Exactly as I had plotted yesterday, as soon as I stepped out of the taxi at Carlton, I started looking all over the hotel lobby for the Lions Daily, the magazine that declares the shortlists.
First I scanned the Outdoor Lions.
Eleven times I counted Indian entries shortlisted. Joshbro Communications and Taproot India received three each for their work for Shoebazaar and Audio Book India respectively. BBDO India continuing its good run yesterday, got two more shortlists for its work for the White Collar Hippies Travel Company.
Sorento Healthcare matched BBDO, with two shortlists for Osteoarthritis Therapy India. McCann Worldgroup India also got a shortlist.
But nothing for Blow Up or for other Publcis entries.
Okay, calm down, I said, let's see the entries for the Media Lions
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Here India received a total of seven shortlists. BBDO India received a total of three shortlists in the category. The agency received a shortlist in the Best Use of Audio category for its work for Aviva Life Insurance. The agency also received a shortlist in the ‘Best Use of Ambient Media: Small Scale’ for their work for Icongo. In the ‘Best Consumer Engagement’ segment, BBDO received a shortlist for ‘Shave Sutra’, a campaign for Gillete Mach3 Turbo Sensitive.
In the ‘Fast Moving Consumer Goods’ category, Lodestar Universal's work for L’oreal was shortlisted too. Maxus was shortlisted in the ‘Commercial Public Services including Healthcare & Medical’, for their work for Tata Sky. Contract Advertising made their way into the Media Lions shortlists too. Their work for J K Tyre & Industries was shortlisted.
McCann WorldGroup India made it to the ‘Public Health & Safety, Public Awareness Messages’ segment for their work for Hard Rock Café’s anti- drinking driving campaign.
No Blow up. No Publicis again.
Calm down. Calm down. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10.
McCann picked up a shortlist in Radio.
So more or less that's the results for the day. BBDO and Mudra are doing well. Sorento Healthcare and Joshbro take a bow. Ogilvy picked up a shortlist for their posters for Sour marbels.
In the evening we will know if yesterday's shortlists from PR, Direct, Promo will convert. More on that later. And I will also tell you if I resisted the temptation to blow up an image of Cannes building in protest.
(The author is National Creative Director, Publicis Capital)