MAM
Airtel’s logo christened ‘Wave’
MUMBAI: Telecom giant Airtel has christened its redesigned logo as ‘Wave‘.
Wave is crowd sourced and has been chosen after a six month long excercise. Airtel initiated the online contest, ‘The Name Game‘, in the same month as the logo was redesigned.
In this game, customers were invited to recommend a name for the company‘s new logo. The consumer engagement programme attracted nearly 150,000 entries. Three names were shortlisted – ‘Wave‘, ‘Hug‘ and ‘Curve‘. Eventually, ‘Wave‘ won the battle.
With this, the mobile operator attempts to bring alive the brand repositioning of ‘dil jo chahey paas laye‘.
According to an official communiqué, the name Wave refers to the sweeping changes that Airtel aims to bring towards enriching the lives of its 200 million plus customers in 19 countries across Asia and Africa.
It is also symbolic of ‘wave‘ of progress and prosperity that brand Airtel continues to bring in the lives of its customers everyday, through its exciting products and services.
The creative duties of Airtel lie with JWT, while the media buying and planning is handled by Madison.
AD Agencies
WPP and Ogilvy top the global charts as India joins the creative elite: Warc rankings
A record five-year streak for Ogilvy while India secures a top five global spot
MUMBAI: The global advertising world has a familiar king, but a new powerhouse is gatecrashing the palace. In the latest Warc Creative 100 rankings, the industry’s definitive audit of excellence, WPP has once again been crowned the top holding company. Not to be outdone, its crown jewel, Ogilvy, has secured the top network spot for a staggering fifth consecutive year.
It is a “five-peat” that proves Ogilvy’s creative engine is not just running but purring. While many networks rely on one or two superstar offices to carry the load, Ogilvy’s dominance is a team effort across the globe. Hot on their heels is sister agency VML, which took the silver medal for networks, ensuring a WPP clean sweep at the very top of the podium.
The biggest noise, however, is coming from the East. India has officially vaulted into the top five most creative nations on Earth. Once viewed primarily as a back-office for production, the country is now a front-row leader in imagination. Driven by the brilliance of agencies like Ogilvy Mumbai and Leo Burnett India, the nation is proving that its work does more than just look good on a trophy shelf. In a market where every rupee must work twice as hard, Indian campaigns are blending high-concept artistry with ruthless commercial effectiveness.
The individual accolades saw Heineken toast to success as the top brand, finally knocking Apple off its perch. Unilever remains the world’s most awarded advertiser, proving that big business can still have a big heart through its work for Dove and Vaseline.
The title of the world’s most creative campaign went to Publicis Conseil Paris for their AXA “Three Words” initiative. By subtly adding “and domestic violence” to insurance policies to provide immediate relocation cover, the agency proved that the best advertising doesn’t just sell a service, it provides one.
The 2026 rankings also signal a shift in the industry’s DNA. The era of boring business-to-business marketing is dead, with B2B campaigns cracking the top ten for the first time. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence has moved past the gimmick stage. The winners this year used tech not for the sake of a trend, but to drive genuine human emotion.
Whether it is Paris providing a safety net for the vulnerable or India redefining the global creative order, the message from this year’s Warc rankings is clear. The best work in the world is no longer just about catching the eye, it is about changing the world.
