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The Grand Prix for India is a celebration based on truths. Based on culture. Work done to solve problems, to make us rethink our notions, beliefs and taboos. 'Touch the Pickle' (the Grand Prix winner) asks us questions, becoming more than just an ad in the process.
The campaign for Procter & Gamble's Whisper sanitary napkins challenges an age-old Indian belief that women should not touch pickle when they are menstruating or else the pickle will rot. The campaign launched with a video showing a young woman defying that taboo clearly floored the jury presiding over the Glass Lions, a category that address issues of gender inequality and prejudice. It emerged the best of the best in a category that had attracted 166 entries in its inaugural year. An ad with a purpose, in other words.
This is exactly what P&G's rival Unilever is trying to achieve with its brands. A talk during the day only reinforced that message: Create purpose. We all need that, don't we?
Two other Grand Prixs that drew my attention were the ones announced in outdoor and creative effectiveness. Come to think of it, both winners - iPhone 6 in outdoor and Volvo in creative effectiveness - are demo ads. As creatives, we are scared of demo ads. They mean the devil to us. But a demo can be good if shown well.
Take the iPhone campaign. Indians will not be unfamiliar with the 'Shot on iPhone' bilboard campaign in key cities. It makes the world look better. Each shot is picked with love. No wonder the jury said that it was a game-changer. It is. Not only was it the Grand Prix winner in outdoor, but the campaign picked up five individual Gold Lions for different posters in the category. Apple had debuted the campaign this March, featuring photos and videos taken by iPhone 6 users across the world. It did catch the attention of all. And the Cannes jury.
Volvo is something I wish I had done. It is not just the thinking, but the audacity that makes me happy. A campaign that shows how various technical features in the trucks can be tested in a spectacular and entertaining way. It became popular for the ad that shows actor Jean-Claude Van Demme executing a split while riding two Volvo trucks driving in reverse. This is also the second straight year that the Volvo campaign has won at Cannes. Last year, the campaign had taken home grand prixs in the cyber and film categories. There has to be something in it for it to be feted to this extent. The jurors this year said that the campaign blended art and commerce well, a functional story told artfully, with huge results. I agree. Then there was the India party. Yo Yo Honey Singh on the beaches of Cannes. Interesting, isn't it? We danced like we meant it. It was also nice seeing some old friends. And nice to make some new ones. Good days are made of these.
The author is group executive creative director, Leo Burnett India
ON THE SIDELINES
With Cannes having reached the half-way mark, attention is shifting to the big award categories such as film, film craft, integrated, branded content - areas where the competition levels are extremely given the fight for glory. Winners here automatically become stars. Short-lists are expected to be declared shortly, implying that all eyes will be on them
HUL's Kan Khajura Tesan feted again
Hindustan Unilever's Kan Khajura Tesan has won a bronze lion for creative effectiveness at the Cannes Lions 2015. This is the second straight year that the mobile-led initiative, which requires the listener to make a missed call to a dedicated number, has won at Cannes. Last year, Kan Khajura Tesan, which means ear-worm radio station, had won three golds and a bronze at Cannes, in recognition of the brand-building efforts of the advertiser in media-dark areas in the North of India.
