In the 71st edition of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity which is currently taking place at the French Riviera, it is once again that time of the year again when the entire Indian adland is keeping its fingers crossed to showcase its creative prowess on the international stage at Cannes Lions 2024.
And unlike the old Indian agency behemoths like JWT who used to refrain from entering the awards, today’s new age creative pedigree demands their companies to provide them the apt platform to show to the world where INDIA stands and what it is doing from a creative standpoint.
That being said, it was about two years back, roundabout at the same time that Dentsu Creative brought home the coveted title of Global Agency Of The Year 2022 and put the country on the global charts of recognition with its ‘The Unfiltered History Tour’ campaign for Vice Media.
But it wasn’t just Dentsu Creative which made India truly live up to its ‘Incredible India!’ status quo in 2022 with 12 metals including 3 Grand Prix, 1 Titanium Lion, 1 Gold Lion, 4 Silver Lion and 3 Bronze Lion. Other creative powerhouses like Ogilvy, VMLY&R (now VML), FCB Group India, McCann Worldgroup India, Leo Burnett India, BBDO, DDB Mudra Group and even Byju’s helped take India’s overall metal tally to 47 accolades and 210 points across 20 categories and made it truly the best year of India at Cannes Lions.
Last year, however, India’s show wasn’t as great as that of 2022 in terms of metals tally but winning at the International Festival of Creativity year after year isn’t a cakewalk. In 2022, India had managed to secure 25 Metals including 1 Grand Prix, 2 Gold Lion, 10 Silver Lion and 12 Bronze Lion along with Ogilvy India bringing home the title of ‘Agency Of The Year- Strategy’ and Leo Burnett India leading the Indian agency wins at Cannes Lions 2023 scorecard.
From seeing the global networks shine at the centre stage of Cannes Lions to seeing new-age independent agencies making their mark, India has truly elevated its image to being that of INDIA, as is felt by many who take the walk of fame on the Palais Des Festivals et des Congrès.
As against last year wherein a total of 809 entries were sent by the Indian Creative Contingent, the Indian ad agencies have once again put their best foot forward by sending the following campaigns as part of its 836 entries for Cannes Lions 2024:
Gatorade Turf Finder by Leo Burnett India
In a nation of 1.4 billion people, it’s shocking that only 2% play sports. The reason? Rapid urbanization. Especially in a city like Mumbai where all open grounds have been encroached upon. Leaving 1 playground for 1 million. In fact, 76% Indians complain ‘lack of space’ for not playing at all. As a result, Leo Burnett India along with Gatorade wanted to realistically address the lack of space by unlocking new spaces within the limited area of the cities.
To do the same, the two partnered with Google Maps and used their historic data tool to find when roads go empty – becoming open spaces to drop the turf and play. Why roads? Because Indian roads are temporal. Their usability is measured not just by space, but by space and time and the key task was to use Google’s Location Insight’s tool to identify- car density, people density and traffic density.
Scanning roads, streets, and lanes, predicting the time when they go empty helped Leo Burnett and Gatorade to plan ahead for all future drops. This data was further fed into the website- www.gatoturffinder.com, allowing players to know about and find a turf and pre-book or call for enquiries.
As per the two, Turf Finder can change the way sports infrastructure is looked at. A simple traffic data was able to visualize opportunity for sport. A solution for any highly density city in the world. A win for sports.
Say It with Oreo by Leo Burnett India
Oreo, a cookie known for playful conversations and connections, noticed that people were struggling to have open conversations like, “How do I ask my boss for a raise?”; “How do I apologise to my wife for forgetting her birthday?”; “How do I tell my parents I don’t want to get married?”
It is widely known that humour can instantly turn a serious situation into a playful one, but since not everyone has a funny bone, Leo Burnett decided to make this super power accessible to all.
To do the same, the agency teamed up with Farhan Akhtar, India’s funny guy who is renowned for his wit, and printed alphabets on Oreo cookies, which when scanned, helped India Say it With Oreo.
