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  • 12th IAA Olive Crown Awards: Kirloskar bags ‘Green Campaign of the Year’ award

    12th IAA Olive Crown Awards: Kirloskar bags ‘Green Campaign of the Year’ award

    Mumbai: Adland rolled out the green carpet at the 12th edition of the Olive Crown awards hosted by the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) on 28 April in Mumbai. The awards acknowledged the remarkable work of those individuals and corporates who drove the message of sustainability or ‘green advertising.’

    The awards were presented across 16 different categories, including the coveted title ‘Green Crusader of the Year’ award, which was presented to Sadhguru for his efforts to ‘Save Soil’ and his new endeavour of a 100-day long motorcycle journey to spread awareness about soil degradation.

    ‘Green Campaign of the Year’- gold was bagged by Kirloskar – Limitless for its ‘Mother Nature Says Hello’ campaign, while Reliance Industries won the ‘Green Brand of the Year’- gold for its ‘Stories of Sustainability.’

    Chirag Rural Development Foundation & People for Animals Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Centre both bagged the gold in the category ‘Green NGO of the Year.’

    Shreerang Charitable Trust took home a haul of six awards, followed by Centrick Marketing Solutions LLP who picked up three Olive Crowns.

    ‘Young Green Crusader of the Year’ was awarded to Harshvardhan Joshi, an Indian mountaineer who reached the summit of Mount Everest in May 2021 in the most sustainable way possible keeping his carbon footprint to a minimum.

    The event was attended by senior marketing, media, and advertising professionals from across the country. Blue Star Ltd was the cooling partner; Vijayavani and Warner Bros Discovery were the associate partners, and Hungama Digital Media was the ‘green partner’ for the event.

    An eminent jury comprising renowned professionals such as Havas Group chairman and chief creative officer Bobby Pawar, Wunderman Thompson regional creative director- South Asia Tista Sen, House of Awe co-founder Carlton D’silva, and Madison BMB CEO and chief creative officer Raj Nair shortlisted the winners through a rigorous process.

    “The IAA Olive Crown Awards are more than just awards, they are a manifestation of all our thoughts with regards to Brand Earth,” said IAA – India Chapter president and Warner Bros Discovery – South Asia managing director Megha Tata. “They are a collected expression of what the marketing and communication industry can do so well. They are a way of showing the world that communication can be and is a true force for good and that is why we decided to support ‘Save Soil’. I really hope that the IAA India Chapter continues to take on one good cause every year and use the magic of the Marcom industry to amplify that cause.”

    Addressing the gathering, the minister for environment and tourism of Maharashtra Aaditya Thackeray spoke about the government’s new efforts of adding 24 new conservation reserves in Maharashtra and 15000 hectares of wetland for protection. “In these times of climate emergencies, it’s no longer about the future generation, this is about us, this is about being selfish because each of us can make this a better planet, to have clean air, clean water and a world which is freer and safe without hazards,” he added.

    As an Olive Crown Initiative, IAA along with AAFA is supporting the global ‘Save Soil’ movement launched by Sadhguru to address the relatively unknown but critically important issue of soil degradation. 

    Entries were invited for creative campaigns/ideas to spread awareness about this global problem. An eminent jury comprising, McCann Worldgroup India & Chairman McCann Asia Pacific CEO & CCO Prasoon Joshi; Mullenlowe Lintas group CCO and chairman Amer Jaleel, and Wunderman Thompson South Asia chief creative officer Senthil Kumar judged the entries received for the ‘Save Soil’ campaign.

    The joint winners were: Rohan Joseph, Vallabh Yeolkar, and Raj Nair from Madison BMB and Masumi Shrimankar from Fulcro. A film based on the winning campaign created by Rohan Joseph, Vallabh Yeolkar and Raj Nair from Madison BMB has been produced by Zirca Digital Solutions and Pixel Party.

    “The Olive Crown Awards have been an event, an honour, a recognition for over a decade with a lot of love to celebrate media, communications, marketing, and advertising to work towards sustainability,” said IAA Olive Crown Awards chairperson Pradeep Dwivedi. “It is rightly said that we have not received this planet from our ancestors, but we have merely borrowed it from the coming generation. It is a massive responsibility that we as an industry continue putting efforts towards sustainability.”

