MAM
Effies 2015: MullenLowe Lintas crowned Agency of the Year
MUMBAI: It’s that time of the year again when the entire advertising, marketing and creative media fraternity converge together to laud the most effective creative work amongst their peers. The Effie Awards, organised by The Advertising Club, has entered its 15th chapter with much pomp and show.
Even as the Effie Awards 2015 left agencies wanting for more Gold trophies as several categories went without any takers in the category, MullenLowe Lintas was crowned Agency of the Year with the most number of metals to its name. Claiming victory over four different categories and tying with themselves on a single, MullenLowe Lintas took home six Gold Effies, followed by five Silver and 13 Bronze trophies, making their overall count 24. The agency’s winning streak was bagging the Grand Effie for the campaign, ‘Drinks and Memories’ for Paperboat under the Integrated Advertising Campaign category.
Amongst marketers, Hindustan Unilever was named as the Client of the Year for its award winning campaigns for various brands.
A total of 15 Gold, 26 Silver and 54 Bronze statuettes were given away at the Effie Awards 2015.
Defending champions, Ogilvy and Mather (O&M) emerged as the agency to take home the most number of metals — four Gold, four Silver and a whopping 20 Bronze statuettes — taking their award tally to 28.
McCann Worldgroup India was third in line to bag the maximum awards with two Gold, four Silver and four Bronze, followed by DDB Mudra with four Silver and five Bronze. BBDO India took home two Gold, and one Bronze. The last Golden trophy was taken home by Contract Advertising for its campaign for Truecaller under Telecom and related products category.
The Leo Group India bagged two Silver and one Bronze statuettes.
Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi won Silver for the newly introduced category of New Product or Service – ‘Best campaign for a Start up category’ for their offline to online furniture shopping campaign for Pepperfry.com, while MullenLowe Lintas Group India bagged the bronze for ‘Life Mein Campaign’ for Practo. JWT also took home two Bronze.
The Effie India Awards 2015 were adjudged by an eminent jury panel of 285 industry leaders from across Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore representing agency and clients. Some of the key categories included were consumer products, consumer durable, services, healthcare, small town and rural marketing etc.
“In an era where marketing budgets are under strain and scrutiny, it is extremely heartening that effectiveness has become the mantra of the marketing and advertising fraternity. The overwhelming response to the Effie 2015 is witness to this, with an all-time high participation of 57 agencies and 603 entries. The fact that the Effie award has become the most coveted trophy on the shelves of marketers and agency alike is the greatest joy for me,” said Effie India Awards 2015 chairman Ajay Kakkar.
Elaborating further on the entries, Effie India Awards 2015 co-chairman Vikram Sakhuja said, “The Effies this time too has it all, the power of insight, non-conventional marketing plans and ultimately a great brand success stories.”
“The business environment is constantly changing and it is imperative that we align ourselves these changes to meet the expectations of our clients. I take this opportunity to appreciate and congratulate all the winners and my industry colleagues who are driving and leading this change,” added The Advertising Club president and Colors CEO Raj Nayak in parting.
MAM
Promotedge marks 11 years with expansion into D2C and performance marketing
Kolkata-based agency strengthens global footprint and launches new platforms.
MUMBAI: Promotedge has spent 11 years quietly building momentum and now it’s ready to take a much bigger leap. The Kolkata-based integrated marketing and branding agency, founded in 2015, has completed 11 years of steady growth, evolving from a local creative firm into a full-service marketing partner with a growing international presence. With operational hubs in the US and Canada through its platform PromotEdgeDigital, the agency now serves clients across India, the US, Canada, Australia, and the Middle East.
Over the past 11 years, Promotedge has partnered with more than 200 businesses across diverse industries. Guided by its “Digitally Desi” philosophy which blends cultural insight with data-driven execution, the agency offers end-to-end services including web solutions, digital marketing, creative design, brand planning, and audio-visual production.
In its eleventh year, the agency made significant strides by developing branded IPs and content series for the automotive and industrial sectors, creating audio-visual content for international sporting bodies like the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball, and strengthening its performance marketing capabilities, particularly on quick-commerce platforms such as Zepto, Blinkit, Flipkart, and Swiggy Instamart.
To further boost its D2C focus, Promotedge has integrated the operations of Fizzle Digital into its performance marketing division, now led by founders Avi Saraf and Jhalak Agarwal. The agency continues to serve B2B clients in sectors like steel, energy, engineering, and infrastructure.
Beyond traditional services, Promotedge has introduced new platforms. DesiMachines is an online marketplace for heavy engineering and construction equipment, supported by two financial institutions and six top OEMs. The agency also launched Pexora, a joint venture with Prodigy focused on workspace design, branding, experiential marketing, and Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) solutions in Eastern and North Eastern India.
Additionally, Promotedge nurtures The Trip Space, a boutique travel brand that curates personalised, luxury journeys for high-net-worth travellers.
Promotedge CEO Saurav Agarwal said, “PromotEdge has always been built with a long-term vision. Our goal is to develop capabilities that provide long-term value to our clients.”
As it approaches its 12th year, the agency plans to expand its global clientele, deepen D2C and performance marketing capabilities, invest in AI-enabled solutions, and strengthen its platform-led initiatives.
From a modest start in Kolkata to building platforms and partnerships across borders, PromotEdge is proving that smart, culturally rooted marketing can travel far and deliver real impact. The agency is clearly gearing up for an even bigger chapter ahead.
