Cannes Lions update: Indian agencies win four awards

The first winners of Cannes Lions are in - and India has won four metals. The biggest winner, so far, is Publicis for their work on Apollo Tyres (Adopt a Pothole project) which was awarded with a silver.

Ogilvy India for Hindustan Unilever ( Lifebuoy Roti Reminder), BBDO India for Gillette Fusion Gamer (Shave or Crave) and DDB Mudra Group for Aarambh (Help Desk) won the three bronzes.

Adopt a Pothole is a project created by Publicis for tyre manufacturer Apollo, which attempts to crowdsource identification of potholes. Identify, upload on www.adoptapothole.in and garner support.

In their own words, this is how it works:

"So, how does Adopt a Pothole work? It's simple really. Think of the potholes around you as depressed, homeless pets. Now these pets need you to adopt them. But you alone can not carry the burden of all these potholes, so you get your friends to support your adoption. Once enough "supports" roll in, your potholes get fixed by Apollo Tyres. That simple!"

More from Brands

[caption id="attachment_878227" align="aligncenter" width="380"] Adopt a pothole campaign[/caption]

Ogilvy's work for Lifebuoy is one we have written about. What was it about? Lifebuoy 'advertised' on chapattis at the Kumbh Mela. The innovative campaign, created by OgilvyAction for Lifebuoy, saw chapattis being 'branded' with a message on the need to wash one's hands before eating. You can see the campaignhere. What made the activity 'commercial' was the fact that the chapattis had the Lifebuoy name branded onthem, making the activity look like advertising.

[caption id="attachment_882585" align="aligncenter" width="380"] Lifebuoy's Roti Reminder campaign[/caption]

BBDO India's bronze was for Gillette Fusion Gamer's Shave or Crave campaign. BBDO roped in Bollywood celebrities to endorse a 'clean-shaven' look, saying "men can do without their evening stubble". The campaign involved actors shaving in the Delhi Metro trains and promoting their new, clean look. Actresses suggested that kissing became easier thanks if men were clean shaven. Click here to see what it looks like-

[caption id="attachment_878167" align="aligncenter" width="380"] Gillette Fusion Gamer's Shave or Crave[/caption]

DDB Mudra Group's campaign for Aarambh, an NGO that supports underprivileged students involved the transformation of discarded cardboard cartons into 'Help Desks' and school bags. Take a look at the transformation here.

[caption id="attachment_878169" align="aligncenter" width="380"] DDB Mudra's campaign- Help Desk, for NGO Aarambh[/caption]

Overall, a good day at the office for Indian adlanders at Cannes.