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Leo Burnett named 2014 Epica Awards “Network of the year” for second consecutive year
MUMBAI: Leo Burnett was named Network of the Year for the second year in a row at the Epica Awards last night in Amsterdam. The agency network won 46 awards in total, including 12 Golds and two Grand Prix awards for “#LikeAGirl” and “Making Music.”
In the Digital category, Leo Burnett Toronto, London and Chicago won the Grand Prix for P&G’s Always “#LikeAGirl” campaign. Leo Burnett Beirut also won a Grand Prix in the Presscategory for Virgin Radio’s “Making Music.”
“The Epica Awards presents a special kind of recognition from the top editors and senior reporters covering our craft across the world,” said Mark Tutssel, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett Worldwide. “Our network rejoices in this celebration of ideas and global distinction as a leading producer of prodigious creativity.”
A total of 17 offices from the network contributed to the creative performance including Beirut, Toronto, S?o Paulo, Paris, Frankfurt, Melbourne, New York, London, Istanbul, Chicago, Milan, Zurich, Oslo, Dubai, Colombo, Costa Rica and Moscow.Winning work was created for major clients including Samsung, P&G, Honda, Fiat, Jeep, McDonald’s, Virgin and United Nations.
Epica is the only global creative competition judged and awarded by editors and reporters from marketing and communications magazines. TeressaIezzi of Fast Company’screative channel Co.Create served as this year’s President of the Jury. This year 585 agencies from 74 countries participated.
Established in 1987, Epicarewards outstanding creativity and helps agencies, production companies, media consultancies, photographers and design studios to develop their reputations beyond their national borders.More than 40 magazines and websites around the world serve on Epica’s jury. This year, 585 agencies from 74 countries participated in the awards.
Last year, Leo Burnett won Network of the Year with 32 awards in total, including 9 golds. For a full list of this year’s winners visit http://results.epica-awards.info/2014.
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Barista partners Ginny Weds Sunny 2 with mango campaign
Cafe chain blends cinema buzz with summer menu and 20 per cent offer.
MUMBAI: Love may brew slowly, but marketing clearly doesn’t especially when coffee meets cinema and mangoes steal the spotlight. Barista Coffee Company has partnered with the upcoming hindi film Ginny Weds Sunny 2 as its official beverage partner, in a move aimed at tapping into youth culture through entertainment-led engagement. The collaboration is not just a logo placement exercise. Instead, Barista is translating the film’s high-energy vibe into its cafés with a themed summer menu titled “Main Hoon Mango”, accompanied by a limited-period 20 per cent discount on combo offerings across outlets.
Actors Medha Shankr and Avinash Tiwary feature in the campaign, seen engaging with the mango-themed menu inside Barista cafés, a visual cue designed to blur the lines between reel and real-life consumption moments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how consumer brands are leveraging hindi film industry not just for visibility, but for immersive, on-ground engagement. By embedding the film’s narrative into its product experience, Barista is aiming to drive footfall, especially among younger audiences who increasingly seek experiential touchpoints over traditional advertising.
Barista Coffee Company CEO Rajat Agrawal described the partnership as both a branding and growth play, focused on expanding reach beyond the existing customer base and aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
The emphasis on a seasonal, flavour-led hook mango, one of India’s most culturally resonant ingredients adds a timely layer to the campaign, aligning with summer consumption trends while riding on the film’s promotional momentum.
For Barista, the move is part of a larger positioning shift. Rather than operating purely as a coffee retail chain, the brand is increasingly framing itself as a lifestyle destination, one that intersects with entertainment, conversation and shared experiences. By integrating cinema into its physical spaces, Barista is effectively turning cafés into micro-extensions of the film’s universe, where consumers do not just watch a story unfold but participate in it sip by sip.
The 20 per cent offer further nudges trial, lowering the barrier for consumers to engage with the themed menu while amplifying recall through a tangible incentive.
Brand-film collaborations are hardly new, but their execution is evolving. Where earlier partnerships relied on co-branded ads or product placements, the current playbook leans towards immersive storytelling and retail integration.
In that sense, Barista’s “Main Hoon Mango” push is less about promotion and more about participation inviting consumers to experience a slice of the film within a familiar, everyday setting. As the film industry continues to act as a cultural amplifier, such partnerships underline a growing truth, in today’s attention economy, it is not enough to be seen brands must be experienced.
And if that experience comes with a mango twist and a cinematic backdrop, all the better.