    Check out the complete list of winners here.(EMBED: Winner doc)

  • IAA extends Olive Crown brand to raise awareness on soil degradation

    IAA extends Olive Crown brand to raise awareness on soil degradation

    Mumbai: The India chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) has extended its Olive Crown brand to raise awareness about the global cause to save our planet Earth from soil degradation. As a part of this initiative, the twelve-years strong brand will support the global ‘Save Soil’ movement being launched by the Isha Foundation. 

    The industry body released five hard-hitting creatives created by Madison BMB for the ‘Call for Entries’ campaign that emphasises the urgency of the issue, even as it invited entries for a ‘compelling 360-degree campaign to save the soil and our future.’

    “The Olive Crown Awards have been hailed and accepted as the gold standard in an area where sustainability and creativity converge. The IAA has decided to extend the Olive Crown brand and take up urgent issues relevant to the environment,” said IAA president Megha Tata. “As a part of this, we are supporting the global Save Soil movement being launched by Isha Foundation. I am happy that the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) is also on board with us in amplifying this important message.”

    “In life, what possibly tends to be taken for granted the most, are things like soil. You never think of it as a finite resource. While most other resources get replenished from time to time, the amount of fertile soil in the world is getting depleted,” remarked Madison BMB CEO and chief creative officer Raj Nair. “This is happening at such a rapid rate that it needs to be addressed on a yesterday basis. And that’s something that the advertising community truly understands: that the deadline was yesterday. So, the invitation is for agencies or individual teams to come forward with their compelling communication ideas to highlight the issue.”

    “This is a little-known but huge global problem. Topsoil erosion and the depressing food production arising out of that concern us all,” commented said AFAA chairman Srinivasan Swamy. “AFAA is happy that IAA is taking up this important communication need and we are happy to be part of it.  AFAA has been associated with the Olive Crown Awards for many years and the response to the awards from across Asia has been good. I am sure AFAA members will step up and send good entries for this issue as well.”

    Olive Crown committee chairperson Pradeep Dwivedi added, “We are reaching out to our creative community and appealing to them to create a truly effective campaign that will be judged by an elite jury. The winning entry will be awarded on our Olive Crown awards night and will also be run across pan-Asian media. This new campaign to be awarded is a great addition to our annual Olive Crown Awards.

  • AFAA elects Srinivasan Swamy as chairman

    AFAA elects Srinivasan Swamy as chairman

    Mumbai: The Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) has elected Srinivasan Swamy as its chairman for a term of four years, at its general body meeting held on Tuesday.

    Swamy, a doyen of advertising and the chairman of R K Swamy Hansa Group, has held leadership positions in many industry bodies at a national and global level. He has been International Advertising Association (IAA) chairman and world president, Confederation of Asian Advertising Agency Associations (CAAAA) chairman, Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) president, IAA India Chapter, Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) chairman, All India Management  Association (AIMA) president, to name a few.

    “This is a privilege not just for me but for the Indian marcomm community at large. The AFAA not just hosts the prestigious AdAsia conference, but is also connected with AdStars, and runs the widely acclaimed FastTrack program where young professionals are trained and transformed in a three-day program,” said Swamy. “I look forward to making a meaningful contribution to the communications industry in Asia, as well as seeing how AFAA can work along with other global industry Associations and further the cause of professionalism.”

    India gave AFAA two distinguished Chairmen in the past – Gautam Rakshit and Pradeep Guha.

    AFAA is represented in India by the Advertising Council of India (ACI) whose members are The Advertising Club, Advertising Agencies Association of India, the India Chapter of International Advertising Association, Indian Broadcasting and Digital Association, and the Indian Society of Advertisers.

  • IAA India president Megha Tata set for second term

    IAA India president Megha Tata set for second term

    Mumbai: The India chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) has unanimously re-elected Discovery Communications India-South Asia MD Megha Tata as president of the body. Tata, therefore, will be returned for the second term, announced IAA at its AGM held here on Friday.

