AD Agencies
Call for entries: 15 IAA Olive Crown Awards celebrates sustainability
MUMBAI: Can creativity save the planet? The India chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA), in collaboration with the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA), has opened the call for entries for the 15 edition of the Olive Crown Awards. These prestigious awards honour creative excellence in sustainability communication, celebrating work that inspires positive change.
Now in its 15 year, the Olive Crown Awards continue to grow in influence and stature. Speaking about this milestone, IAA president Abhishek Karnani remarked, “We are delighted that the Olive Crown Awards are now in their 15th year. These awards salute creative excellence in communicating sustainability and are a very meaningful set of awards. The awards have grown in stature year on year and, in fact, won the IAA recognition from Earthday.Org, the largest environmental movement in the world.”
True to its mission, the Olive CroThe creatives for this campaign were designewn Awards invite entries from across India, Asia, and Europe, fostering a global platform for creativity that champions sustainability. What’s more, there are no entry fees for this initiative, making it an accessible opportunity for creators everywhere.
Olive Crown Awards chairman Surinder Chawla added, “We are very happy to receive entries from all over India as well as from countries across Asia as well as Europe. Run as a cause, there are no entry fees for this initiative.”
The deadline to submit entries is 10 February 2025. Participants can share their submissions via the official awards website: https://ocawards.awardor.com.
The creatives for this campaign were designed as a labour of love by The Garage Worldwide Team, Rujvi Sankpal – Visualiser, Aman Vashisht – Senior Copywriter & Raj Nair – CCO.
With sustainability taking centre stage in global conversations, awards like the Olive Crown Awards serve as a powerful reminder of the role creativity can play in driving environmental change. Will your ideas inspire the next wave of action?
Submit your entries now and join the movement to spotlight creativity that matters.
AD Agencies
Microsoft shifts global media account from Dentsu to Publicis Groupe: Reports
Closed review ends decade-long tie-up; Xbox remit may remain with Dentsu
MUMBAI: Microsoft has reassigned its global media planning and buying business to Publicis Groupe, according to media reports, ending Dentsu’s long-standing stewardship of one of the advertising industry’s biggest accounts.
The move follows a closed review and marks a notable shake-up in the global media landscape. Dentsu, which managed the account through Carat, had held the mandate since 2014 and successfully defended it in a 2018 review.
While the broader business is shifting, Dentsu is expected to retain media responsibilities for Xbox, according to media reports, though the exact contours of that arrangement remain unclear. None of the parties involved have publicly outlined the transition timeline or the full structure of the handover.
The scale of the account underscores the significance of the change. Estimates from COMvergence, cited by Ad Age, peg Microsoft’s global media spend at roughly $700 million last year.
For Publicis Groupe, the win deepens an already expanding relationship with the tech giant. Earlier this year, Microsoft Advertising partnered with Publicis Media Exchange and Epsilon to integrate Epsilon’s data into its platform, aiming to sharpen targeting across search, native and display formats.
The decision reflects a broader industry shift, as large advertisers increasingly favour agency partners with strong first-party data capabilities, AI integration and platform-led solutions. Publicis Groupe has been leaning into this model, positioning its data assets and technology stack as a central differentiator.
For Dentsu, the loss is significant. Media remains a core pillar of its global business, and the development comes close on the heels of leadership changes, including the appointment of Takeshi Sano as global chief executive officer.
The shift also carries a touch of irony. Microsoft and Dentsu have worked closely beyond the client-agency relationship, including collaborations around AI tools such as Copilot to support media and creative workflows.
As the dust settles, the message is clear: in today’s data-driven, AI-powered media world, relationships may be long, but they are rarely permanent.
