MxMIndia

Category: Awards

  • The National Level Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity 2012-13 were presented on Thursday

    Laadli media and advertising awards presented

    By A Correspondent

     

    The fifth edition of “The National Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity 2012-13″ recognised media and advertising professionals at an event organized by NGO, Population First, on Thursday, February 20 in Mumbai. The awards are being presented by the Tata group and supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

     

    The Laadli of the Century Award was presented to Shaukhat Kaifi, noted film and theatre personality who was one of the founder members of IPTA and the theatre movement in India. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to well-known painter Lalitha Lajmi. The Marathi film Prem Manjhe Prem Manjhe Prem Astha! was selected under the film category.

     

    Starting this year, Laadli instituted a special award titled “Laadli Extraordinaire” for recognising mediapersons who have fought against gender violence, discrimination and have shown exemplary courage and conviction in their personal and professional life. This year’s award went to Rina Mukherji, who fought against an established newspaper as her services were terminated when she filed a sexual harassment complaint against a senior colleague.

     

    A panel of distinguished jury members comprising eminent media and social sector personalities namely Dilip D’souza, K.V. Sreedhar, Lynn de Souza, Sathya Saran, Satish Nandagaonkar, Shishir Joshi, Shobhaa De, Sidharth Bhatia, Monica TATA, Monica Wahi, Mrinmayee Ranade, Nandini Sardesai, MxMIndia Contributing Editor and columnist Ranjona Banerji and Vishwanath Sachdev selected the winners for media and advertising awards.

     

    Speaking about the fifth round of the Laadli Awards, Dr A L Sharada, Director of Population First said: “We received around 1700+ entries this year and more than the increase in numbers what is satisfying is the range of topics covered- from problems faced by women in conflict areas of Kashmir to the strength of women in the remote areas of Kushinagar fighting for toilets at home to the need for understanding the problems of transgenders to the trauma of the two finger test for rape. All these varied topics have been dealt with a more gender-nuanced perspective. The jury had a tough time selecting the winners. This goes to show that the concern is not just a fleeting one but here to stay. It is heartening to note that many of the winners have consciously made a decision to communicate with greater sensitivity.”

     

     

  • The 2014 DISS edition saw India emerge as the second biggest contributor of entries behind Russia that led the way with the highest number

    DISS 2014 showcases motivational entries from India

    By a correspondent

     

    The 2014 edition of the ‘Done in 60 Seconds’ competition saw a host of participants from across India sending in their entries to the coveted event.

     

    In November 2013, Jameson and Empire Magazine opened the ‘Done in 60 Seconds 2014’ competition with Talenthouse India to challenge budding filmmakers to recreate classic Hollywood films in less than 60 seconds. Celebrating the golden era of Hollywood, 130 shorts films were crowdsourced on Talenthouse’s platform. Globally, in 2014, India emerged as the second biggest contributor out of 16 countries with Russia having the highest number of entries. This prestigious ranking was achieved by a massive number of entries from Mumbai (50 participants) followed by Delhi and Kolkata with 13 and 12 entries respectively. Bangalore, offered 11 short movies for this competition.

     

    The Indian leg of the globally renowned competition saw acclaimed filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane and film critic Anupama Chopra select India’s entry for the Jameson Empire Awards 2014 from twelve outstanding short-films at the National Grand Finale that was held on 21st February 2014. The winning entry was a one minute short film by Ritesh Varma who recreated the Charlie Chaplin classic, Modern Times in sixty seconds. His film will go on to be featured at the star-studded Jameson Empire Awards 2014 in Britain next month.

     

    Commenting on the event, Arun Mehra, CEO, Talenthouse said, “Talenthouse India today is a promising platform for young filmmakers to showcase their talent. In the past year alone, we have showcased over 1000 short films from over 200 amateur filmmakers. The Jameson Empire Done in 60 Seconds competition is a testament of our mission to provide life-changing career opportunities to artists.”

     

  • The International Advertising Association India Chapter announced nominations for the first 12 categories of the second edition of the IAA Leadership Awards

    Nominees announced for IAA Leadership Awards

    The International Advertising Association India Chapter has revealed nominations for the first 12 categories of the second edition of the IAA Leadership Awards. The nominees have been shortlisted from the fields of Marketing of various products and services categories.

     

    The IAA Leadership Awards will see a recognition of 21 individuals in as many categories who will be handpicked through a two-stage selection process.

