MAM
Publicis co MSL bags gold, silver & two bronze Lions
MUMBAI: MSL India (Publicis Groupe’s Strategic Communications and Engagement Firm) is honoured to share the spotlight with its sister agencies, in four wins at the recently concluded Cannes 2017.
The winning campaigns of #GiveHer5-The Ammada Trust, HPCL Roads That Honk and Vicks #Touchofcare, involved crucial strategic communication approach to drive conversations and impact. It has thus made MSL India’s role and involvement significant.
“The wins are a true reflection of the power of strategic PR counsel in creating the right conversations that lead to measurable impact. As we continue to work with greater collaboration under Publicis Groupe’s ‘Power of One’, our mission is to consistently raise the quality of our work and partner our clients to deliver integrated solutions. All in-line with our promise to be a communication partner that provides strategic counsel and creative thinking,” said MSL India CEO Amit Misra.
The wins include: #GiveHer5, The Ammada Trust – Gold Glass Lion, entered by Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi.
In rural India, ‘period’ is a dirty word. Women are not allowed to water plants, wash her hair, sleep in the same room as anyone else, or enter religious spaces, kitchens. Period-shaming had stunted necessary dialogue about menstrual hygiene. Lack of affordable protection, and culturally-ingrained practice of segregation, meant that over 400 million rural women are being forced to miss 5 days every month. India’s women are falling behind for being women. So, the campaign turned to the urban advantaged to help bridge the gap. For just 2.5$ with Saafkins – the 12-hour, antimicrobial, reusable menstrual protection could help these women. Thus #GiveHer5 was born.
Acknowledging MSL India’s significant involvement which contributed to the win, Praveen Kenneth, Chairman, Co-owner and MD at L&K Saatchi & Saatchi said, “I am a firm believer that passion and hard-work always deliver great results. Born from a self-interest to support betterment of girl child in India, the mission and goals of #GiveHer5 have surpassed all our expectations. In a campaign of such nature, while it was definitely imperative for us to drive mass reach to crowdsource support, the more important and tougher task was bringing to light the issue and creating awareness with action; a task more than well managed by MSL. Their strategic communication counsel and approach, makes them an equal partner in this win.”
Roads that Honk, HPCL – Silver Innovation Lion, entered by Leo Burnett India and Bronze Lion in Design (Promotional Item Design) Category.
#RoadsThatHonk is aimed at safer highways across Indian roads. The innovation, was launched on NH1 in North India, along the Jammu-Srinagar Highway (a road that is touted as one of the most precarious highways by National Geographic). The idea of “Roads that Honk,” was to build the world’s first ever road that honks at drivers to avoid head-on collisions and casualties. With the use of radar and sound, the product was the first of a kind solution to respond directly with speeding drivers, getting them to slow down and drive safely around deadly hairpin turns.
“A great example of how collaboration and the right strategic communication mix can create a big impact. MSL’s role was instrumental in the win, since it was imperative for the campaign to create the right conversations around the idea and its innovation and earn credibility. MSL delivered and deserves as much credit for the win as Leo Burnett,” said Saurabh Varma, CEO, Publicis Communications India and CEO, Leo Burnett South Asia.
Vicks #TouchofCare – Bronze, Entertainment Lion: Vicks, for decades, has centered its communication on ‘family-care’. With changing lifestyles, Vicks understood that contemporary families are no longer defined by biological ties alone. Acknowledging this evolving dynamic, Vicks decided to be a beacon for redefining the modern family in India through #TouchOfCare. The centerpiece of the campaign was a film that shared the heartwarming real-life story of Gauri Sawant, a transgender woman who takes on the responsibility to care for a young girl, Gayatri.
Endorsing MSL’s contribution Nitin Darbari, Chairman and CEO P&G Teva JV China, Marketing Director Asia, Middle East and Africa said, “Vicks #TouchofCare work by MSL is a great example of how power of an idea coupled with strong agency can delivery wonders even at low budgets. The MSL team tapped creatively into the full network of celebrities and influencers with virtually no budget and based on the strength of the idea delivered outstanding value in amplifying the story of Vicks Touchofcare.
So, did Ritu Mittal, Country Brand Marketing Manager, Procter & Gamble, “MSL team was exemplary in working the end to end PR plan & execution on TouchOfCare campaign. The team managed everything within a very limited budget and demonstrated superb agility. The campaign received an overwhelming response across global and national publications as a result of the relentless efforts made by this team.”
Brands
Big Bowl appoints Lyxel & Flamingo as social and media partner
QSR brand eyes next growth phase after crossing Rs 100 crore ARR milestone
MUMBAI: Big Bowl, one of India’s largest bowl-format quick service restaurant brands from Lenexis Foodworks, has appointed Lyxel & Flamingo (L&F) as its social and media partner as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The partnership comes after the brand crossed the Rs 100 crore annual recurring revenue milestone in 2025 and aims to help accelerate its journey towards Rs 150 crore ARR in its fifth year since launch.
Big Bowl currently operates more than 250 kitchens across 50 cities and has emerged as a major player in India’s organised bowl-format food segment. Built around hearty portions and delivery-first convenience, the brand offers a wide mix of Indian, Chinese and fusion bowls designed for quick, affordable and portable consumption.
As urban consumers increasingly gravitate towards easy-to-carry and value-driven meal formats, the company sees the bowl category as a scalable format aligned with modern eating habits.
With the appointment of Lyxel & Flamingo, Big Bowl plans to consolidate its social media and digital media operations under a single partner. The move is intended to sharpen its digital reach, strengthen youth-focused storytelling and improve performance marketing outcomes.
Lyxel & Flamingo, one of India’s largest independent digital-first agencies, manages more than 350 brands and oversees advertising spends exceeding $100 million across its network.
Under the mandate, the agency will handle Big Bowl’s social media strategy, content development, digital performance marketing, media planning and buying, as well as campaign amplification across platforms.
Commenting on the partnership, Lenexis Foodworks founder and director Aayush Madhusudan Agrawal said, “Big Bowl has scaled rapidly to cross Rs 100 crore ARR and established itself as one of the largest bowl-format brands in the country. As a delivery-first, digitally native brand, our next phase of growth will be driven by sharper performance systems and stronger brand storytelling. Consolidating social and media with Lyxel & Flamingo allows us to integrate data, creativity and media precision as we scale towards our next revenue milestone.”
Lenexis Foodworks marketing head Vikas Iyer, added that the delivery-led category requires content, media and performance marketing to work closely together.
“With Lyxel & Flamingo, we aim to build a sharper social voice, stronger acquisition systems and measurable impact, ensuring the brand scales not just in presence but also in precision,” he said.
Lyxel & Flamingo chief executive officer Dev Batra, said the agency will combine data-driven marketing with creative storytelling to support Big Bowl’s growth. “Big Bowl brings the flavour, and L&F brings the fire. Our strategy combines data-led performance with engaging storytelling to help build a strong digital brand presence while delivering measurable business results,” he said.
With this partnership, Big Bowl is looking to strengthen its position as a digitally driven QSR brand, blending brand-building with performance marketing as it scales within India’s rapidly growing organised food delivery market.
