Rediff makes it once again as Clio young creatives finalist

Rajat Dawar of Rediffusion DY&R has secured a place among the 12 finalists of the Clio Future Gold Young Creatives Program. Dawar will travel to Miami on May 13 as the Indian representative for copywriters. He is also among the only two copywriters selected from Asia for this programme. This is the second time in a row that Rediff has secured a position among the finalists for the Clio Future Gold Young Creatives Program.

The Clio Awards are among the world’s most recognised global awards for advertising, design and interactive media. An offshoot of the Clio Awards, the Clio Future Gold Young Creatives Program aims to select the 12 most talented creatives globally and bring them together to test their mettle. The winning creative team is awarded a Gold Clio plaque at the Clio Awards Gala.

Sagar Mahabhaleshwarkar and Ramanuj Shastry, chief creative officers at Rediffusion DY&R, say, “Rajat is an indication of the kind of talent in the industry as well as at Rediffusion. This is indeed a proud moment for Rediffusion because this is the second consecutive year that we have been a finalist at the Clio Young Creatives Program. We wish Rajat all the very best for the competition ahead.”

Dawar, 25, has been with Rediff since December 2005. He currently works on brands such as Tata Sky, Sugar Free and Indian Oil. He has earlier been awarded a London International Award and a New York Festivals nomination for his work, Banana Mountain, for PVR Cinemas.

In 2006, he and his art partner, Preeti Verma, represented India at the Young Lions Creative Contest at Cannes after winning the AAAI Young Creative Contest for their ad, Kalpana Chawla. Preeti Verma, also from Rediffusion DY&R, qualified for the Clio Future Gold last year, where she won the gold. Together, they’ve been nominated for the One Show Design this year in the Corporate Stationery category for their visiting card, Frame, for Getty Images. They also won two metals at the Abbys at Goafest 2008.

The selection process for the 12 finalists this year was based not only on raw talent, but also on understanding of core brand problems and the ability to solve them. This year, the decision was made on the basis of work in all media, unlike last year, when the candidates were asked to submit only print work.