Grand Prix for Early Man Film; The Social Street tops Creative; Prasoon Joshi felicitated

After 3 days of seminars and conclaves by industry experts and evenings filled with delegates applauding the Abby award winners, Goafest 2018, India’s foremost advertising, media and marketing convention, came to a spectacular conclusion today. 

Early Man Film has bagged the Grand Prix for Reforest India – The Story of Kaveri. 

Prasoon Joshi has been felicitated with the Special Abby, while the National Geographic Green Award went to The Social Street on Day 3 of Goafest 2018. The Social Street also emerged at the top of its game with a total of 17 metals to be adjudged Creative Agency of the Year. The Gender Sensitivity award went to Star India and Cellar Door Productions. 

Prasoon Joshi, who has been celebrated across India for his contribution to advertising, films and communications, was felicitated with a special award at the Abbys on Day 3 of Goafest 2018. Recognising his unparalleled contribution to the world of Indian media, the special award is a reaffirmation of the advertising fraternity’s confidence that he will take the power of creativity further and make it a part of the things that matter in a new and resurgent India. 

On the third and the final day of Goafest 2018, Abbys were handed out to deserving winners of Digital & Mobile, Digital Craft, National Geographic Green Award, Special Abby, Promotion/Activation, Radio Craft, Radio, Branded Content & Entertainment, Out of Home & Ambient Media, Still Content, Audio Visual Content and Integrated Abbys. 

In Creative Abbys, following The Social Street’s top performance is FCB India Group, which has secured 8 metals – 3 Silvers and 5 Bronzes. The other Gold scorers in Creative Abbys include Medulla WYP Network (3 Golds, 1 Silver and 2 Bronzes), Dentsu Webchutney (1 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronzes), and Famous Innovations (1 Gold and 2 Silvers). 

Dentsu Webchutney took home 8 metals in the Digital and Mobile Abby category, which included 1 Gold, 4 Silvers and 3 Bronzes. The Social Street scored 5 metals – 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 3 Bronzes. Hungama Digital Services took home 4 metals, which included 1 Gold and 3 Silvers. 

Branded Content and Entertainment Abbys saw Medulla WYP Network winning the most with 4 metals, including 2 golds. But the biggest applause of the evening went to none other than Every Man Film for their outstanding work in the category of Audio Visual Long Form for Reforest India – The Story of Kaveri. 

Speaking about Goafest 2018, Nakul Chopra, President, Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), said, “When we started planning for Goafest 2018, our aim was to create a festival filled with knowledge, wisdom, entertainment, fun and which was also a great networking opportunity. The quality of the speakers, the valuable knowledge shared during the seminars, the networking opportunities across these last 3 days and presentation of Abbys that celebrate excellence in creativity are what make Goafest such a unique experience. Goafest is a confluence of creative minds who gather here year on year to connect, communicate and celebrate the amount of hard work that each one of them is putting in to make media, marketing and advertising industries successful. I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of Goafest 2018 for their unrelenting support. And many congratulations to all our winners. You all deserve every bit of all the recognition that has been bestowed upon you by the industry.” 

Vikram Sakhuja, President, The Advertising Club, added here, “Goafest is a phenomenon that is close to the hearts of the entire media and creative fraternity. Months of hard work by the AAAI and The Advertising Club teams, the Abbys Master Jury, and encouragement from all of you present here has perspired into yet another stellar festival this year. In this 50^th year of Abby Awards, we made crucial changes and rationalised categories, which just made the Abbys even more coveted. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and also thank the jury for their meticulous and fair evaluation that makes Abby Awards the numero uno recognition of creative mastery in India.” 

Ashish Bhasin, Chairman of Goafest 2018 & Vice President of Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), said, “After witnessing the event over the last three days, I can proudly say we have achieved everything that we had set out to. Not only did we have best of the speakers coming forward to impart learnings to young ones, we also saw ideas being exchanged and people truly enjoying themselves. Over the last three days, Goa has seen some of the most creative minds in India together at one place – meeting, interacting, engaging and celebrating Abby wins with each other. This is what the true spirit of Goafest is all about. Everyone who is going home with a metal from Goafest 2018 is truly deserving of victory and I congratulate each and every one of them for their incredible wins. It is definitely truly deserved.” 

Speaking about the Abbys Awards, Ajay Kakar, Vice President of The Advertising Club and Chairman, Awards Governing Council, said, “As we come to the conclusion of Day 3 of Goafest 2018, I would love to take this opportunity to thank the industry stalwarts and youngsters who helped us co-create Abby Awards 2018, courtesy their inputs. A very big thank you also to the industry for sending in entries and their wholehearted participation in the fest this year. I would also like to salute Prasoon Joshi for his contribution to the world of advertising, communications and films and for being a convergence point for mass India.

Also read: 

Goafest 2018 Day 1: From Pepperfry to Patanjali – the makings of an Indian MNC 

Goafest 2018 Day 2: At the intersection of AI & human tech and healing with a Sparsh