Reggie Candappa

During World War II his family moved to Eheliyagoda, where he worked as a freelance artist and illustrator, soon becoming a prolific designer of advertisements. After the war, he decided to set up his own office. His business rapidly expanded, and he soon had several artists working under him.[3] He quickly developed contacts with the British administration, and was asked to design a crest for the Royal Air Force. He also helped to set up and run the magazine Lanka. In 1946, needing a steady job after his marriage, he joined Lake House, the home of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon, where he worked for twelve years. He later stated,

It was a great opening for me. I was trained in printing, print production, wrote articles, drew political cartoons, and illustrated the Sunday Observer. I became famous, and ended up with four desks, in the Advertising Department, Art Department, Engraving Department and the lithographic Department.[3]

In 1957 he got a scholarship to work in America and to learn the latest techniques of American advertising and design. At the same time, he was offered a job with Grant Advertising which he took up while working his scholarship at the Grant offices in Chicago and Hollywood. He was given the job of setting up a new branch of Grant's in Colombo. He quickly built up the business, which he later bought, running it as an independent advertising agency under the name Grant McCann Erickson.[3]