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Kyoorius Awards 2015: Ogilvy makes a clean sweep with 15 Elephants
MUMBAI: In possibly the best organised award shows in town, Kyoorius, in association with D&AD, announced the winners of the 2015 Advertising & Digital Awards at the DOME at the NSCI, SVP Stadium in Mumbai.
Ogilvy won 15 Blue Elephants, 13 in advertising and two in digital awards. DDB Mudra won six Blue Elephants and was the only agency to bag the Black Elephant. Contract India bagged five Blue Elephants followed by Ideas@work with three Blue Elephant and BBDO India with two Blue Elephants.
The night, which was presented by Colors, brought together over 1200 professionals from the advertising, digital and marketing industries and clients across India to celebrate in Indian creativity. Like it is said, in typical ‘Kyoorius fashion’ the night was unlike any awards ceremony – from the Times Square-inspired sets, to the sound and motion graphics. The entire visual experience for the night was created by Dutch studio Addikt.
A total of 1419 entries (up almost 40 per cent from the previous year) were submitted across Advertising & Digital categories. Of the 163 In Book winners, 48 entries were awarded Blue Elephants, and one entry was awarded the ever-elusive Black Elephant.
DDB Mudra, Ideas@Work, Ogilvy, Contract Advertising, Scarecrow Communications, Soho Square, BBH, BBDO India, Dentsu Webchutney, Madison, Madison BMB, ITSA Brand Innovations, Experience Commerce, Rediffusion Y&R, BBH, Famous Innovations, Havas Worldwide, Fanatics, Grey, Linen Lintas, PHD India, Sapient, Web Maffia, River Advertising, Creativeland Asia, Blink Digital, Whyness Worldwide, and TBWA were some of the agencies who were awarded the ‘Baby Elephant’ trophy as In Book winners.
Of the 163 In Book winners, also nominees for Blue Elephants, the advertising and digital juries awarded 36 Blue Elephants in Advertising and 12 Blue Elephants in Digital categories.
In the advertising categories, the 36 Blue Elephant winners included campaigns by Contract Advertising, Ideas@Work, Creativeland Asia, Ogilvy, Early Man Film, DDB Mudra, BBDO, Fanatics, Grey, TBWA and Linen Lintas.
In digital categories, 12 Blue Elephant winners included work by PHD India, Pigeon & Co., Quasar, Quidich, Dentsu Webchutney, Experience Commerce, Leaf Design, Madison Media, Sapient and Ogilvy.
Black Elephants are reserved for work that redefines the category it is entered in, by taking risks, creating a new conversation with the audience or lasting impact on the industry.
DDB Mudra was awarded the only Black Elephant this year for the direct marketing campaign, Health Cha Shree Ganesh. The campaign for Nutralite, gave everyone’s favourite portly idol a healthy makeover – With a physically fit statue and equally fit priest, accompanied by sugar free modaks and offerings at a pandal in Mumbai. Devotees could participate in Zoomba workouts while waiting in line and donate calories while working out on a treadmill.
Kyoorius founder CEO Rajesh Kejriwal said, “We are overwhelmed by the response this year, the 1419 entries are further acknowledgement of the industry’s support for the Kyoorius Awards. Our international jury and open format ensure that we are a truly neutral and transparent platform that stimulates the industry and nurtures future creative talent. Every year we notice certain trends that prevail in the work entered. This year we saw a lot of work around gender equality and women’s rights, reflecting the national sentiment surrounding these sensitive issues. And of course, in a World Cup year, plenty of cricket.”
D&AD CEO Tim Lindsay added, “The Kyoorius Awards continue to grow in size and stature, and are an important indicator of the world class standards of the Indian creative scene. But the real heroes are the creatives themselves, who are producing ever more engaging, emotional and beautifully crafted work. D&AD are proud to partner.”
Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “Colors is proud to be associated with the Kyoorius Awards, and we are happy to see that it’s become so successful in the second year. Congratulations to all the elephant winners.”
Alongside the Elephant winners, all nominations will be featured in the Kyoorius Advertising Awards Annual and the Kyoorius Digital Awards Annual – distributed to over 5000 corporate and creatives across India – providing an invaluable and unrivalled source of creative inspiration.
The awards night marked the end of the two-day festival of creativity in advertising, media and marketing developed by Kyoorius in partnership with ZEE, GroupM and D&AD.
Terminology
Unlike other awards programmes, Kyoorius Awards have no gold, silver or bronze, and it is the jury’s prerogative to award more than one Blue Elephant in a category, or none at all.
In-Book: Work that stands out above the rest and meets the three judging criteria, for being 1) An original and inspiring idea, 2) Well-executed, and 3) Relevant to its context. Amongst the best pieces of work in the year, in-book winners are the nominees for Blue Elephants.
Blue Elephant: Checks off all three criteria and reaches the Kyoorius Awards benchmark of creative excellence. Recognised as a symbol of the very highest creative achievement.
Black Elephant: Best of Show. The ultimate prize. Work that is truly ground-breaking amongst all the judged work.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