Whenever India was at a loss of words, the agency employed AI to answer their questions in Akhtar’s voice, using his wit and humour. This was a first-of-its-kind, largest AI-led campaign for Mondelez – Oreo- leveraging Generative AI to produce witty responses to customer’s questions in Farhan Akhtar’s voice. The campaign was entirely AI enabled and did not require any human intervention after the customer asks a question. This, by far, is the most interesting feature of the campaign allowing the two- brand and the agency to unlock the door to unlimited and fully personalised messaging at scale.
IKEA- Ads that Save Time by Leo Burnett
IKEA’s products are ideal for saving time in every day ordeals. The seconds saved daily with IKEA culminates into hours in a lifetime, almost 5000 hours. So, to demonstrate how IKEA can help save time, Leo Burnett created Ads that Save Time, a series of time-saving YouTube pre-rolls. The ads featured characters, who with the help of IKEA’s organising products, pressed the skip button before the viewer could, establishing that organising with IKEA is indeed awesome.
Harpic India- Loocator #BeFreeToPee by tgthr
Finding a clean loo in India is a nightmare for women. As they step outside the home, there’s a constant fear of not being able to find a clean loo following them wherever they go. About 70% of Indian women don’t find a usable public loo when they need one.
Instead, we as a culture have forced women to face this problem alone. Not drinking water even in the scorching heat, putting themselves at the risk of UTIs and going through unbearable pain and discomfort as they do so. This also leads them to avoid certain jobs and extended travel, all because of the lack of usable public loos.
Harpic Loocator is a crowdsourced mobile app that helps women end easily clean loos nearby, rate these public loos and even add new loos to the network, giving them their most fundamental right – the right to pee. Using Google Map’s functionality and familiar API, the app uses location data combined with ratings and reviews that helps women find the best loos around them.
Harpic Loocator is not an app that just lets women find a clean loo but one that lets them locate their right to pee with dignity.
According to Aalap Desai, Co-Founder and CCO, tgthr, the right to pee is a fundamental right that many women live without thanks to the state of public loos in our country. More than that, the uncertainty of finding a clean loo is a fear deep-seated in their minds.
“With Harpic Loocator we aim for a day when women can travel freely, without this fear following them around. On a personal note, it’s incredibly humbling that one of our first projects at tgthr has also brought us our first shortlist in the Glass Lions,” he said.
Amul- Floating Stories by FCB Ulka (FCB Group India)
Inspiring true stories of financially and socially successful Amul-female-dairy-farmers which have the power to motivate and change the lives of underprivileged women were told by FCB Group India’s FCB Ulka through a unique, first-time-ever, novel manner- By printing these photo-stories on milk for the viewer to see liquified photo-portraits (and read each success story alongside) in order to grab the attention of Indian women and be inspired.
Google- Mr. India Meets Google Pixel by FCB India (FCB Group India)
India, the world’s 3rd largest $400+ smartphone market, is growing at an impressive 60-70% annually, making it a crucial battleground for premium brands. In this fiercely competitive market dominated by Apple and Samsung, Google Pixel struggled with a mere 1% market share and just 6% awareness. Pixel needed to gain mindshare, and in a country obsessed with Bollywood, the obvious strategy would be to use Bollywood stars. However, between the 8 biggest smartphone brands, they had already ran through 20 Bollywood stars and so Pixel needed a unique approach.
Instead of leveraging Bollywood superstars, Pixel harnessed the enduring appeal of a timeless Bollywood hero, Mr. India—a character beloved for decades and immune to brand shifts. This hero’s superpower to turn invisible mirrored Pixel’s flagship feature of removing unwanted elements from pictures. This innovative strategy resonated deeply, generating over 17 million earned media impressions, 55% more than the previous campaign, and a 5.5x increase in press coverage. By tapping into cultural nostalgia, Google Pixel significantly boosted its brand awareness and consideration.
HDFC Bank- Lulumelon EOSS by FCB Kinnect (FCB Group India)
Online financial fraud is rampant during festive and sale seasons, and fraudsters are now employing AI to scam innocent people. Traditional PSAs fail to engage with Indians as they harbor an optimism bias. So, India’s first fraud awareness influencer, Vigil Aunty from HDFC Bank had to protect, awaken, and empower the masses.
