The jury's silence before all the Band Baja!: EMVIEs 2011

EMVIEs 2011, the premier media awards instituted by The Advertising Club Bombay in its 11th year grandeur, has received an unprecedented response receiving 717 entries across 19 categories an all time record. The Ad Club had received 397 entries last year. The record entries are an indication of the growing media industry and the constantly evolving high standards.

So as the judging proccess' first round went under way along three days ' 22th July, 25th July and 26th July, the panel of juries and the internal team members of ACB were seen engrossed and seemed undisturbed through the silence across the room.

Adgully caught up with the jury members and with Sunil Lulla, Chairperson, EMVIEs 2011 and Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer - TV Business, Times Global Broadcasting to know more about the silence that preceded the grand event to take place on the 26th August, 2011, at Taj Lands End, Mumbai.

Vandana Ramkrishna, VP, West & South, ZenithOptimedia India, was seen judging Branded Content category and expressed that the entries had really improved as compared to the last few years' and she also pointed out that the entries were an excellent piece of writing cases.

Judging TV and OOH media innovation entries, Amin Lakhani, Head- Exchange, Mindshare, seems discontented. "Some of the work has been decent but I think over the years media practioners have set a very high benchmark for themselves and so we end up expecting more. Overall the work done across the media space has obviously improved but amongst the entries I saw very few have really applied a good idea. The presentations have to still improve a lot," he says.

However for Pratap Bose, COO Mudra Group and CEO-Mudra Max, the good change to the judging process was that the first round this year was majorly through written presentations submitted by agencies. As he judged Best Integrated Campaign category, he says, "The quality of entries have certainly improved. However I did not spot a big idea. I mean the creative was good but I did not see how the media agency further enhanced the creative idea by utilising each medium's potential to the fullest. I cannot say if a lot of entries have been truly integrated. Unfortunately many good entries have been masked by a strong creative and it is hard to point out the quality that the media agency has added to the idea."

This year EMVIES has also announced the Band Baja Competition amongst Media Agencies and Media Companies. To be held on the evening of the EMVIES 2011 Finale,

2. Best Band Performance, Indian ' any genre

4. Best Solo Performance, Indian ' any genre

Category: Band/ Solo; Western/ Indian

Band: A group of 3 people or more, with at least one musical instrument.

Solo: Vocal or Music

Agencies may send as many entries as they wish. Each entry must refer to the Category (Western or Indian) and Band or Solo. The performance may be musical or vocal and male and female performers will be judged together.

Entries must be submitted at the Ad Club Secretariat by Wednesday, 10th August, 2011. There is no entry fee.

There will be a qualifying round on Monday, 22nd and / or Tuesday, 23rd August, 2011. A maximum of 3 finalists per category will be shortlisted to perform at the EMVIES Night on 26th August, 2011. Each performance will be 3 minutes in length. (Qualifying round & Finals).

Entrants must bring their own music instruments and related paraphernalia. For the Finale, entries may also be accompanied by a performers or the entrant itself performing musically and in dance. The Band Baja Awards is as much about talent in the media industry as it is about fun. There will be one winner per category, judged by a professional jury. | By Prabha Hegde [prabha(at)adgully.com]