Cannes Lions: India bags 9 shortlists in print, outdoor, design and mobile

The agencies, whose work has bagged these shortlists, include J Walter Thompson, Creativeland Asia, DDB Mudra, FCB India, McCann India and Ogilvy India

Indian advertising agencies made a flying start on the first day of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, taking home four metals and a Grand Prix in the health care category. ‘Metal’ is industry parlance for awards.

While health care maintains its position as a metal deliverer at the Cannes Lions, Indian agencies will keep a close watch on segments such as print, outdoor, and design, considered traditional advertising categories. Awards for these segments, along with mobile advertising, will be declared on Tuesday.

Indian agencies have nine shortlisted entries in the above-mentioned categories. Work for Mercedes Benz by Creativeland Asia in outdoor has secured three shortlists, improving prospects for the agency to convert at least one of them into a metal, according to experts.

Grey India’s ‘Health Purse’ for Mahindra Rise, which bagged a Silver Lion in the health care category on day one of the festival, is the fourth shortlisted entry in outdoor.

In design and print, Indian agencies have two shortlisted entries each. This includes a shortlist in print and design, respectively, for the ‘Blink to Speak’ campaign for Asha Ek Hope Foundation by TBWA India. The campaign has already bagged a gold and a Grand Prix in the health care category on day one of the festival. The other shortlisted print entry includes work for Harpic by McCann India. The second shortlisted entry in design is for the Surnai Theatre Festival by Ogilvy India.

In mobile advertising, Ogilvy India has a shortlisted piece of work for telecom operator Vodafone, a key account for the agency. Ogilvy is the only agency to get a shortlist in mobile advertising, which is increasingly growing in relevance, given the large base of mobile phone users in India.

Agency executives privately admit that India lags behind its global peers when it comes to mobile advertising and communication owing to the relative newness of the category. It is a segment that has emerged in the last few years, they say, implying agencies have much work to do to catch up with their global peers on this front.

While India’s under-performance in mobile advertising is understandable, say experts, what isn’t is local agencies’ inability to crack radio advertising this year. Indian agencies failed to get a single piece of work shortlisted in radio advertising at the on-going Cannes Lions, pointing to the quality of creative work in this segment, experts said.

In the past, radio, along with print, outdoor and design, has delivered metals for India, given the extensive experience of local agencies in these categories.

Among other segments, Indian agencies have six shortlisted entries in film craft, four shortlists in brand experience and activation, two shortlists each in creative e-commerce and entertainment for music, and four shortlisted pieces of work in industry craft. 

The agencies, whose work has bagged these shortlists (18 in all), include J Walter Thompson, Creativeland Asia, DDB Mudra, FCB India, McCann India and Ogilvy India.