    “It is an honour and a privilege to be leading the India chapter of IAA for the second term,” said Tata. “Along with the wonderful Mancom I hope to continue to strengthen the India chapter and help build a strong ecosystem for the common good of the industry.”

    “In spite of a challenging year, we did many successful events, and am sure the coming year will be even bigger and better,” she added.

    Eros International Media group CEO & executive director Pradeep Dwivedi was elected as vice president and the other office-bearers include Lodestar UM CEO Nandini as honorary secretary and The Free Press Journal director Abhishek Karnani as honorary treasurer.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd MD and CEO Punit Goenka will continue to guide the new team as immediate past president, said the association in a statement.

    The members of the managing committee elected include Another Idea founder Jaideep Gandhi; The Indian Express Pvt Ltd executive director Anant Goenka; ABP Network CEO Avinash Pandey; Deshdoot Media Group managing director Janak Sarda, and GroupM CEO-South Asia Prasanth Kumar.

    The co-opted members are Havas Group India CEO Rana Barua; Dentsu Aegis Network CEO-APAC and chairman India Ashish Bhasin; Marketing Amar Ujala Publications president Rajiv Kental; Indira Television Ltd director Rani Reddy, and RK Swamy Hansa and IAA Presidents’ Council chairman and IAA Global immediate past chairman & world president Hansa Srinivasan K Swamy.

    The members invited to the managing committee will be shortly announced.

  • Bhamla Foundation’s World Environment Day campaign wins top honours at the 11th Olive Crown Awards

    Bhamla Foundation’s World Environment Day campaign wins top honours at the 11th Olive Crown Awards

    Mumbai: The India chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) hosted the eleventh edition of its annual Olive Crown Awards 2021 acknowledging the remarkable work of those individuals who drove the message of sustainability or ‘green advertising’.

    ‘Green Campaign of the Year’- Gold was bagged by Bhamla Foundation for ‘Dhakk Dhakk Dharti’ while IIFL Home Finance Ltd won the ‘Green Brand of the Year’- Gold. ‘Green NGO of the Year’ – Gold went to Project Mumbai for ‘The Mumbai Plastic Recyclothon’. ‘Green Campaign of the Year’- Silver was bagged by Ogilvy for ‘I Will Wear Out Plastic’. Heartbeat Creative Lab, Taiwan led the pack as they bagged four Gold & two Silver followed by Ogilvy with six Silvers at the Olive Crown Awards 2021.

    An eminent jury comprising media professionals such as Havas India chairman & chief creative officer, Bobby Pawar; BBDO India chairman & chief creative officer, Josy Paul; Wunderman Thompson South Asia regional creative director, Tista Sen; House of Awe co-founder, Carlton D’silva and Reliance Industries Ltd advisor, Kaushik Roy, shortlisted the winners through a rigorous process.

    The event, which had Zee Entertainment as its presenting partner and Discovery Communications as the associate partner, was attended by the who’s who of the ad world, including senior marketing, media, and advertising professionals from across the country. This year’s awards received over 200 entries across 20 categories.

    The state minister of environment, tourism and protocol Aaditya Thackeray was felicitated as ‘Green Crusader of the Year’ for his efforts to save the Aarey Forest in Mumbai, active promotion of urban forests in cities across Maharashtra, and hands-on approach in beach clean-ups. Addressing the gathering he said, “This award is very special for me and I take this as an encouragement for me to go ahead and take the stride to work more for climate change mitigation. I was on my way here and I was thinking what do I ask from you. When you meet an august crowd of the best people in communication, I think I can only ask for your help in communicating the climate emergency we faced today.”

    IAA – India chapter president and managing director – South Asia, Discovery Communications India, Megha Tata said, “In the last 11 years of Olive Crown we have seen campaigns and brands go from doing ‘something green’ to being vested in sustainability and we are glad that this is a platform to showcase work that can inspire. One of the things 2020 taught us is that Nature loved our lockdown! But we need to find this balance and co-exist every single day! And some of the campaigns we have seen this year, have presented this balance beautifully.”

