And The Nerve, a Pakistan-based agency founded by Hira Mohibullah and Daniah Ishtiaq in May last year, announced its official entry into the Pakistani market earlier this year.

When Mohibullah reached out to Manifest to update us about the move, one of the points which caught our attention was a ‘talent tie-up’ with Indian agency Kulfi Collective. 

In our March issue, we caught up with Mohibullah and Ishtiaq, along with their ‘Indian partners’ Advait Gupt, chief executive officer and co-founder, Kulfi Collective, and Manoti Jain, chief operating officer,  Kulfi Collective, to learn more about  this cross-border partnership.

Mohibullah spent two years in the United States with VML, where she was executive creative director. Before this, she had stints in Pakistan with BBDO, Ogilvy, and Adcom Leo Burnett. Ishtaq was with BBDO as planning director in her last stint and has also worked with Ogilvy, MullenLowe and Saatchi on the agency side, while also having a stint on the brand side with Coca-Cola. Like many start-ups in the agency space in India, And The Nerve looks to work with clients on projects and hires freelancers to work on each.

“We call ourselves And The Nerve because we want the most fearless and audacious ideas. With Kulfi Collective, it’s the same it’s a shared ideology,” said Mohibullah, capturing the creative alignment between the two companies.

This spirit of pushing boundaries and taking bold creative leaps defines their collaboration, setting the stage for campaigns that not only stand out but also resonate deeply.

That synergy extends beyond just creativity it’s rooted in their cultural perspectives as well. “Being culturally diverse but also very similar is the energy we are living off right now, and that is the key,” added Gupt. This balance of shared vision and distinct backgrounds fuels their innovative approach, creating a partnership that thrives on fresh ideas and cultural authenticity.

This interview was first published in our March issue. Read the entire conversation here!