     

    And the nominees are:

     

    Srinivasan Swamy

    Speaking on the nominees, Srinivasan Swamy, President IAA India and VP-Development, IAA Asia Pacific, and Chairman, R K Swamy BBDO said, “The nominees are the chosen few from the field of marketing, shortlisted via a scientific thought process and detailed research. By celebrating their achievements, we hope to motivate them to raise the bar year-on-year.”

     

    The awards will be presented on March 1 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Mumbai, with I&B Minsiter Manish Tewari as the Chief Guest.

  • The finalists span across 25 single market and multi-market categories and represent works from agencies from 16 countries

    12 Indian entries shortlisted for 2014 APAC Effies

    By a correspondent

     

    The APAC Effie Awards has announced a total of 99 finalists for the 2014 edition. The outcome was a result of two rounds of intense judging by the jury consisting of industry professionals and senior level executives from agencies and clients across the region.

     

    The Jury for 2014 is led by Connie Chan as the 2014 Judging and Awards Chairman, and four Heads of Jury, namely i) Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer – Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group, ii) Ben Lightfoot, CEO, McCann Worldgroup Singapore, iii) Nicky Lim, Regional Director, ASEAN, Geometry Global, and iv) Pully Chau, Advertising and Effie veteran.

     

    The finalists span across 25 single market and multi-market categories and represent works from agencies from 16 countries, with China, Australia and New Zealand being the top 3 countries with the highest number of finalist entries.

     

    Winners will be announced at the Awards Gala taking place on April 3, 2014 at The Conrad Centennial, Singapore. Special awards – Agency of the Year Award and Agency Network of the Year Award will also be presented at the awards gala.

     

    APAC Effie Awards 2014 – Finalists

  • The much-anticipated second edition of the IAA Leadership Awards was held at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Mumbai on Saturday

    Punit Goenka, Nitin Paranjpe, Punit Goenka, Shah Rukh Khan, others win honours at IAA Leadership Awards

    By Correspondent

     

    Nitin Paranjpe, who was until last recently CEO and Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever and is now President (Homecare) at parent Unilever, was awarded CEO of the Year at the much-anticipated second edition of the IAA Leadership Awards held at Grand Hyatt in Mumbai on Saturday.

     

    Zee MD and CEO Punit Goenka was named Media Person of the Year and Shashi Sinha, CEO of IPG Mediabrands was Media Agency Head of the Year. R Balki of Lowe Lintas was Creative Agency Head of the Year. Ramesh Narayan was presented with the Hall of Fame award while Dr Gulab Kothari and Arnab Goswami were Editor and News Anchor of the Year respectively. Uttar Pradesh governor, B L Joshi presented the awards.

     

    The event witnessed the presence of the who’s who of the Marketing, Advertising and Media industry as they competed against each other to win the coveted awards.

     

    The very successful awards night saw winners emerge from across 21 categories:

    Speaking on the occasion Srinivasan Swamy, President IAA India and VP-development, IAA Asia Pacific, and chairman, RK Swamy BBDO said, “While management is about doing things right, leadership is about doing the right things; Today I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the winners who have outdone themselves this year as well as every nominee for showing what leadership means. I am glad to see another successful year at the event this year and look forward to many more years to come.”

     

    This year’s edition of the IAA Leadership Awards was presented by general entertainment channel Colors. Speaking about this initiative, Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors, said: “To recognize, encourage and celebrate excellence in leadership – that is what we have done at the IAA, a vibrant association which I have had the opportunity to lead. I would like to thank IAA for giving us the honour to be associated with this event, and congratulate the winners for their outstanding contribution towards the growth of the industry. We look forward to growing this association with the IAA year-on-year and applaud the hardwork of individuals on this national platform.”

     

    The awards presentation was followed by a celebratory party hosted by Mr Nayak and the Colors team.

