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<FONT COLOR="#FF0033"><B>Abby Awards 2007:</B></FONT> O&M wins a one-horse race
In line with the tradition of the past several shows, O&M swept the ceremony this year, too, with a total of 20 golds, 47 silvers and two Grand Prix, securing 378 points
With 11 agencies staying away from the Abby Awards, it didn't take a genius to figure out which agency would emerge numero uno. At the 40th Abby Awards, held in Mumbai on Saturday, March 3, O&M expectedly swept the show with a total of 20 golds, 47 silvers and 2 Grand Prix, securing 378 points in all. This tally also fetched it the Agency of the Year title for the 10th time in 11 years. It got its Grand Prix awards in two categories: the Print Grand Prix for Pond's 'Anti-ageing' and the other in the Campaign category (previously Campaign of the Year) for the Hutch Rangashankara Festival.
Following O&M, at No. 2 spot was Grey Worldwide, which bagged a total of 10 golds and 22 silvers, thus managing 168 points in all. Last year, Grey had stood at No. 4, so, this year, it has moved up two places. Some of its metals came for Kiwi Shoe Polish, Visage Images, Haier and HoneyMoon Packages.
The Abby trophy |
A Advertising came in next at No. 6, with a gold fetching it eight points. It shared this spot with Meridian Communications, O&M's sister concern, which also had one gold and eight points to its credit. At No. 7 were five contenders, each scoring a silver (worth four points): Percept/H, Alok Nanda & Co, Euro RSCG, FCB-Ulka and Vyas Giannetti Creative.
It is interesting to note that although 40 advertising agencies supposedly took part in the Abbys this year, only 12 of them actually ended up winning a metal. Some 11 agencies, who decided to stay away form the ceremony, were conspicuous by their absence this year. These were Leo Burnett, JWT, Contract, Rediffusion DY&R, Lowe, McCann-Erickson, Ambience Publicis, Publicis India, Mudra, Saatchi & Saatchi and Orchard.
Apart from mainstream advertising, some other awards were also given out. In the Interactive category, BC Webwise fetched a gold, and Webchutney, a silver. Jatin Kampani and Prasad Nayak were awarded two silvers in the Photography category.
Several production houses, too, walked away with metals. The Abhinay Deo-run Ramesh Deo Productions secured one gold and three silvers, mostly for its work on Motoflip and Pepsodent 'Cheatercock'. Red Ice Films bagged one gold and one silver; Flying Saucer, MFX and Footcandles got a gold each. Vaibhav Studios got two silvers. Corcoise and Black Magic managed a silver each.
The Young Abby award (sponsored by Cadbury India) was a new category this year, to be given to an under-30 creative person who penned the best creative for Cadbury's premise, 'Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye'. The award went to Avinash Baliga of O&M. Further, three Merit awards were given to agencies from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. In the category, Business Products and Marketing of Services, Interflow Communication Advertising of Pakistan got the Merit award for 'Ufone-Umail'. Nepal's Prisma Advertising got this award in the Public Service: Print category for 'Prisma - What Do You Want?' Sri Lanka's Phoenix O&M Advertising got the Merit award in the Direct Mail: Business & Consumer Services category for 'News 1st - Firecracker'.
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