During this End-Of-Season-Sale, Vigil Aunty in collaboration with Nora Fatehi replicated the modus operandi of fraudsters by creating an entirely fake brand – Lulumelon. Fake social media pages, fake websites, and even ads where Vigil Aunty deepfaked herself into Nora, they did it all! Those who clicked on these ads (planted with red flags) landed on the reveal website, where they realized how easy it was to get scammed. They learnt how to identify fake websites and deep fake videos. They were encouraged to join the Vigil Army, a WhatsApp community of fraud fighters constantly updated with the latest frauds and safe practices.
And despite its notorious reputation, FCB Kinnect used deepfake AI technology on social media positively to send out an important message and start a conversation.
Lenovo- Brave New Art By FCB Kinnect and Good Fellas Studio
Lenovo Yoga is a creator-first laptop series. But while the brand’s competitor’s market share was growing 2x year-on-year in India, their laptop share remained stagnant. Hence, the brand along with its agency decided to remind creative individuals that an Intel-powered Lenovo Yoga is not just a laptop—it’s a creator’s best friend.
For the brand’s audience, the creative process is gold and apart from the artwork they want to see the creative thinking that goes into making something. So, FCB Kinnect and Good Fellas Studio created a reality series that is a one-of-a-kind product video where artists from various mediums come together for BRAVE NEW ART, a two-part series and the audience watched them take up creative challenges using Lenovo Yoga laptops.
A multidisciplinary artist joining hands with a VR wizard, while an AI expert jammed with a 3D artist for never-imagined-before fusion. The series was offered a spot on one of India’s top 3 OTT platforms – Disney+ Hotstar. Additionally, it was also widely accessible on YouTube.
Tata.ev- Perry Powerful Punch by FCB Kinnect
In the second season of the TATA Women’s Premier League, a moment of accidental brilliance became the catalyst for a groundbreaking marketing strategy. When Ellyse Perry shattered the window of a Punch.ev display car with her powerful shot, it wasn’t just a mishap—it was an opportunity to celebrate women’s cricket and challenge stereotypes. Turning adversity into triumph, a specially crafted award- the ‘PerryPowerfulPunch’ was presented to Perry, made from the shattered glass in just 7 days.
The swift execution of this idea garnered widespread attention, with the news reaching over 18.22 million people organically and earning ₹2.3 million in media coverage. Notably, the final match witnessed record-breaking attendance, marking it as the most attended women’s sports event globally.
The campaign resonated across diverse audiences, including fans of men’s cricket, sports enthusiasts, and aspiring young female cricketers, effectively boosting interest in both TATA WPL and Punch.ev. This initiative not only celebrated a moment but also championed the empowerment of women in sports, leaving a lasting impact on the sporting landscape.
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STIR Magazine- Untangling the Politics of Hair by FCB India (FCB Group India)
Since time immemorial, a woman’s hair has been intertwined with religion, culture, sexuality, and patriarchy, binding her to society’s rules. The protests in Iran highlighted this injustice bringing support from countries across the world, except India, that chose to remain silent. This campaign aims to raise a voice of support to the women of Iran by bringing their plight close to home and heart, awakening Indian women to the truth that Iran’s issue is not Iran’s alone, but every woman’s issue.
India is a colourful country. We pride ourselves on our culture, our traditions and the values we are raised with. Here, no festival is a small festival. Indian women aged 15 years and above, love dressing up during festivals. They use makeup to enhance their beauty.
Similarly, togive Nava Durga idols a ‘Shringar’, an artist would traditionally use paints. But the campaign asked them to challenge the conventions and create the nine avatars of Goddess Durga using JUST makeup, completely ditching the paints. The result? Nine illustrated portraits of Durga, each depicting a shade of her.
On the impressions front, the campaign delivered 414k engagement, 600+ organic shares and 13k+ mentions on Instagram whereas on the impact front it lead to a 3X increase in sales of the national average, 20% increase in consumer interactions and the brand saw a 40% increase in awareness of their makeup range.
