Top ECO award for Rediff spot

Spring has brought happy tidings for Surojit Sen of Rediffusion DY&R. His television spot on vehicular pollution has been adjudged the best among 64 entries from across the country.

Sen participated in a contest held by Earth Communications Office (ECO), India, a non-profit organisation, to create public awareness about environmental issues through mass media.

Sen claims that he has no clue about the prize money, but says he is looking forward to see his creative going on air on various television networks.

"People take vehicle pollution casually, my spot brings out this point graphically," says Sen.

The second and third award-winning entries came from Sameer S Murudkar's team at Vyas Giannetti Creative (Mumbai) and Bhavna Gupta and Sonia Bhatnagar at J Walter Thomson in Delhi, respectively.

"We'd been wanting to do something for a social cause and ECO gave us a platform. Our spot links pollution to smoking. We protect our children from cigarette smoke but forget that vehicular pollution is just as harmful," says Bhatnagar.

ECO India began its annual contests of ready-to-air television commercials in 2004. Last year, the theme was 'water conservation'.

"When Yash Chopra's Veer Zaara was released last November, every print of the film had a 12-second spot on water conservation attached to it. So the commercial was simultaneously released in all the theatres," says an ECO-India executive.

The organisation has roped in India's top creative talent in its mission to promote public service advertising campaigns.

The contest that closed on February 28 was judged by a jury comprising ECO-India founder member Amit Khanna, filmmakers Govind Nihalani and Ramesh Sippy and advertising and media professionals Sam Balsara, Rajesh Pant and Shankar Dutta.

The board members include Peter Mukerjea and G Krishnan from the broadcast industry, Yash Chopra from the film world and Sam Balsara, Rajesh Pant and Rajiv Agarwal from the advertising fraternity.