     

    IAA Leadership Awards

    Categories

    Winners
    CEO of The Year Nitin Paranjpe, Hindustan Unilever
    Media Person of The Year Punit Goenka, Zee Network
    News Anchor of the Year Arnab Goswami, Times Now
    Editor of the Year Dr. Gulab Kothari, Rajasthan Patrika
    Hall of Fame Ramesh Narayan
    Brand Ambassador OF The Year: Male Shah Rukh Khan
    Brand Ambassador OF The Year: Female Priyanka Chopra
    Media Agency Head of the Year Shashi Sinha, IPG Mediabrands
    Creative Agency Head of the Year R. Balkrishnan, Lowe Lintas & Partners
    Marketer of the Year: Banking Kartik Jain, HDFC Bank
    Marketer of the Year: Insurance Sanjay Tripathy, HDFC Standard Life Insurance
    Marketer of the Year: Auto: 2 Wheeler Anil Dua, Hero Moto Corp
    Marketer of the Year: Auto Passenger Vehicles Rakesh Srivastava, Hyundai Motor India
    Marketer of the Year: Mobile Services Shashi Shankar, Idea
    Marketer of the Year: Mobile Devices Shubhodip Pal, Micromax
    Marketer of the Year: FMCG: Personal Care, Laundry and Toiletries Arun Srinivas, Hindustan Unilever
    Marketer of the Year: FMCG: Foods & Beverages Rajesh V.L., ITC Limited Foods Division
    Marketer of the Year: FMCG: Consumer Durables Sandeep Tiwari, Samsung India Electronics
    Marketer of the Year: Home Improvement Kumar Pillay, Ultratech Cement
    Marketer of the Year: Household Products Sonali Dhawan, Proctor & Gamble
    Marketer of the Year: Ecommerce Ravi Vora, Flipkart.com
  • Twenty-one achievers honoured at second edition of the awards + Interviews with Punit Goenka & Shashi Sinha

    Mediapersons, marketers win big at IAA Leadership Awards

    (L to R) S Swamy, President, IAA; Sri BL Joshi, Governor- Uttar Pradesh; Punit Goenka accepting the award for the Media Person of the Year at the IAA Leadership Awards

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Nitin Paranjpe, until last recently CEO and Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever and now President (Homecare) at parent Unilever, was awarded CEO of the Year at the much-anticipated second edition of the IAA Leadership Awards held at Grand Hyatt in Mumbai on Saturday.

     

    Zee MD and CEO Punit Goenka was named Media Person of the Year and Shashi Sinha, CEO of IPG Mediabrands was Media Agency Head of the Year. R Balki of Lowe Lintas was Creative Agency Head of the Year. Veteran adperson Ramesh Narayan was inducted in the Hall of Fame for 2014 while Dr Gulab Kothari and Arnab Goswami were Editor and News Anchor of the Year respectively.

     

    The event witnessed the presence of the who’s who of the Marketing, Advertising and Media industry as they competed against each other to win the coveted awards. Uttar Pradesh governor, B L  Joshi presented the awards.

     

    The awards night saw winners emerge from across 21 categories:

    Srinivasan Swamy

    Speaking on the occasion Srinivasan Swamy, President IAA India and VP-development, IAA Asia Pacific, and chairman, RK Swamy BBDO said, “While management is about doing things right, leadership is about doing the right things; today I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the winners who have outdone themselves this year as well as every nominee for showing what leadership means. I am glad to see another successful year at the event this year and look forward to many more years to come.”

     

     

    Raj Nayak

    The IAA Leadership Awards was presented by leading GEC Colors. Speaking about this initiative, Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors said, “To recognize, encourage and celebrate excellence in leadership – that is what we have done at the IAA, a vibrant association which I have had the opportunity to lead. I would like to thank IAA for giving us the honour to be associated with this event, and congratulate the winners for their outstanding contribution towards the growth of the industry. We look forward to growing this association with the IAA year-on-year and applaud the hardwork of individuals on this national platform.”

     

     

     

     

    Content in Hindi GEC space is evolving: Punit Goenka

     

    As Managing Director and CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), Punit Goenka leads one of India’s most successful and profitable television networks. He is also Chairman of the Broadcast Audience Research Council, the joint industry body formed to design, commission, supervise and own a television broadcast audience measurement system. He was awarded the coveted Media Person of the Year award by the IAA India Chapter.

     

    Your thoughts on winning the Mediaperson of the Year award at IAA Leadership Awards?

    It is a great honour to be chosen the Media Person of the Year. I accept this award with great humility on behalf of the entire Zee family. The award is a result of the valuable lessons learnt from our Chairman Subhash Chandra and of the innovative approach taken by the entire team at Zee. My kudos to other winners and nominees as well.

     

    The Hindi General Entertainment Channel (GEC) landscape is currently witnessing a lot of action amongst the top 4-5 players.  How would you assess the evolution of content in the entertainment genre?

    Yes, the content genre in the Hindi GEC landscape has been evolving a lot of late. We have seen many experiments happening on television and you will see the content genre evolving much faster in the near future. I cannot talk about specifics but at Zee, there will be a lot happening going forward.

