Cannes Lions 2012: Ogilvy bags a Bronze Lion for Vodafone India campaign

India has nearly drawn a blank in the first lot of awards announced at the Cannes Lions Festival 2012. The only exception was a Bronze Lion bagged by Ogilvy & Mather for its iFold campaign done for Vodafone India. For the Lions announced in three categories – Direct, Promo & Activation and PR, there was only one Bronze Lion for India in Direct category while Indian agencies could not manage to get any award in Promo & Activation and PR. The Bronze Lion in Direct category has come from 8 shortlists in this category while there were 4 shortlists in Promo & Activation and one nomination in PR. 

 

The Promo & Activation Grand Prix and the Direct Grand Prix were awarded to Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s 'Small Business Gets an Official Day' for American Express. In the PR category JWT San Juan took home Puerto Rico’s first ever Grand Prix for 'The Most Popular Song' for Banco Popular de Puerto Rico. Of the 2,667 entries submitted in the Promo & Activation category, a 26 per cent increase versus last year, 251 were shortlisted from which 86 were selected as winners by the international jury led by Nick Worthington, Creative Chairman, Colenso BBDO New Zealand. Along with the Grand Prix a further 17 Gold, 26 Silver and 42 Bronze Lions were also awarded.

 

There were 2,357 entries that were submitted into the Direct Lions category, an increase of 27 per cent compared to 2011. Of this 227 went on to make the shortlist of which 15 Gold, 25 Silver and 44 Bronze Lions were awarded.

In all, 251 entries had been shortlisted to compete in Promo & Activation Lions this year, from the 2674 entries received. The number of Indian entries in this category was 85, out of which four Indian entries had been shortlisted for the final round. A total of 86 entries made it to the Promo & Activation Lions final list. Crispin Porter+Bogusky Boulder's campaign for American Express, 'Small Business gets an official day' won the Grand Prix in Promo & Activation Lions. Sixty entries were on the final shortlist of the PR Lions category. Of the 1130 entries received in this category, 134 entries made it to the shortlist. Indian agencies sent in 19 entries for this category and one – The Practice Porter Novelli – had qualified for the final shortlist.

As regards to the iFold campaign, it was a very simple idea which Ogilvy India had been practicing internally. The idea was to ask people to use a smaller envelope to save paper. The campaign reminds people to ask themselves if the paper can be folded once more. If it can, it means it will require a smaller envelope and thus save paper. Now, the concept has been adopted by its few clients including Vodafone, KFC and Coca-Cola.

 

The other Indian agencies that were nominated this year are BBDO India - one for India's first DIY Calendar for Johnson & Johnson and the other one for Child Welfare Fund's campaign, World's Youngest Job Applicant; McCann Erickson (Keeping the Legend Alive for Saregama India); Leo Burnett (Ink Pad for Door Step School); DDB Mudra (Growing Trees for Fedrigoni); M&C Saatchi (Limited Edition for Animal Shelter); and Cheil Worldwide (Minus One Project for Samsung Printer).

 

The 59th Annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the largest and most coveted awards in the industry’s calendar, is currently taking place in France, attended by over 11,000 industry peers.