Speaking about the campaign, Anupama Ramaswamy, Chief Creative Officer and Joint Managing Director, Havas Worldwide India said, “During the Pujo season, the vibrant spirit of Ma Durga showcases the artistic creations of numerous talents. It’s a time when women of all generations grace the pandals in their finest attire, radiating confidence and charisma. Naturally, when we envisioned a campaign around Durga Puja for Mamaearth, their Makeup Range seemed like the perfect match. We needed something disruptive and that’s how we thought of bringing 4 artists on board to do what they do best. Bring the 9 forms of Durga on their canvases. The only twist — there are no paints used at all, only Mamaearth make-up – lipsticks, kajals and foundations. The campaign draws parallels between how artists use Paints as Shringar to bring out the 9 avatars of Ma Durga and how women use Makeup as Shringar to bring out their own avatars. In doing so, we celebrate what the goddess truly represents — the multifacetedness of being a woman.”
Mortein Raksha Jyoti by Havas Worldwide India
Diwali is one of India’s most important festivals. On this day, people open their doors and windows to welcome Goddess Lakshmi. However, what they don’t realise is that this also exposes their homes to deadly mosquitoes.
As a brand that aims at making India free from Dengue and Malaria, we had an opportunity at Mortein to deal with this problem without giving up on our cherished ritual. Hence, we came up “Raksha Jyoti” – a diya with mosquito repellant which will fight mosquitoes when lit up. We reached out to various Indians through compelling storytelling. Like this, we dealt with a serious problem without affecting the sentiments people have for this festival.
The campaign led to 51 million impressions and distribution to 25000+ households, with Search volume rising up by 43%, Brand Connection scores increasing by 12, 31% increase in being seen as reliable, a 22% increase in being viewed as a protector of loved ones, and a 17% increase in being perceived as smart and well-versed in the latest technology. That being said, 96% also expressed a desire for the product for all future Diwalis.
Speaking about the campaign, Anupama Ramaswamy, Chief Creative Officer and Joint Managing Director, Havas Worldwide India said, “Mortein’s enduring mission has been safeguarding Indian households against the perils of dengue and malaria. While Diwali symbolizes welcoming Goddess Lakshmi into your home, by opening your doors and windows, it inadvertently invites the menace of deadly mosquitoes to your family and yourself. Hence, we introduced the “Raksha Jyoti” initiative, leveraging the power of compelling storytelling to gently prompt people across India to switch on their Mortein LVs on the day of Diwali. This way, they can preserve their cherished traditions without compromising on their safety from mosquitoes.”
Motorola Deep Connect by Dentsu Creative India
India’s 330k+ coal miners work deep underground in the darkness for over 10 hours a day. Within these dangerous subterrains, they are completely isolated and disconnected from their loved ones as mobile phones are prohibited in the mines for safety reasons. In an age when connectivity is considered a basic human right, families of this forgotten lot live through the torture of being in the dark about their well-being every single day.
Motorola Deep Connect is an innovative solution developed by Motorola and executed by Dentsu Creative India. The technology utilises miners’ existing communication infrastructure – walkie-talkies, and converts radio signals into voice calls, enabling them to connect with their families back home through smartphones. A custom module installed at the surface of coal mines makes this two-way communication possible. Designed to be both affordable and scalable, and supported by a multi-lingual app, Motorola Deep Connect is truly designed for India.
Lifebuoy- Gift of the Ganga by MullenLowe Lintas Group
According to a recent UNICEF Report, around 818 million children in the world lack basic handwashing facilities at their schools, which puts them at increased risk of COVID-19 and other transmittable diseases. Furthering its global mission to improve handwashing behaviour especially amongst children, Hindustan Unilever Limited’s number one hygiene soap brand, Lifebuoy kicked-off the largest virtual hygiene drive in the Metaverse – Gift of the Ganga.
This unique Minecraft build aims to turn germ-breeding pollution into germ-protection, thereby turning pollution that is bad into germ protection that is good. On ‘Gift of the Ganga’, gamers are invited to fish out plastic pollution from the mighty river recreated in the metaverse. In exchange, Lifebuoy will clear an equivalent and more amount from the actual river.