     

    Has the digitisation exercise benefitted Zee in any way?

    Just by putting set-top boxes doesn’t mean that a home is digitised. I think the industry has to work together to make digitisation happen.

     

    Sports has been a focus area for broadcasters in the recent past. How do you view the performance by the sports channels in the Zee stable?

    We do not create content for sports, we only aggregate content. As you know our country is not a sporting country, it is a cricketing country. The cricket rights for the next 6-8 years have been divided between 2-3 players today in the space. I hope that the country becomes a sporting nation rather than a cricketing nation in the future. This will lead to sports networks having a bright future going forward. Also, the sports business in the country isn’t providing good returns as the costs continue to go up. The revenues have been stagnant for the longest time but hopefully that will change one day.

     

    How do you see 2014 panning out for your network?

    2014 would definitely be tougher than 2013 and we look forward to the challenges this year. The general elections scheduled in April-May are very important.  -MxMIndia.com

     

    		  

    2013 was a rewarding year for IPG Mediabrands: Shashi Sinha 

     

    Shashi Sinha, CEO of media services conglomerate IPG Mediabrands, was awarded the Media Agency Head of the Year. He was also President of the Advertising Club until mid-2013 and is currently Head of the all-important Technical Committee of BARC, the joint industry body appointed to govern television audience measurement in the country

     

    How is this award different from what the other award platforms have to offer?

    This award is a combination of marketing, media and advertising and I do not know of any other platform that does this. It’s more of the individual and his organisation that gets rewarded here. So it’s a good feeling to be picking up the Media Agency Head of the Year award.

     

    Last year was a formative one for IPG Mediabrands where all agencies were clubbed under one umbrella. How did the year turn out to be for you?

    As you know, 2013 was a year of churn for the company. I got at the helm of IPG Mediabrands in end of 2012 so it’s been just a year for me. I am lucky to be having a team who are all from within the network. Also, I have been actively been a part of industry bodies like Ad Club and BARC which may have worked in my favour this year.

     

    In terms of growth, is the industry clocking at a healthy rate as predicted?

    Last year was a tough year for the industry. The growth was not as high as a few had predicted. Our estimate was around 9 per cent growth for 2013. We were slightly more conservative compared to the others in releasing our numbers but we were on track with our predictions.

     

    Business-wise, you picked up some good clients…

    As for the agency, 2013 was a very good year for us as we also picked up a few good businesses especially at the end of the year. If at all there was a year for us, 2013 would be apt to be winning a big award. The year saw us putting all our companies together; we also bought agencies like Interactive Avenues etc. So it was a testing yet rewarding year for IPG Mediabrands.

     

    You are the Chairman of BARC Technical Committee. When do you see the measurement hurdle being resolved in the country?

    A robust rating mechanism is what we are aiming at. Our sense is that the basic contours are right. It is just a matter of time before it all comes together and we have a robust measurement system in place.

     

     

  • The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is introducing a number of changes to some of its Special Awards

    Cannes Lions adds a few more award categories for 2014

    By a correspondent

     

    The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is introducing a number of changes to some of its Special Awards which are based on points accumulated from shortlisted and award winning work presented at the Festival.

     

    The Palme d’Or award, presented to the best performing Production Company, will see changes introduced to bring it in-line with the other special awards. The calculation will continue to be based on a points system awarded as follows: 10 points for a Grand Prix; 7 points for a Gold Lion; 5 points for a Silver Lion; 3 points for a Bronze Lion; 1 point for a shortlist entry.

     

    The changes being introduced are:

    • Production companies no longer have to have at least 10 entries in the qualifying categories -  Film, Film Craft and Branded Content & Entertainment – to be eligible for the Palme d’Or.

     

    • The Palme d’Or will consider all shortlisted and winning entries from a Production Company.  In previous years, only the best 10 entries from each production company were considered.

     

    • Shortlisted points will now be capped at 10 points, which is in line with the existing Agency of the Year rules.

     

    “We welcome these positive changes to the Palme d’Or award as they will allow exposure to more producers throughout the world,” said François Chilot, President of CFPE/YDA.

     

    The Media Agency of the Year Award will be replaced by the Media Network of the Year award. It will be awarded to the media agency network that obtains the highest score for entries in the Media Lions section. Only media agencies are eligible to compete in this award, which will be based on a points system as above. Advertising agencies credited on shortlisted and winning campaigns in Media Lions will see their points included in the Agency of the Year and Independent Agency of the Year calculation.

