friend of my father & they worked together on the Advertising Club’s magazine “Solus”, for which Dad wrote a pseudonymous column. An era has passed. RIP https://t.co/NvuMPyiLzJ
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 21, 2023
The passing of Sylvester daCunha marks the end of an era, but his legacy and the enduring charm of the Amul Girl will continue to resonate with people across generations.