Shortlists, metals tally keep rising
The Indian contingent has converted nearly a fifth of the 67 shortlisted entries into metals at the ongoing global advertising show. More metals are likely as the festival draws to a close today
Indian advertising agencies have converted nearly a fifth of the 67 shortlists it has bagged at the ongoing global ad show. More metals are likely as the fest nears end on Friday, VIVEAT SUSAN PINTO writes
Indian advertising agencies have seen a nearly 20 per cent conversion rate from shortlist to metal, industry parlance for awards, at the ongoing Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.
While this is lower than anticipated, the good news is that there is a high probability of India taking home a second Grand Prix this year, notably, in the glass lion category.
Like health care, the glass lions are a segment that Indian agencies have understood well and have four strong shortlisted entries this year. These are BBDO India’s ‘#StandbyToughMoms’ for All Out (mosquito repellents), Cheil India’s ‘Samsung Technical School – Seema’, DDB Mudra’s ‘Project Free Period’ for Johnson & Johnson, and FCB India’s ‘ Sindhoor Khela – No Conditions Apply’ for The Times of India.
Rohit Ohri, group chairman and CEO, FCB India, says the shortlisted entries have the potential to win metal, given they tick the right boxes as far as addressing gender and culture-specific issues go. "The Glass Lions have a unique live judging format this year, where agencies with shortlisted work have to present it to the jurors. Following this, the results will be declared," he said on Monday.
FCB's ‘ Sindhoor Khela', which breaks the age-old tradition practised by Bengali women of smearing vermillion at each other, has already bagged a bronze metal (in the brand experience and activation category) at the Cannes Lions on Wednesday. It is tipped to do well in more categories including the glass lions, experts said. Among other favourites expected to do well in the glass lions category this year are BBDO's ‘#StandbyToughMoms’ and DDB Mudra's 'Project Free Period'. The latter ('Project Free Period') has already won a silver at the Cannes Lions in the health care category on Monday. So far, India has two gold, four silver and six bronze at the Cannes Lions. It also has a Grand Prix for Good in the health care category for TBWA India’s ‘Blink to Speak’, the second in a row for a local agency. Last year, McCann India had bagged a Grand Prix for Good for ‘Immunity Charm’, a piece of work that tackled the issue of immunisation in Afghanistan creatively and simply. This was of using a beaded bracelet that had different colours representing the different vaccines taken by a child. The more the number of vaccines taken, the more complete the bracelet was with coloured beads. Moreover, stakeholders — from the child’s mother to the doctor and nurse — could figure out in one glance how many and which doses the child had taken.
McCann this year has brought home India’s second gold at the Cannes Lions for ‘Paytm Sweet Change’ in the creativity e-commerce category on Wednesday. The first gold was won by TBWA on Monday in health care for ‘Blink to Speak’.
A new segment introduced this year at the Cannes Lions, creativity ecommerce also fetched McCann a silver lion for the same (Paytm) campaign.