Warc 2012: Five out of 16 winners are Indians

Forty four out of the total 160 entries in the Best Asian Strategy competition were from India. Also, nine out of the 32 shortlists were from Indian agencies.

For the second consecutive year, Warc Asia has seen the highest number of winner agencies from India as compared to any other market. BBDO India stood runner-up for the main prize of $5,000. The agency won the recognition for its Shave Sutra campaign for Procter & Gamble.

Forty four out of the total 160 entries in the Best Asian Strategy competition were from India. Also, nine out of the 32 shortlists were from Indian agencies.

Apart from BBDO India, Ogilvy & Mather Mumbai had two of its presented papers in the winners list for the $2000 prize. These include Be Idiot Safe with CEAT Tyres and Getting India to love chocolates - Cadbury Dairy Milk's growth story.

Leo Burnett Mumbai, too, secured a winner paper presentation, which was its campaign for Whisper Gives You Wings. Also, BBH Communications India won a prize for its 'Jaani Na' (I Don't Know) campaign for Nihar Naturals.

However, the biggest prize was awarded to the case study on the repositioning of Singapore's NTUC Income for the most insightful marketing strategy in the region.

Warc, the marketing intelligence service, gives the $5,000 prize to the region's Best Strategy case study, plus a $2,000 prize to the Best Example of Low-budget Strategy. The prize is judged by a panel of senior clients and agency-side marketing directors.

The low-budget prize was won by '50 Must-Do Things in Asia', a branded travel guide created by JWT Bangkok for Tiger Beer in order to target tourist drinkers.

Charles Wigley, chairman, BBH Asia-Pacific and chairman, Warc 2012, says, "The NTUC Income case study must have impressed the judges as a total package. The results are very strong, the creative work fresh and intelligent for an often-clichéd category, and strategically it is interesting because it is a brand insight-based strategy going back to the company's roots to present a more modern face for the future."

David Tiltman, international editor of Warc, comments, "Following the judging process this year was fascinating. The judges were looking for cases that showed fresh thinking in answer to real business problems - and there were plenty of these in the final round. Together, the entries form a hugely impressive body of work."

Apart from the Indian winners, the other winners include BBDO China's campaign for Wrigley's Extra; BBH China, Razorfish Shanghai, PHD China's campaign for Unilever; OMD Malaysia, BBDO Singapore's campaign for Anmum Essential; Grey Group Singapore's campaign for GlaxoSmithKline; McCann Worldgroup Hong Kong, UM's campaign for Coca-Cola; and McCann Worldgroup Indonesia's campaign for Smartfren Telecom; Ogilvy & Mather Singapore's campaign for Health Promotion Board; DDB Group Singapore's campaign for Action for Aids; Advocacy WOM's Dettol campaign; and Grey Group Singapore's campaign for GlaxoSmithKline.

Last year too, Indian agencies had excelled in the Warc presentations. Out of the total 135 entries in 2011, about 45 were Indian entries. Moreover, nearly 12 out of the 25 shortlists were Indian entries in 2011. Also, three out of the total 10 finalists were Indian entries.