Seven Indian agencies win at MAA Globes 2009

Mudra wins the only Globe for India amongst the 12 awards won in all

A total of 48 Globes, silver and bronze awards, as well as Orders of Merit Certificates in 16 entry categories were announced at the 24th annual MAA (Marketing Agencies Association) Globes award ceremony in Boston, USA yesterday. The programme, established in 1985, recognises the best of promotion marketing programmes from around the globe.

Seven Indian agencies win at MAA Globes 2009

The awards were judged by 114 judges from 22 countries. Of the 48, Indian agencies walked away with 12 awards and Orders of Merits from across eight of the 16 categories.

Compared to this, in 2008, only two Indian agencies – Ogilvy and Solutions|Digitas – had won a total of two awards at the event.

This year, Mudra Communications India has won a Globe for its 'Women on wheels – The TVS Institute' campaign in the Best Activity Generating Brand Loyalty category. 'Women on Wheels' was a unique programme that trained women to ride two-wheelers with confidence. It empowered more than 27,000 women and received an overwhelming response from consumers.

Mudra also won an Order of Merit for its 'Park Avenue - Iron Man' campaign in the Best Small Budget Campaign category.

TBWA's Tequila India won a silver in the Best Use of Direct Marketing in a Promotion Campaign category for its campaign, 'The Big Bangle Promotion'. For the same campaign, it also won a bronze in the Best Small Budget Campaign category. The Big Bangle Promotion was for GoldPlus, a mass market jewellery brand from Titan Industries. For the campaign, a huge gold bangle was created and exhibited at stores. People's pictures were taken with the bangle and postcards were sent to them later. Road shows were also done, where people were asked to guess the size and weight of the bangle.

Solutions|Digitas India won a bronze for its campaign, Aviva Dollar Dreams, in the Best Activity Generating Brand Loyalty category. It won another bronze for the same campaign in the Best Dealer or Sales Force Activity category. The agency also won an Order of Merit for its work on Thompson Press Digital - Champi Wala in the Best Business to Business Campaign category.

Aviva Dollar Dreams was developed on the insight that most middle class Indians aspire for western living and dollar earnings. This led to the creation of a comprehensive long term rewards programme, called Dollar Dreams, that allowed the insurance agents to earn 'dollars' and redeem them for exciting rewards (dreams).

The idea behind Thomson Press Digital – Champi Wala campaign was that the 'champi-wala' or the local masseur is the traditional way to relieve one's stress. Drawing from this quintessential form of de-stressing, Solutions|Digitas created a campaign to highlight the easy solution to all print-related headaches with Thomson.

In the same category (Best Business to Business Campaign), ICICI Bank also won a bronze for its 'ICICI Bank Talkies on the Move' campaign.

Jagran Solutions won two Orders of Merit for its work, Gatorade Pacers 2008, in the Best Sponsorship or Tie-In Campaign category; and for Disney Ratatouille Mailer in the

Best Use of Direct Marketing in a Promotion Campaign category.

Hungama Digital Media Entertainment won an Order of Merit in the Best Digital Communications Campaign category for its campaign, Ghajini - findghajini.com, while Candid Marketing India won an Order of Merit in the Best Effective Long Term Marketing Campaign category for its work on ESPN-STAR Sports - Learning Ground.

Commenting on Mudra's wins, Pratap Bose, chief executive officer, Mudra Max, Mudra Group's integrated specialist services agency, says, "The Globes is the longest running and the most prestigious promotion marketing award programme, recognising the best of promo marketing programmes from across North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. For the year 2009, Mudra is the only agency from India to win a Globe and does India proud in the promo world."

Kanika Mathur, president and co-founder, Solutions|Digitas, says, "We are thrilled to have won again this year. I would like to thank my entire team who have worked tirelessly on these campaigns and delivered results for our clients and in this process, brought laurels for the organisation."

For the record, before entering the Globes programme, entrants must first win locally through a qualified awards programme in their own country. PMAA Dragons represent Asia at the MAA Globes every year.

The Globe's other country partners are AMPRO from Argentina, the APMA Stars from Australia and New Zealand, CAMPRO from Brazil, CAPMA PROMO! Awards from Canada, the Promotion Planning Awards from Japan, the PMAA Dragons from Asia, the Silver Mercury's from Russia, the ISP Awards from the UK and the PMA Reggies Awards from the USA.

For the entire MAA Globes 2009 winners list, click here.

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