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IAA Leadership Award announced winners for sixth edition
MUMBAI: The International Advertising Association (IAA) organised the sixth edition of IAA Leadership Awards 2018.
IAA president Ramesh Narayan said, “A unique power-packed event, we have with us advertisers, media, corporates all assembled to salute excellence in leadership. This is very inspirational. India chapter has been leading from the front to name a few initiatives #WorktoLivetoWork, IAA Mentorship for Women, IndIAA Regional Awards, Reigniting the Artist and Storyteller in you, IAA Olive Crown Awards, IndIAA national awards and for the first time in 80 years we have IAA World Congress being hosted in Kochi in February 2019.”
A panel discussion was moderated by Partho Dasgupta, CEO, BARC India with eminent panellists –Sanjay Behl CEO Raymond, Shashi Sinha, CEO of IPG MediaBrands and Prathyusha Agarwal, chief marketing officer, ZEEL on television medium being a strong influencer. Sanjay touched upon the importance of reach, intensity and quality. Prathyusha mentioned how emotionally invested and involved people are when they see television and with the coming of Digital the loop can now be closed. Shashi Sinha urged marketers to explore as he was of the strong opinion that television is still under-utilised and holds immense potential.
“TV today reaches 836 million individuals across India, we as Indians still are TV fanatics. People are spending 4 hours on TV in the South of India. Almost 12 hours of advertising gets telecasted in India. Hindi content is still ruling, 688 million viewers are watching GEC serials while at a similar number 680 million are watching movies which is a higher number than people who watch movies in the theatre. Sport as a genre is also going up. Overall, I would say TV is the biggest dominant medium today and will continue to grow,” said Dasgupta.
Piramal Group chairman Ajay Piramal was honoured as the IAA Business Leader of the Year. He said “I am honoured to receive the Business Leader of the Year Award 2018 by International Advertising Association. At Piramal Group, our deep driving desire has been our values of knowledge, action, care and impact. This value-driven path has helped us create value for the group and our stakeholders, and provides us with a purpose of ‘Doing Well and Doing Good’. As trustees, we act in the best interest of all our stakeholders, to create mutual, enduring value; and make a positive difference to the world around us.”
IAA India inducted Sam Balsara into the IAA Hall of Fame for doing so much more than just founding and building a great communication company. Membership to the Indian Chapter of IAA is by invitation only and IAA has very senior marketing, advertising and media professionals as it members. IAA in India is seen as the most active chapter by IAA Global. IAA India is well-recognized for some of its marquee events like the IAA Leadership Awards, IAA Olive Crown Awards, IAA Debates, IAA Conversations, IAA Young Turks Forum and an array of IAA Knowledge Seminars, Webinars, Workshops, Conclaves etc.
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
