<FONT COLOR="#FF0033"><B>Abby Awards 2006:</B></FONT> JWT strikes a gold mine with Levi’s Slim Jeans

A giant leap got a whole new meaning at the 39th Abby Awards, 2006. From bagging just one silver last year, JWT charged back full force into the reckoning. The agency secured second place, right after O&M, with four golds and seven silvers, taking its total to 60 points.

Clearly, most of JWT’s success can be attributed to its campaign for Levi’s Slim Jeans, which won metals left, right and centre. The campaign fetched a total of five metals, including two golds in the Print Single and Film Campaign categories, and three silvers – Integrated Campaign of the Year, Print Single and Film Single: Clothing, Accessories and Footwear.

Senthil Kumar, creative director, JWT, Mumbai, attributes the success of the campaign to the JWT team as well as the client, Shumone Chatterjee, CEO, Levi’s India (who, incidentally, bagged the Client of the Year award). “He is one of the bravest clients I have encountered. Kudos to him for trusting us and believing in the power of the idea,” Kumar says. “Also, under the leadership of Bruce Matchett and Agnello Dias, there was no stopping JWT. We’re particularly pleased with the fact that we have a young, hardworking team.”

The young blood he is referring to include Hital Pandya, Karan Amin and Prahlad Nanjappa, the trio who worked along with Kumar to devise the Levi’s Slim Jeans campaign. The film was animated by E Suresh of Famous House of Animation, who, incidentally, grabbed a gold for Outstanding Animation in the Film Craft category, for this film.

The idea for the campaign was simple. “First, we were toying with the idea of placing the Levi’s Red Tab on a ruled notebook,” Kumar explains. But later on, as the idea evolved, Pandya designed a Red Tab on stick figures. “We knew this was it. What can be slimmer than a stick?” Kumar exclaims.

JWT won itself quite a few awards in the Public Service category, too. These include two golds for its campaign for the Indian Red Cross, ‘Give’, in the Press Single: Public Service and Outdoor: Public Service categories. It bagged two silvers in Print Single and Film Campaign for its work for the National Association for the Blind, titled ‘Saints’.

In addition to these, JWT bagged a silver for ‘Sucker’, its ad for Mirinda, in the Film Single: Food and Beverages category.

In the Print Craft category, the agency bagged a silver for ‘75 Per Cent Ideator’ – its communication to commemorate 75 years of JWT’s existence.

“A few months ago, JWT took a conscious decision to shift from a purely strategy oriented agency to a more creative one,” Kumar says. “And it is something we are doing for all our clients, be it Levi’s, or even HLL. Things are finally falling into place for us.”

“Who knows? We may be the Agency of the Year next time!” he wraps up optimistically.

Kumar is hopeful about the Levi’s Slim Jeans campaign working wonders at Cannes, too, this year. Wanna place your bets?

© 2006 agencyfaqs!