MAM
Cannes 2011: Indians begin winning, wait for gold
MUMBAI: India begins it winning account in Cannes, but is yet to reap a gold metal. Among the first bag of winners in three categories at the Cannes Lions Festival 2011, BBDO has won two silver, followed by Mudra Communications with 1 silver and two bronze.
Celebrating the 58th International festival of Creativity, BBDO bagged two silver metals in the PR Lions category for its Shave Sutra campaign. The two minute long viral video was a spoof of Kama Sutra — created for Procter & Gamble’s men skincare brand, Gillette. The video’s relativity with the ancient Indian art, with a punch of aesthetic wit, has done the trick.
Mudra Communications’ Silent National Anthem won silver in the PR category and picked two bronze in the Promo & Activation group. The Indian national anthem was shot in sign language and enacted by children with hearing/speech impairment.
Interestingly, both the campaigns had very strong Indian culture influence.
No awards were won by the six finalists in the Direct Lions category.
Brands
From mega bills to spontaneous dates: Swiggy Dineout Valentine’s report
From mega bills to last-minute plans, India celebrated love with flair
MUMBAI: Valentine’s Day 2026 was a feast for the senses and wallets alike, according to Swiggy Dineout. India’s on-demand dining platform revealed how the nation celebrated romance with big gestures, lively nights out, and plenty of spontaneous bookings.
Metropolitan hubs continued to rule the roost with Bengaluru, Delhi, and Hyderabad seeing the most reservations. Emerging cities aren’t far behind, with Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Chandigarh joining the party. Growth was particularly striking in Surat (up 180 per cent), Vadodara (155 per cent) and Bhubaneswar (145.5 per cent) compared with the previous Saturday.
Mumbai stole the headlines with a single customer splashing out Rs 130,155 – the highest bill in the country. The city also hosted the largest single group booking, with 30 diners coming together to celebrate in style. Most Valentine’s transactions took place between 10pm and 11pm, proving love, and hunger, strike late.
Mumbai stole the spotlight with a mega-spender whose bill made everyone else blush, while savvy diners were cashing in on discounts, including a Pune customer saving 60% and another in Bengaluru saving 50 per cent. Fine dining was on fire, with bookings up 121 per cent year-on-year, though pubs, bars, and lounges remained the crowd favourites, accounting for 30.6 per cent of all reservations. Last-minute romance was the order of the day, with 66 per cent of diners booking within two hours of heading out. Together, India saved over Rs 6 crore, proving that love can be grand, yet thrifty.
Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi led the premium dining rush, showing a growing appetite for curated, high-end experiences. Meanwhile, spontaneous bookings reinforced modern lifestyles, where convenience and instant gratification rule the day.
Whether it was big spends, huge groups, or a last-minute romantic dash, Valentine’s Day 2026 proved love and dining go hand in hand – and sometimes, they go all out.
