Creativity shines at The Acko Drive Awards jury meet
The Acko Drive Awards for the Indian automobile industry seek to establish the highest standard in the space. To determine the winners, three jury meetings were held, each for a specific set of award categories. While the first two jury meetings were dedicated to testing and assessing new bikes and cars launched in the past year, the third jury meeting evaluated the work done around those products or their brands. These awards recognise the best automotive communication work in the categories of advertising, marketing and public relations.
The overwhelming response to this category of awards meant that the jury meet had to be spread across two days. There were a range of entries from leading automotive brands and their agencies.
In round one, participants had to present their entries virtually to the jury panel. Each entry was evaluated on the basis of creativity, efficacy and impact. The categories included Best Creative Film, Best Integrated Campaign, Best Social Media Campaign, and Best PR and
Communications Team. All categories have separate awards for both the two-wheeler and fourwheeler segments.
The jury included Ajay Gahlaut, former creative head of Dentsu India; Nandini Dias, ex-CEO, Lodestar; Siddharth Vinayak Patankar, chief creative officer, Acko Tech and vice chairman at World Car Awards; Yogendra Pratap, editor, Auto Today; Anita Sharma, marketing and PR veteran, and Nikhil Chawla, tech and auto expert.
The judges were impressed by the high quality of entries and had a tough time drawing a shortlist of finalists. Hence, only the top five in each category could gain access to the final round, which was held at a Gurugram-based hotel. The finalists were invited to present their entries to the jury in person. The jurors discussed each category and then voted in the presence of the awards’ official tabulator, Grand Thornton Bharat. The winners would only be revealed at the awards ceremony.
The categories of public relations, advertising and marketing emphasise the importance of effective communication and marketing strategies in the automotive industry. The entries showcased not just innovative ideas but also demonstrated the power of effective communication in driving brand awareness and sales, as well as the value of good presentation of that messaging.
The Acko Drive Awards programme acknowledges and honours the best in the industry. Therefore, it is The One That Matters or #TOTM.