     

    “As is our usual process when introducing changes at Cannes Lions, we consult extensively with industry leaders to ensure that we continue to be relevant and reflect the changes that are happening in the business around the world,” said Terry Savage, Chairman of Lions Festivals. “These adjustments to the calculations of the Special Awards are no exception, and as such we are delighted to have the support and endorsement of the key players.”

     

  • The Olive Crowns are Asia's first and only awards that salute excellence in communicating sustainability

    Big B goes green, to present IAA’s Olive Crown Awards

    By a correspondent

     

    The fourth edition of the IAA Olive Crown Awards from the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) will be presented at a glittering function on 14th March 2014 at the Palladium Hotel, Parel, Mumbai.

     

    The Olive Crowns are Asia’s first and only awards that salute excellence in communicating sustainability. Endorsed by the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) these awards for “green” advertising have been warmly embraced by the industry and have grown in stature and size over the last four years.

     

    The awards are run like a cause without no fees for creative entries and a non-ticketed, entry-by-invitation-only awards ceremony.

     

    This year the IAA introduced a new special award for the Corporate Social Crusader of the year. This award saluted a corporate for an outstanding CSR initiative.

     

    Srinivasan Swamy

    “The response to this award from top corporates is very heart-warming,” said Srinivasan K Swamy, President India Chapter IAA. “The awards ceremony promises to be as meaningful as it will be entertaining” he added.

     

    Pradeep Guha said “The association of 9XM as presenting sponsor with the Olive Crown awards is in its third year now. We believe that industry associations should work for the general good and are therefore happy supporting such initiatives. I am personally happy with the way these awards have grown and the elite attendance at the awards function only endorses this.”

     

    The Green Partners for the Olive Crown awards are Hungama.Com and the Patrika Group. The Banking Partners are Yes Bank Ltd.

     

  • A shortlist of 191 campaigns across 19 categories has been selected, recognizing the very best in media thinking from around the world

    9 Indian entries shortlisted for FOM Awards

    By a correspondent

     

    After much deliberation, the 70 strong judging panel, led by Sameer Singh, VP, head of global media of GSK have cast their votes for the much anticipated Festival of Media Awards.

     

    A shortlist of 191 campaigns across 19 categories has been selected, recognizing the very best in media thinking from around the world including countries such as Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, UAE, UK, US and many more

     

    The entries from India that have managed to make it to the shortlists include Hindustan Unilever (HUL)’s Kissanpur 2.0 “Where What You Grow Is What You Eat” campaign in the Best Communication Strategy while Madison Media Infinity’s ‘How Radio triggered 1.6 years of engagement around an unspeakable problem’ campaign for Mediker Anti-Lice Treatment Naturals was shortlisted in the Best Engagement Strategy category.

     

    In the category of Best Event / Experiential, Mindshare found three of its campaigns vying for the top prize including ‘106,000 Found’ for Closeup Toothpaste; Sunlight – It’s Raining Roses for Sunlight Detergent Powder and Surf EW-Worshipping the Lord with 10 Hands for Surf Excel.

     

    Mediacom’s Soldier for Women for Gillette India was nominated in the Best Use of Content category, while PHD had two of its entries ‘Mobile Entertainment Box’ for Kaan Khajura Teshan and ‘Good Life Club’ for Brooke Bond that were nominated in the Best Use of Mobile category.

     

    In the Effectiveness Award, Madison Media Infinity’s ‘Convincing consumers to become our sales force’ for its client Parachute Advansed Ayurvedic Hair Oil was the final shortlist that was nominated from India.

     

  • Dentsu Inc wins Agency of the Year, Agency Network of the Year and Interactive Agency of the Year

    McCann wins 11 awards at Adfest 2014

    By A Correspondent

     

    McCann Worldgroup India, Mumbai won 11 awards at Adfest 2014 which concluded last week in Thailand.

     

    Said Jimmy Lam, President of Adfest: Adfest, says: “This year’s Lotus winners raise the bar for the industry and are indicative of the trends to come. Over the last three days, Adfest 2014 welcomed the region’s brightest creative talent to this year’s festival – creatives who will now go on to ‘Co-Create the Future’ together.”  This year, 1,095 delegates from 53 cities attended the fest.

     

    Mumbai agencies sent 314 entries, next only to 712 entries from Tokyo.