    IAA Olive Crown Awards, chairperson and Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, founder & CEO, Neeraj Roy said, “Over the next two decades, your entire customer base and your teams  – the talent you are hoping to attract will largely be millennials and Gen Z and we know that they rate a brand’s ethics and sustainability higher than ever before so it will be impossible and impractical to ignore these trends. Brands, media, advertisers, agencies, and marketers, essentially the core of the IAA community, has always played a key role in communication for centuries and it is encouraging to note that brands here in India too are taking note and actions toward sustainability and a greener planet in their product offerings.”

  • IAA to host panel discussion on gender sensitisation in media on 27 July

    IAA to host panel discussion on gender sensitisation in media on 27 July

    Mumbai: The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) is all set to host a high-powered virtual panel discussion with leaders of the Marcom industry on 27 July. The session on- ‘Gender in media and the impact on children and their future’ will begin at 3:30 pm.

    Discovery Communications India MD-South Asia and IAA president, Megha Tata, said, “A few weeks ago we released the top lines of the results of a unique market research conducted on 1,000 Indian advertisements by UNICEF and the Geena Davis Foundation. The IAA had facilitated this important research on gender representation in Indian advertising. On 27 July, UNICEF will present the results in depth, and then there will be a discussion on the implication of these findings on gender in media and the impact on children and their future. This will truly represent the industry as the Voice of Change.”

    The panelists include AAAI treasurer and Havas Group CEO, India, Rana Barua, ASCI chairman and BBH and Publicis Worldwide, India, chairman Subhash Kamath, BYJU’S head of marketing, Atit Mehta, filmmaker, artist and writer Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Ogilvy India chief creative officer, Kainaz Karmakar and Population First director Dr A L Sharada and Viacom18, head- Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV Network, Nina Elavia Jaipuria, and UNICEF, senior advisor Shreyasi Jha.

    Speaking about the initiative, Viacom18 head – Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV Network and IAA co-chair – Women Empowerment Committee, Nina Elavia Jaipuria, said, “Conversations and actions go hand in hand when tackling an issue as important and nuanced as gender representation in media and its impact. We are thus bringing together leaders across the ecosystem who can not only identify the change in discourse needed but also have the power to actually bring about that change.”

    “Gender-related stereotypes are formed at a very young age and prevent adolescents and young people from reaching their full potential. Advertising and media, more broadly, play a key role in forming and perpetuating stereotypes. UNICEF is delighted to be the knowledge partner with IAA and its members for this important event that is the beginning of a very important journey to promote positive gender roles and practices through advertising so every young person can live a life free from stereotypes and achieve their full potential” says UNICEF, senior advisor, Shreyasi Jha.

    The discussion has UNICEF as its knowledge partner, Colors as the industry partner, Havas Group as an Associate partner, and Clutter Cutters as the on-ground knowledge partner.

    Registration link:  https://bit.ly/IAAVoiceOf

  • ‘The world needs a breather’: IAA appeals to the industry

    ‘The world needs a breather’: IAA appeals to the industry

    MUMBAI: The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) has appealed to all segments of the industry to take a deep breath and deal with all its stakeholders with understanding, empathy, and kindness in this hour of crisis.

    IAA president & MD – South Asia Discovery Communications India Megha Tata said, “Yes, we are passing through an unprecedented crisis. There is pain and grief all around us. But as they say, extraordinary times need extraordinary responses. Corporates have responded with alacrity and fortitude to the call of the nation. Money and material is being raised to help those in need. Communication is being used, and will be used, to strike a chord of positivity.”

    As a responsible industry association with a unique mix of members including leaders from the world of marketing, advertising and the media, the IAA is appealing to all stakeholders in the industry to deal with one another with a degree of sensitivity, understanding, empathy and kindness, said Tata.

    IAA Leadership Awards Committee chairperson and Lodestar UM India CEO Nandini Dias shared that the campaign seeks to dip into the reserves of goodness that exist in all of us and create strong foundations for long term renewal. 

