MAM
India thrives at APAC Effie Awards 2016, taking the top awards
MUMBAI: Indian emerged as a major winner at the APAC Effie Awards 2016 awards, with Indian agencies taking away several awards at the Awards Gala last night at Intercontinental Singapore, celebrating Asia Pacific’s most effective marketing campaigns.
Mullen Lowe Lintas Group, India was named APAC Effie 2016 Agency of the Year, bagging 8 metals, while BBDO India’s ‘Share The Load’ campaign for Procter and Gamble took home the grand Effie.
Going by metals tally, Colenso BBDO/Proximity was running behind with three agencies in the tie for the third place, BBDO India, Barnes Catmur and Friends Dentsu and Ogilvy & Mather Mumbai.
On the network level, BBDO Worldwide took the lead, with a total haul of 17 metal awards followed by Ogilvy & Mather and Mullen Lowe Group coming in the second and third position respectively.
Two new Special Awards were added this year – Brand of the Year and Marketer of the Year to recognise the joint efforts and close collaboration between clients and agencies to produce successful work. The awards were presented to Ariel Matic and Procter & Gamble respectively with their entry ‘Ariel – Share The Load’ being the best of show for the night, clinching the Grand Effie, on top of a Gold and a Silver. These Special Awards are accorded based on the points received on all winners and finalists.
The Awards Gala attended by some 200 industry professionals presented a total of 66 Effies – One Grand Effie, 12 Golds, 21 Silvers and 32 Bronzes.
As in previous years, India remains the strongest market in the region on the effectiveness stage, contributing the highest number of metal winners last night. Following in the ranking were New Zealand and Australia.
Congratulating the winners, Effie Awards 2016 Chairman Cheuk Chiang said:”It is a massive acknowledgement. To get here having gone through two rigorous rounds of judging by a stellar team of industry professionals is a significant and incredible achievement and indeed something to be proud of. These winning cases represent the best in Asia Pacific and I hope they only serve to inspire the industry further in producing great work that drive real business results.”
Organised by the Confederation of Asian Advertising Agency Associations (CAAAA) and Tenasia Group, the APAC Effie Awards honour the region’s most outstanding marketing communication works that have proven results in meeting strategic objectives.
Winners and finalists will contribute points towards the ranking on the 2016 Effie Effectiveness Index, the global ranking which identifies and ranks the most effective marketers, brands by analyzing finalist and winner data from worldwide Effie competitions.
Brands
Hyundai and TVS Motor partner to develop electric three wheelers
Joint development pact targets last mile mobility with localisation push
MUMBAI: Three wheels, one big ambition and a charge towards the future. Hyundai Motor Company and TVS Motor Company have signed a joint development agreement to co-create electric three-wheelers (E3Ws), aiming to crack India’s complex last-mile mobility puzzle. The collaboration moves beyond concept talk into execution mode, building on the E3W prototype first showcased at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025. The goal now is clear, design, develop and commercialise a purpose-built vehicle tailored to Indian roads, riders and realities.
Under the agreement, Hyundai will lead design and co-development, bringing its global R&D muscle and human-centric engineering approach to the table. TVS Motor, meanwhile, will anchor the product on its electric platform, leveraging deep three-wheeler expertise and local market insight. It will also handle manufacturing and sales in India, with an eye on exports down the line.
The timing is strategic. India remains the world’s largest three-wheeler market, where affordability, durability and adaptability often outweigh sheer innovation. The upcoming E3W aims to strike that balance combining advanced technology with practical features such as adaptive ground clearance for monsoon-hit roads, improved thermal management for tropical climates, and flexible interiors suited for passengers, cargo or emergency use.
A key pillar of the partnership is localisation. Major components will be sourced and manufactured within India, a move expected to strengthen the domestic supply chain, create jobs, lower costs and improve after-sales support.
The shift from prototype to production will involve rigorous testing, certification and refinement to meet regulatory standards and consumer expectations. Dedicated cross-functional teams from both companies are already in place to accelerate timelines.
At a broader level, the tie-up reflects a growing trend in mobility, global players partnering with local specialists to navigate emerging markets. For Hyundai and TVS, the bet is that combining scale with street-level insight could unlock a new chapter in sustainable urban transport, one that runs not just on electricity, but on relevance.
