Sylvester Dacunha was a businessman, ad guru, and entrepreneur who was famous for creating the iconic Amul Girl campaign. He was born on 19 October 1930 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, and died on 21 June 2023 in the same city. He was 92 years old at the time of his death.
Marriage, Wife & Kids
Sylvester Dacunha was married to Nisha Dacunha, a writer and theatre personality. They had a son named Rahul Dacunha, who is also an advertising professional and the current director of daCunha Communications. Sylvester was also a sports enthusiast and loved playing golf and tennis.
Family, Parents & Siblings
Sylvester Dacunha was a renowned advertising professional who created Amul Girl, the iconic mascot of the Amul dairy brand, in the 1960s. He was born into a Goan Catholic (Christian Brahmin) family and was one of twelve children of Francisco Caetano da Cunha and Leopoldina Maria Gonçalves.
His father, Mr. da Cunha, and his mother, Mrs. da Cunha, raised him and his siblings in a large house in Mumbai. One of his brothers was Gerson da Cunha, a famous actor, and social activist.
Sylvester Dacunha followed in his brother’s footsteps and entered the marketing field, where he founded DaCunha Communications, a company that specialized in creating catchy slogans and designs for various clients. He became famous for designing the Amul Girl campaign, which is considered one of the longest-running and most popular advertising campaigns in the world.
Wiki | Bio
| Full Name | Sylvester Dacunha |
| AKA | Sylvester Da Cunha Sylvie daCunha |
| Real Name | Sylvester daCunha |
| Age | 92 years old |
| Date of Birth | October 19, 1930 |
| Birthplace | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Date of Death | June 21, 2023 |
| Place of Death | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Cause of Death | Not Known |
| Occupation | Businessman, Ad Guru, Entrepreneur |
| Famous For | Creator of Amul Girl |
| Education | Graduate |
| Alma mater | St. Mary’s High School, Mumbai Princeton University |
| Wife | Nisha daCunha |
| Son | Rahul DaCunha |
| Brother | Gerson daCunha |
| Father | Mr. daCunha |
| Mother | Mrs. daCunha |
| Height | 5 feet 8 inches (approx.) |
| Weight | 70 kilograms (approx.) |
| Hair Color | White |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Religion | Christian |
| Net Worth | INR 90-100 crores (approx.) |
| Homepage | Dreshare.com |
The Creator of Amul Girl Died
Sylvester Dacunha, the creator of the iconic Amul Girl campaign, passed away on 21 June 2023 at the age of 92 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The cause of his death is not known. He was the founder and chairman of daCunha Communications, an advertising agency that has been handling the Amul account since 1966. He is widely regarded as a legend of the Indian advertising world and a marketing genius.
Sylvester Dacunha was responsible for designing the Amul Girl, a mischievous girl with blue hair and a polka-dotted dress, who became the face of the dairy brand and a social commentator. The Amul Girl ads have been offering a witty and humorous take on various events and issues in India and around the world for over five decades. The campaign is one of the longest continuously running advertising campaigns in the world and has won several awards and accolades.
Dacunha is survived by his wife Nisha, who also contributed to the Amul campaign, and his son Rahul, who is the current managing director of daCunha Communications. He will be remembered for his creativity, innovation, and vision that made Amul a household name in India.
Professional Career
Sylvester Dacunha started his career as a copywriter at Lintas, an advertising agency. In 1966, he became the managing director of ASP (Advertising Sales and Promotion), another advertising agency that was handling the account of Amul Butter. He joined hands with art director Eustace Fernandes and created the Amul Girl campaign, which is considered one of the longest-running and most successful advertising campaigns in the world.
The Amul Girl is a hand-drawn cartoon of a young Indian girl dressed in a polka-dotted frock with blue hair and a half pony tied up. She is seen commenting on various social, political, and cultural events with witty slogans that end with “Amul: Utterly Butterly Delicious”. The campaign has been running since 1966 and has featured over 6000 ads on billboards, newspapers, magazines, TV, and digital platforms.
Sylvester Dacunha was also the founder and chairman of daCunha Communications, a creative agency that continued to handle the Amul account till his death. He also worked on other brands such as Cadbury’s, Parle-G, Tata Tea, and Britannia. He won several awards and accolades for his work, including the Padma Shri in 2009.
Early Life, Age & Education
Sylvester Dacunha, also known as Sylvester Da Cunha or Sylvie daCunha, was a prominent figure born on October 19, 1930, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. He passed away at the age of 92 on June 21, 2023, in Mumbai.
Dacunha’s educational journey began at St. Mary’s High School in Mumbai, where he laid the foundation for his academic pursuits. Later, he pursued higher education at Princeton University, an esteemed institution located in the United States.
Net Worth
Sylvester Dacunha’s net worth is not publicly known but he was estimated to be one of the richest ad men in India. His main source of income was his creative agency daCunha Communications which handled several prestigious accounts. He also earned royalties from his books and articles on advertising and marketing. According to a guess, his estimated net worth is around INR 90-100 crores (approx.).
Social Media Profiles
Sylvester Dacunha was active on social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. He used to share his views on various topics and interact with his fans and followers. His social media handles are:
Facebook: @sylvester.dacunha
LinkedIn: @sylvester-da-cunha
Twitter: @SylvesterdaCunha
Facts About Sylvester Dacunha
- Sylvester Dacunha was born in 1930 in Mumbai, India, and studied at St. Mary’s High School.
- He founded his own advertising agency, daCunha Communications, in 1968 and remained its chairman until his death.
- Sylvester created the iconic Amul Girl campaign in 1966, along with his wife Nisha and art director Eustace Fernandez.
- Sylvester came up with the idea of a mischievous girl with blue hair and a polka-dotted dress as a mascot for Amul Butter, a dairy co-operative based in Gujarat.
- Dacunha also coined the catchy tagline “Utterly Butterly Delicious” for the brand, which has become synonymous with Amul.
- He was inspired by the topical cartoons of RK Laxman and decided to use humor and satire to comment on current affairs through the Amul Girl ads.
- Dacunha wrote over 4,000 Amul Girl ads over five decades, covering various events and personalities from politics, sports, entertainment, and social issues.
- He won several awards and accolades for his work, including the Padma Shri in 2000, India’s fourth-highest civilian honor.
- Da Cunha was also a prolific writer and published several books, including The Best of DaCunhas (1982), The Amul India Story (2007), and Amul’s India 3.0 (2017).
- He was a mentor and inspiration for many advertising professionals and celebrities, who admired his creativity and wit.
- He died on June 20, 2023, at the age of 87 in Mumbai, after a brief illness.
- Sylvester is survived by his wife Nisha, his son Rahul, who is also an advertising executive and the current managing director of daCunha Communications, and his daughter-in-law Malini.
- He was cremated at Chandanwadi crematorium in Mumbai on June 21, 2023, with many dignitaries and friends paying their last respects.
- Sylvester left behind a legacy of one of the longest-running and most popular advertising campaigns in the world, which has become a part of India’s cultural history.
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