    Winners’ Tally:

    Dentsu Inc., Tokyo 27 Awards
    Leo Burnett, Sydney 19 Awards
    Hakuhodo Inc., Tokyo 16 Awards
    McCann Worldgroup India, Mumbai 11 Awards
    Ace Saatchi & Saatchi, Manila 7 Awards

     

    Top 5 Award By City

    Tokyo 84 Awards
    Sydney 36 Awards
    Bangkok 35 Awards
    Mumbai 24 Awards
    Singapore 13 Awards

     

  • CNN International's Delhi-based correspondent Sumnima Udas has been awarded 'Journalist of the Year' at the inaugural Women's Empowerment (WE) Journalism Awards

    CNN’s Sumnima bags inaugural Women’s Empowerment Journalism Award

    By a correspondent

     

    CNN International’s Delhi-based correspondent Sumnima Udas has been awarded ‘Journalist of the Year’ at the inaugural Women’s Empowerment (WE) Journalism Awards for her sensitive and incisive reporting on gender issues including the December 2012 New Delhi gang-rape, the plight of acid attack victims in India and the courageous stance taken by young Indian women, fighting back to ensure the safety of women in their neighbourhoods.

     

    The Awards held in Singapore, honour outstanding achievements in reporting on women’s issues. Udas’ work was recognised amongst entries by distinguished journalists across Asia Pacific including Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

     

    Udas reported extensively on the aftermath of the December 2012 Delhi gang rape, explaining how the crime shook the nation and prompted a landmark change in how society handles violence against women. Her almost year-long reporting culminated in the documentary film ‘Nirbhaya: The Fearless One’ which featured in-depth interviews with the victim’s parents, who movingly reveal how their daughter was the pillar of strength for the family. Her reporting on related gender issues also featured first-hand interviews with Indian women on the streets, shedding insights onto the vulnerability of sexually abused women, victims of acid attacks and the horrific practice of female feticide in parts of India. She has also chronicled the courageous story of a group of brave adolescent women who have banded together to form ‘Red Brigades’, acting as foot patrols to increase the safety of females in their neighbourhood.

     

  • Call for entries open on March 20 with the judging to happen in mid-May

    It’s here. Kyoorius Ad Awards on June 12

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Kyoorius, a not-for-profit initiative by Transasia Fine Papers and D&AD have unveiled details of the Kyoorius Advertising Awards to be held on June 12 in Mumbai.

     

    Rajesh Kejriwal

    Announcing this to the media and later a select group of industry captains, Rajesh Kejriwal, Founder CEO, Kyoorius and Tim Lindsay, CEO, D&AD underscored the emphasis to ‘merit’ at the inaugural edition. “We will only award work that is worthy of the award. No matter how big the brand, or how small the names behind it and how wide the media reach is or the number of re-tweets, the ultimate goal is to create outstanding work that works,” said Kejriwal. The Kyoorius Awards will have no winning tier structure - no gold, silver or bronze, and it is the jury’s prerogative to award one or multiple entries in any one category, whereas none in another, if entries are not up to the mark. The Award to be given away to each winner is called the ‘Blue Elephant’ while the ‘Best of Show’ will be the ‘Black Elephant’.

     

     
    Tim Lindsay

    According to Lindsay, who has had experience of overseeing the Indian operations of Lowe when he worked with the agency network, D&AD has big plans for India. “We have expanded the awards to include advertising and digital alongside the existing design and student categories. Moreover, our’s is a not-for-profit initiative and through the Kyoorius Awards, we will plough back all our profits to the industry and the talent here,” he said.

     

    For the advertising awards, international jury members include Rosie Arnold – Deputy Executive Creative Director, BBH, as Jury Foreman, accompanied by Graham Kelly – Regional Executive Creative Director, Isobar, and Woon Siew Hoh – Regional Executive Creative Director, Hakuhudo. From India, jury members include Abhijit Avasthi – Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather, Agnello Dias – Chairman & Co-Founder, Taproot India, Senthil Kumar – National Creative Director, JWT, and Sonal Dabral – Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, DBB Mudra Group with more to be added soon.

     

    The entries will be accepted from March 20 onwards and the deadline for entries is April 21 with April 28 being the last date for postal entries. While the first round of judging will be done online, the entiry jury will assemble in Delhi in May 2014 over three or more days to select the winners from the shortlists.

     

    Meanwhile, the Abby Awards which will be held from May 29-31 has not yet announced its jury presidents or call for entries.