The objective of the campaign is to educate people from all walks of life on disease prevention, leveraging the power of technology to spread the message about the importance of hygiene online, while also highlighting the importance of waste segregation and its upcycling potential on-ground.
Pepsodent- Strange Rewards by MullenLowe Lintas Group
According to the Oral Health Observatory, Indians are the world’s largest consumers of sugary food — both in quantity and frequency. The most popular sweetener in the world, sugar, was invented in India. Needless to say, most Indians have a sweet tooth. There are literally thousands of sweet recipes across cultures that are still intrinsic to Indian rituals and traditions from ancient times.
The frequent use of sweets however, has led to 70% of Indian children having been affected by tooth decay at some point in their childhood. The oral health category has historically focused on habit-building to promote products designed for brushing twice daily. Communications are thus used as a tool to tell consumers WHAT to do, rather than to educate about WHY.
Pepsodent wants to change this and hence MullenLowe Lintas Group focussed on championing good oral hygiene with the right products, as the key to protect children from cavities – so the unavoidable sweets are not harmful. The strategic implication of the insight meant that Pepsodent should reframe what sweets mean, so that Indian consumers understand that sweets are double-edge swords that can lead to cavities.
Britannia- Nutriplus App by MullenLowe Lintas Group
Britannia NutriChoice pioneered the health biscuits category in India. Since its inception the brand has championed the cause of motivating Indians to pursue healthy lifestyle by encouraging them to make healthy choices. However, to own the larger narrative on ‘health’, it became imperative for NutriChoice to go beyond ‘biscuits’.
This is the story of how a leading health biscuit brand came up with a mobile-based solution, NutriPlus app, that for the first-time empowered Indians to measure health in the most holistic manner and breaking a long-held notion that being physically fit is equal to being healthy.
Tetley- #everyBODYcan by MullenLowe Lintas Group
Being fit isn’t only about looking fit. In a world ruled by judgment of what body types can and can’t do, Tetley Green Tea Immune takes a bold new stand of #everyBODYcan.
With this campaign Tetley set out to challenge the idea of what ‘fit’ looks like. Tetley believes and celebrates that fitness come in all shapes and sizes. They aimed to start a movement to stretch and lift the definition of fitness.
Take the power of your inner potential and go beyond surface of what idea of fitness is. MY BODY CAN, YOUR BODY CAN. #everyBODYcan became a war cry for this refreshing take on fitness.
Astral Foundation- Daughters of Piplantri by White Rivers Media
The campaign addresses gender inequality and water scarcity in Piplantri, Rajasthan, by supporting the cause of eco-feminism. Delivering 6M+ liters of monthly water, 13,000+ meters of pipelines, and 5,000+ saplings, their efforts transformed the landscape, benefiting 400K+ trees, 10,000+ lives, and diversified agriculture for 3,000+ livestock.
Amazon MiniTV – Pop, Lock and Break by White Rivers Media
The campaign for Amazon miniTV’s show “Hip Hop India” highlighted the country’s thriving underground hip-hop scene. The show also set a Guinness World Record for the largest hip-hop dance event, featuring 1,864 dancers. This achievement has sparked a movement and amplified the voice of a vibrant youth culture.
DS Group- ‘Pulse of Defiance’ by White Rivers Media
DS Group’s Pulse Candy’s ‘Pulse of Defiance’ campaign employed AI-generated visuals to narrate the lesser-known tale of Lokmanya Tilak igniting India’s freedom struggle with the first public Ganesh Chaturthi celebration, educating millions with its digital storytelling.
Samsung Galaxy – Voice Focus by Cheil India
Cheil India’s campaign focused on generating excitement about the ‘Voice Focus’ feature in Galaxy A14 5G. The storyline revolves around the bustling sounds of Indian cities and how this feature enables consumers to reduce loud and unavoidable background noises. The campaign is encapsulated by the tagline “Shor No More”.