    “For three years now IAA through a well-managed campaign has been urging industry leaders to save lives by adopting flexi-timings. It evoked a very positive response. This time the challenges are different. We need to rebuild lives and livelihoods irrespective of where you work from or whether you belong to a local or global organisation. And of course, as we always maintain, communication should be a force for good,” she added.

    The campaign was created by the Madison BMB team of Rohan Joseph CD Copy, Vallabh Yeolekar CD Art, and CEO & CCO Raj Nair.

  • Advertising fraternity comes out in support of Tanishq

    Advertising fraternity comes out in support of Tanishq

    NEW DELHI: The team at Tanishq couldn’t have foreseen, even in their wildest dreams, that a simple ad about two communities co-existing in peace and harmony would land them in such massive trouble. They have been dragged on social media, in the equity markets, probably on the ground too (if news reports are to be believed). It’s fair to say that the trolls, naysayers, and people with a different mindset forced them to pull down their creative. Overnight, what was meant to promote their brand ahead of the festive season instead became a hot-button issue, for all the wrong reasons.

    What did it showcase: A young daughter-in-law all set for a baby shower. Only that she is a Hindu married into a Muslim household, and for the sake of her happiness, her new family is celebrating the occasion in accordance with her traditions.

    The idea of a interfaith union is not an alien one in India; there are enough number of Hindu-Muslim couples across Bollywood, sports, business and what not. So, there was not even an iota of sentiment that hurt any religion. But naysayers felt the pinch, lashed out at the brand in a big way and pushed it on the backfoot.

    However, the advertising industry came to the rescue of the much-maligned brand. ASCI, IAA, AAAI and The Ad Club issued separate statements, strongly condemning the trollers and extended their support to Tanishq, even going as far as to say that the jewellery maker could restart its campaign if they so wanted, as it did not contain any misleading or unethical content in the first place.

    This is not the first time when an ad has been attacked or trolled but it is one of the rare occasions when the advertising associations quickly turned around and created a special committee to evaluate the ad and give it a green chit.

    We spoke to several creative stalwarts and advertising agency bosses who in a unanimous tone censured trolls, supported the brand, and stood for the freedom of expression in the advertising business.

    Dentsu CEO APAC and chairman – India Ashish Bhasin is pleased to see the industry coming together in support of the cause. “Everyone in advertising would want the freedom of expression of this fraternity to continue and not get endangered. I think it is a good example of the entire community coming together to support the cause since it is of common interest to all. In the marketplace, we may compete as different businesses and agencies. However, one good thing about the advertising fraternity is that when it comes to issues of common interest, we cooperate and collaborate in the truest sense and I have witnessed this many a time. I am pleased that the fraternity is coming together to take a stance on something that affects everyone. Right now, it is just one agency or one client, but tomorrow it can be other agencies and clients as well. So, it is important for the fraternity to state its point of view, which I think is well done this time,” says he.

    Read more news on Tanishq

    Spring Capital founder and creative partner Arun Iyer is someone who has worked with Tanishq in the past and understands it. He could not find a reason as to why people are upset about the film as there is nothing wrong with it. “It is a neat piece of work and the intent behind it is nice. The film simply shows that the two communities can live together peacefully. However, there is a faction that thought otherwise. It is unfortunate that people have to take sides (for or against) on this piece of work as there is no need for it. Also, if there was not this much of trolling, may be the ad also would not have garnered this level of attention. I believe people are becoming increasingly sensitive about matters involving Hindu-Muslim. The brand has a point of view and it should not be blown out of proportion,” believes Iyer.

    The Social Street founding partner and CEO Mandeep Malhotra is happy that the industry associations are standing by Tanishq as these associations are like an extended family of the brands. “As a consumer, personally, I did not find anything offensive with the ad. However, we live in a country where people can be divided over extremely small issues. I personally feel it’s a good sign that the associations are showing solidarity with the brand in these low times. These brands have contributed very strongly to the community and it is one of those times when the family should be standing by you especially when you are right and have done nothing unethical. Also, I believe that the situation has already helped the brand achieve its objective of reaching out to people – in a good way or bad way, it remains to be seen,” Malhotra adds philosophically.

