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GoaFest 2008: JWT, Leo Burnett, Mudra and Nirvana Films are Grand Prix winners
Agency of the Year makes way for Grand Prix in each category at the GoaFest 2008. While JWT, Leo Burnett won two Grand Prix each, Mudra and Nirvana Films got one each
At the GoaFest 2008, the coveted Grand Prix was awarded to winners in five categories OOH, Print Single, Film Single, Integrated Advertising, Radio and Film Craft. Work that had won Gold Abby's were automatically shortlisted for the Grand Prix nominations.
Leo Burnett won the Out-Of-Home Grand Prix for its work on Luxor Highlighters 'Che' and Print Single Grand Prix for Luxor Highlighters 'Che' 'Charlie' 'Hitler'. JWT also won 2 Grand prix awards, the Integrated Advertising Grand Prix for its work on The Times of India 'Lead India Poised' campaign and the Film Single Grand Prix for the Nike Cricket 'Traffic'.
| The Grand Prix winners |
JWT team with Agnello Dias |
Leo Burnett team with KV Sridhar |
Mudra team with Josy Paul and Bobby Pawar |
Commenting on JWT's wins, Agnello Dias, chief creative officer, JWT said, "When we created the campaign, we didn't expect it to turn out so good. We're very happy with the way it's been appreciated." About the Grand Prix awards, Dias feels that it is best to give out recognition to multiple agencies than just one agency of the year.
Sharing his thoughts on the new Grand Prix awards, KV Sridhar, NCD, Leo Burnett, says, "It makes more sense to have Grand Prix than Agency of the Year and Campaign of the Year. You don't have one winner today. We won twice and so did JWT. India for the past 4-5 years has been doing one great piece of work that is shining internationally; last year it was Happydent and the year before that it was Levi's. To be able to dominate in the world we need more than one idea. 1.2 billion people cannot survive on one great idea doing well at the world stage. Grand Prix is the way of actually celebrating great ideas from every vertical. Both Lead India and Luxor might do very well internationally, this year." He also adds that the reason of GoaFest and the way this entire festival has developed is because they wanted to give the opportunity for ideas, not agencies, to climb up and get celebrated.
Bobby Pawar, chief creative officer, Mudra says, "It feels pretty good to have won," adding that the new Grand Prix awards are good since it is about the work and not the agency that did it. "We're here to celebrate creativity, which is about the work and the people behind it, not the organization. This is the right way to celebrate it. This way corporate ego does not get into the way. The 'counters' put numbers to things, but creativity is a beautiful, simple thing, you just have to celebrate it."