Olive Crown announces new award category

'Corporate Social Crusader' will award companies that have carried CSR activities on social and environmental causes.

The India chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) has announced a new section in the Olive Crown Awards. The 'Corporate Social Crusader' award will celebrate creative entries for inspiring 'doing' attitude rather than 'talking'.

In its fourth year, IAA invited entries for awards which felicitate sustainability or 'green' advertising, earlier this year. The awards will felicitate companies for their social and environmental responsibility through CSR initiatives carried out last year. For this award, corporate and advertising professionals will form a special jury.

The deadline for the entries is January 31. The awards function will be held in Mumbai in March.

M G Parameswaran, chairman, Olive Crown Awards, says, "This is a special award that we will present to a corporate that has let its actions speak louder than its words. With the changes in the Companies Act with respect to CSR, we felt there was a need to focus sharply on this activity."

According to Srinivasan K Swamy, president, IAA India chapter, the Olive Crown Awards are being seen as a cause. "We already have the Green Crusader Award, where recipients of great eminence have graced our event. This will be another such coveted award," he says.