The ‘Voice Focus’ feature is demonstrated in a digital film where a person navigates narrow lanes while being trailed by various sources of noise. Initially, two welders and an orchestra add to the clamor, followed by two loud scooter riders and others. Despite the persistent background noise, the individual remains unfazed. When he faces difficulty being heard during a phone call, he activates the ‘Voice Focus’ feature on his Galaxy A14 5G. This feature effectively eliminates background noise and improves vocal clarity by emphasizing voice frequencies, ensuring clearer communication during calls.
Samsung – Not So Silent Library by Cheil India
Cheil India orchestrated a series of events during the 17th edition of the renowned Jaipur Literature Festival on behalf of Samsung. The agency curated engaging activities aimed at captivating book enthusiasts attending the festival.
One of the highlights included the creation of a ‘Not So Silent library’—a tranquil space designed for visitors to indulge in peaceful reading sessions. Samsung introduced the ‘Not So Silent Library’ in Jaipur, deploying Galaxy Buds2 Pro earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation and Samsung Galaxy S9 Series tablets at noisy city spots. Visitors were encouraged to enjoy the library experience with the message “Any place is a good place to read.”
By connecting the Galaxy Buds2 Pro and selecting an audiobook on the Galaxy S9 Series tablets, they were immersed in a virtual library environment, enhancing the reading atmosphere. This initiative also showcased the products’ key features in a subtle manner.
Amazon MiniTV – Karan Badtameez Hai by SoCheers
This campaign sparked a nationwide dialogue, focusing not on celebrities or politics, but on the ubiquitous name “Karan.” Recognizing its prevalence across India, creative content and influential personalities were employed to propagate the playful slogan “Karan Badtameez Hai,” inspired by the show’s lead character.
The initiative swiftly rose to become a leading Google search trend, drawing significant community participation. Surpassing all projections, it garnered over 35 million impressions on social media within a week, generating more than 7 million interactions. Notably, over 172,000 individuals named “Karan” were tagged, triggering humorous online exchanges and a flurry of memes.
Amazon MiniTV – Hunter: Tootega Nahi Todega by SoCheeers
This campaign strategically leveraged third-party platforms while promoting the action-thriller show on a platform typically known for rom-coms. Bypassing traditional media, the agency targeted piracy hubs on Telegram and Torrent sites, disrupting viewers seeking free content by featuring the popular actor and film producer, Suniel Shetty (the show’s protagonist). This surprise tactic drove viewers to the brand’s free content library, achieving the campaign’s objectives, garnering 6,75,000+ engagements and 19.4 million+ views.
Amazon MiniTV – Half CA – ITR by SoCheers
To promote the show, Amazon miniTV enlisted lead actress Ahsaas Channa, who also serves as an actor and influencer. She delivered personalised reminders about tax filing to Indian taxpayers, aiming to prevent them from missing the deadline. This effort was a collaboration with Cleartax, an online platform known for simplifying tax filing. By integrating this initiative with topical events and aligning it with the show’s theme, the campaign achieved significant outreach, garnering over 250 million unique views and more than 350 million total views.
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Disney Star – Word of Pride by DDB Mudra Group
Disney Star curated “Words of Pride,” a glossary of respectful terms for addressing India’s LGBTQIA+ community. An accessible website with pronunciations and contextual examples was created to make Indian languages more inclusive. This effort involved 150 linguists, experts, queer groups, and allies who invested 30 months of research and 7000 hours of collaboration. They delved into historical and contemporary texts, uncovering over 246 respectful words in 7 regional languages.
The campaign demonstrated that Indian languages have always been inclusive, but people were unaware of the respectful terms. It was time to unlearn words of hate and learn “Words of Pride.” Audiences viewed over 560 million minutes of WOP-inspired content.
The initiative sparked conversations with cultural influencers like authors, lyricists, and advertisers at notable platforms such as the Jaipur LitFest and the Advertising Standards Council of India. The campaign achieved 92% positive sentiment, garnered over 94.5 million video views, and generated over 2,85,000 engagements.
