Effie 2013: Lowe Lintas clinches Agency of the Year title

Lowe Lintas beat its rival Ogilvy & Mather by 35 points to win the coveted title. However, Ogilvy won the Grand Effie for Lifebuoy Soap's Roti campaign. McCann Worldgroup and JWT finished third and fourth, respectively.

It was a night of surprises. Fireworks, shouts and people jostling for space on the stage for the photo shoot - this is the only way to describe the scene that ensued after Lowe Lintas was announced as the Agency of the Year at the Effie Award 2013. The agency won the much sought after title for Lifebuoy's Help a child reach 5 campaign. The ceremony for the 13th edition of the awards, which is organised by The Advertising Club, was held at Taj Lands End in Mumbai on January 17.

Although Lowe managed to upset the winning streak enjoyed by Ogilvy for the past few years (Ogilvy has the title for four consecutive years), the latter did manager to grab the Grand Effie for its
Lifebuoy Roti campaign
, which was executed specifically during the Kumbh Mela. Ogilvy won the Grand Effie last year as well.

The decision skewed towards Lowe Lintas due to its high gold win; the agency won an impressive 165 points comprising six golds, five silvers and five bronzes. Lowe won two golds for Lifebuoy 'Help a child reach 5' campaign under Consumer Products: Cosmetics and Toiletries, Personal Hygiene and Integrated Advertising Campaign categories. It was awarded another two gold metals for Idea Cellular's 'Telephone exchange' campaign in the Services: Telecom and Related Products category and for 'Honey Bunny' campaign under Integrated Advertising Campaign category. The final two gold metals were secured for Titan Tanishq's 'Tanishq and Sridevi - Coming back home' campaign in the Regional category and for its work on HUL's Kissan campaign titled '100% Natural.Seeded' in Experiential Marketing/Brand Experience category.

Ogilvy took the second spot with 130 points - one Grand Effie, three golds, three silvers and seven bronze metals. The agency's work on Vodafone's two campaigns helped it win two golds. The campaigns included 'Ear Muffs' in Experiential Marketing/Brand Experience category and 'Made For You' campaign in Integrated Advertising Campaign category. Cadbury Bournvita's campaign titled 'Aadat' entered in Consumer Products: Beverages and Drinks category got the agency its third gold metal.

McCann Erickson, which came second last year, ranked No. 3. The agency, which got a total of 60 points, won one gold, two silvers and five bronzes. The single gold was won for 'How Coca-Cola won the battle for Indian teens' campaign for Coca-Cola India in Consumer Products: Beverages and Drinks category.

JWT stood fourth with three silvers and two bronzes, which took the agency's tally to 40 points. Publicis Communications ranked fifth with a total of 35 points, courtesy three silver and one bronze metals.

The agency was followed by Grey Worldwide India in the sixth position. The agency won one metal each of gold, silver and bronze, taking its metal tally to 30 points. The lone gold was won for Glaxo SmithKline Consumer Healthcare's Sensodyne toothpaste for the campaign 'Winning with a glass of chilled water'.

Contract Advertising and DDB Mudra shared 20 points each, and stood at seventh and eighth positions.

The other winners at the Effie awards 2013 were BBH Communications, BBDO India, ABP One, Creativeland Asia, Happy Creative Services, ibs, Global Team Ford, Leo Burnett, Interface Communications, Marico Limited and SohoSquare Advertising & Marketing Communications.

This year, out of the 419 entries, 177 were shortlisted for the awards by The Advertising Club. Ogilvy & Mather led the shortlisted entries, with Lowe Lintas as a distant second and McCann Worldgroup trailing in the third place with the number of entries that made the cut.