MAM
Vincent Bollore ups Aegis stake over 25%
MUMBAI: French financier and Havas Group chairman Vincent Bollore has upped his stake in the Aegis Group from 25 per cent to 25.05 per cent of the voting stock. The move, announced early this morning, has put Bollore at an advantage and gives him the power to veto an offer from another suitor.
The move comes as the WPP Group, Hellman & Friedman and potentially Bollore could not meet the Friday deadline to make an acceptable bid to acquire Aegis.
Aegis’ board disclosed that WPP and H&F made an offer on 16 November that was “materially below” the $2.40 per share offer previously made by Publicis, which has now pulled out of the bidding for Aegis.
“In compliance with the rules in Britain, the Bollore Group has declared to the authorities that it acquired, via holding company Financiere Loch, 735,223 shares in Aegis on November 25, thus taking its total stake in Aegis’s capital to 25.05 percent,” the Bollore Group said a statement.
According to a media report, WPP and H&F said that they were attempting to form a new company that also would have involved a third stakeholder, presumably Bollore, that would have resulted in “an enhanced offer being made in excess” of Publicis’ offer. WPP, which has pulled out of bidding for Aegis; however, said that it may re-enter the process of bidding.
Bollore, whose most recent acquisition gives him 25.05 per cent of Aegis’ shares, has been quoted as saying that his investments were a “financial holding” and that he has no intention of acquiring Aegis.
According to Takeover Panel rules, Bollore can raise his stake to 29.9 per cent of Aegis before being required to make a bid and taking seats on its board.
MAM
India wins big at the 2025 Global Best of the Best Effie Awards
The Womb and McCann India take home Global Grand Effies, putting Indian advertising on the world map
MUMBAI: Indian advertising just had its moment. At the 2025 Global Best of the Best Effie Awards, the most rigorous test of marketing effectiveness on the planet, two Indian agencies beat out campaigns from over 130 markets to claim Global Grand Effies, the sport’s equivalent of a world championship medal.
The Womb won for Piramal Finance with a campaign called “NEEYAT: India’s Real Credit Score,” a purpose-led push that took direct aim at systemic bias in the credit sector and reframed how creditworthiness is measured. McCann India won for ESAF Small Finance Bank with “Saving Her Savings,” a campaign centred on financial inclusion for marginalised women. Both wins came from a shortlist of 47 contenders, all of whom had already won gold or grand prizes in their home markets. Only 11 Global Grand Effies were handed out across seven markets. India got two.
The highest honour of the night, the Iridium Effie, awarded to the single most effective marketing campaign in the world, went to eos Products and Mischief @ No Fixed Address for “Women’s Shave.” Remarkably, it was their second consecutive year taking the top prize.
Other global winners included Oreo and Mondelez International for “Oreo Codes” in commerce and shopper marketing, Flamin’ Hot and PepsiCo for “Poker Face” in experiential marketing, and ALDI Australia for “Shop ALDI First” in retail.
The Best of the Best is no ordinary awards show. Entry is restricted to campaigns that have already won a gold or grand Effie at a national level, making it, in effect, a champions’ league of marketing effectiveness. Indian agencies are no longer just brilliant at cracking local markets. They are now setting the global standard.
The world’s best advertisers had better start paying attention.
