India leads the way at WARC Prize of Asian Strategy

India picked eight awards for five entries at WARC Prize for Asian strategy function held at Mudra House, Mumbai last evening. The 'fool-proof' internet service campaign for Indian telecommunications company Idea Cellular picked up two awards: the Grand Prix and Gold (Regional winner South Asia). Agency on account is Mullen Lowe Lintas Group.

Other Indian campaign to bag two awards was for Havells titled A woman is not a home appliance.  It bagged a Local Hero Special Award ($1,000 cash prize) as well as Silver (Regional winner South Asia). Agency on account is yet again Mullen Lowe Lintas Group.

Touch the pickle campaign for Whisper too picked two awards: Asia First Special Award ($1,000 cash prize) and Gold (Regional winner South Asia). The campaign created by BBDO India has been appreciated at a number of international platforms.

Voluntary Compliance Encouragement Scheme: A crash course in recovering taxes from stubborn defaulters a campaign by McCann World Group for Government of India bagged a silver in Regional winner South Asia. Meanwhile, Tata Tea campaign titled From packaged good to packaging good by Mullen Lowe Lintas Group India picked a bronze in the same category.

Mullen Lowe Lintas was obviously the hero of the evening as it ended up picking five of the eight awards that came India’s way. As is known, the WARC Prize for Asian Strategy celebrates the very best in strategic marketing in Asia. Entries are judged on the quality of strategic thinking and the results it delivers.

Entries were judged by a panel of senior marketers and agency-side strategy experts, chaired by BV Pradeep, Unilever's global vice-president of consumer and market insight. Commenting on India’s Grand Prix winning entry Pradeep stated, “Idea Cellular’s campaign ‘No ULLU Banoing’ was outstanding because it was based on a powerful and universal cultural insight that worked across the whole of India, across urban and rural populations and across socio-economic classes. The strategy expanded the market, strengthened brand equity and drove growth of sales revenues. To achieve all three deliverables with one campaign was really amazing.”

More than 135 campaigns from across the region entered the 2015 Prize, with half of the shortlisted entries hailing from India. Seventeen of these campaigns picked up gold, silver and bronze awards. Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines were also represented in the prize list.