    DDB Mudra West VP & head strategy Toru Jhaveri opines: “I don't think advertising should have great pretensions beyond persuasion. Ads are storytelling snippets that move products, and the best ones are beautifully crafted and move people, too. Whatever power advertising has as a cultural force, lies in its ability to represent and normalise reality – which is one crucial way of shaping it. After all, imagining begins with an image, with seeing – or hoping to see. The Tanishq film was honestly simply a nice, warm film until we could no longer see it. Which begs the question: what else can we expect to stop seeing, and then imagining?”

    Tidal7 co-founder and chief creative officer KS Chakravarthy demands what the fuss is about anyway? “I think the very vocal opponents are missing the fundamental point – if an ad, any ad, offends people's sensibilities, the advertiser will pay the price in terms of brand image, goodwill, and ultimately, business. So if an ad is truly offensive to the vast majority of this country, it will be punishment enough by and of itself. If on the other hand it does not offend, and actually wins respect and affection, then what's the fuss about anyway?” asserts Chax.

    Infectious Advertising co-founder and director Nisha Singhania is unhappy with the situation and sees the attack as completely unwarranted and uncalled for. “It’s a lovely ad which actually represents India and it’s secular values beautifully. Tanishq as a brand has always done path breaking work and I congratulate them once again for doing the same. It is very unfortunate that the ad had to be pulled off, I commend the entire team behind it. It is sad that we live in times where stories that inspire equality and promote brotherhood have become objectionable,” she says.

    Havas Group India adds, “We have our Group CEO Rana Barua as both an industry representative and a Mancom member of all 3 institutions – IAA, AAAI and The Ad Club part of all the decisions taken by these industry bodies condemning the attack, which remains our stand."

    Tanishq is a creative brand that has done some very topical promotions in the past that have broken through the clutter and sparked conversations. It will be interesting to see if the brand manages to bounce back and resume its campaign with all the support it has garnered from the industry.

  • The Ad Club stands by Tanishq, condemns online ‘aggression’

    The Ad Club stands by Tanishq, condemns online ‘aggression’

    NEW DELHI: The advertising industry is putting up a show of support for jewellery brand Tanishq, after the latter was forced to roll back a commercial in the face of widespread outrage on social media.

    Earlier today, the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) said it disapproved of the targeting of the commercial. Now, The Advertising Club has strongly condemned the threatening and targeting of Tanishq and its employees.

    "After the review by our internal team, consisting of multi-sectoral experts we have come to a clear consensus that the ad breaks no ethical standards, is not derogatory to any person organization or religion and does not hurt any national sentiment," it said in a statement.

    The advertising body further said that it disapproved of the aggression expressed on online platforms against the brand and found this “baseless and irrelevant attack on creative expression” extremely concerning.

    “The Advertising Club upholds the primacy of creative freedom as a fundamental right of the marketing and advertising fraternity and hence disapprove of the approach to stymie that freedom,” it added.

    The advertisement in question was also viewed at the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) by an independent panel – The Consumer Complaints Council, which is representative of multiple stakeholders from industry, civil society, lawyers and consumer activists. The panel found nothing in the advertisement that was indecent or objectionable or repulsive that could lead to grave and widespread offence.

    The 45-second Tanishq ad on interfaith marriage had triggered a furious backlash on social media. While a section of netizens accused the brand of promoting 'love jihad', others came out in support of it.

  • IAA appoints Megha Tata as president

    IAA appoints Megha Tata as president

    The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) has appointed Megha Tata as its new president. She is the MD of Discovery South Asia and was elected as vice president of the association last year.

    The association announced the appointment in a tweet congratulating Tata on her new role.

    She is an industry veteran with nearly three decades of experience. Tata joined Discovery Communications in 2019 and has been spearheading the operations there. Prior to joining Discovery, Tata was serving as the chief operating officer at Business Television India (BTVI).

    Tata has held senior positions at Star India, HBO India, and Turner International. She has received many industry accolades and has had an illustrious career.