McDonald’s India – EatQual Colours by DDB Mudra Group
DDB Mudra Group, in collaboration with McDonald’s India, introduced a groundbreaking feature on the McDelivery app and website aimed at enhancing the food ordering experience for color-blind customers.
This initiative marks a pioneering effort in the food industry to make these platforms more accessible and enjoyable for individuals with color vision deficiency. With the help of ‘Colour-Blind Friendly’ technology feature and launching it on the World Sight Day, October 12, 2023, users can select from three colour enhancement options that allow colour-blind people to see the real colour of their food and drinks.
All the McDonald’s commercials on YouTube now come with the option to be viewed as per one’s colour blindness. Moreover, the in-store experience was also enhanced to ensure that all our touchpoints reiterated the brand’s commitment to inclusivity.
Battlegrounds Mobile India – Royale Pass by DDB Mudra Group
Battlegrounds Mobile India, an online multiplayer battle royale game developed by Krafton, unveiled its Royale Pass, offering players exclusive gear and opportunities to boost their ranks. However, it represents more than just in-game rewards. In today’s digital age, our online personas carry increasing significance, intertwining identities and achievements with our virtual presence. The Royale Pass serves as a distinctive emblem within Battlegrounds Mobile India, signaling a player’s prowess to all they encounter.
A promotional ad vividly illustrates this concept: a gamer flaunting a Royale Pass tattoo is instantly acknowledged by peers who humorously mimic defeat. By linking the Royale Pass to one’s online reputation, the game aims to enrich the virtual experience, making it essential for dedicated players. Within days of its release, the promotional film garnered over 10 million views and engaged over 6 million users, underscoring its swift popularity and impact.
NPCIS – Slippery Spy by DDB Mudra Group
The film is about a couple of police detectives who have come to a bar, searching for a spy. Thankfully, the spy spots them just before the bartender gives him away. The spy gets luckier still, as just then a man selling moles is passing by the bar. The spy quickly grabs a mole and slaps it on his face as the detectives look towards him. They compare him to the picture they have and they aren’t convinced it’s him, because of the mole.
Relieved, the spy whips out his card to pay the vendor, but the vendor rejects it saying he only accepts UPI payment. In the same breath, the vendor snatches back his mole, just when the detectives turn for a second look. Suddenly his lucky day becomes an unlucky one just because he didn’t have the right card.
Post-campaign brand scores on pride of being a RuPay user amongst the core TG improved too. “It is for people like me” went up by 20% “Is a Card network brand I would aspire to have” went up by 21%.
Apart from the aforementioned entries, there are other campaigns as well from other agencies such as Ogilvy India, McCann Worldgroup India, Talented.Agency, etc. which have not been disclosed to the public.
DS Group – SaluteTheFarmHer by Grapes
Grapes partnered with DS Group to eulogise the efforts of female farmers missing from common perception. We used “invisible farmers” as a creative device with an emotionally charged narrative. The agency decided to hero the “invisible farmers” of India and it became a symbol of the apathy and ignorance that female farmers face on a day to day basis.
The idea behind the campaign is to put the spotlight on these unsung heroes of Indian farming. The attempt is not just to bring more visibility to their contributions but to change ground realities where currently only 8-9% of female farmers have any land ownership rights.
Catch Foods – #MaakaEhsaas by Grapes
On Mother’s Day, Grapes recognised that a mother’s love is the purest of all. It’s not shown through grand gestures but through small, often unnoticed acts, like a cool drink on a hot day or a favorite meal on a Sunday afternoon. To highlight this, the agency created #MaaKaEhsaas, a film focusing on mothers who are often overlooked, such as sex workers. The film emphasised how food creates moments of love from a mother to her child.
The campaign #MaaKaEhsaas received a total of 4.27 crore impressions reaching 1.68 crore TG, with almost 2 crore views and 2.9 lakh clicks in five days. Out of 1.68 crore reached users more than 46% of them viewed the 3.5-minute video in full. And that was not it, as per Google, this was recognised among the performed long-format emotional content and was published as a Google Case Study. This campaign not only found its space in the brand’s premium target audience heart but also connected with the masses via highly engaging and emotional comments.
