Cannes 2007: JWT’s ‘Nodding Bull’ gets a Promo Lion

The campaign was chosen for its idea and effectiveness, although it was based on local nuances

JWT’s ‘Nodding Bull’ campaign for the Vegetarian Conference won itself a Promo Lion, the sole such lion for India.

Three Indian entries were short-listed for the Promo Lions. The other two entries were Nicholas Piramal’s ‘Drums’ campaign for its analgesic tablets, also done by JWT, and Zydus Cadila’s ‘Live Ants’ campaign for Sugar Free, done by Rediffusion DY&R’s Bangalore team.

In fact, on Sunday evening, most of the Indian advertising professionals present at Cannes were hopeful that the ‘Live Ant’ campaign would walk away with a Promo Lion, but Monday saw all that speculation go awry.

Srikant Shastri, managing director, Solutions Integrated Marketing, who was in the Promo Lions jury, reveals why the ‘Live Ant’ campaign did not win: “It’s because it was more of one poster than an activity. This went against the campaign.” However, the ‘Live Ant’ campaign has also been short-listed in the Media category, so still stands a chance to win.

What worked in favour of the ‘Nodding Bull’ was its idea. As Geraldo Rocha Azevedo, president of the Promo Lions jury, says, “The campaigns were selected on the basis of the idea that connected and engaged the consumers with the brand.”

The ‘Nodding Bull’ promo was based on the concept of a ritual in Indian villages wherein a bull, which is considered to be divine, is used to predict and answer several queries. If the bull nods, it’s considered a ‘Yes’, and if it shakes its head, it’s considered a ‘No’. The idea was used to promote vegetarian food prior to a seminar on vegetarianism and clarify several myths about vegetarianism.

As Shastri says, “The idea was liked and appreciated by the entire jury, and it was also found to be very effective. Although it was executed on a small scale, the same idea could have been used for large scale execution also, and that convinced the jury.” In fact, at Cannes, the scale of the campaign is not that important provided the idea is good, adds Shastri.

Enthused with JWT’s first win, Colvyn Harris, president and CEO, JWT, says, “The win reasserts our belief in a world class local idea, which in this case was to promote vegetarianism.”

“The win also indicates JWT’s efforts at going beyond traditional media and breaking new ground with innovations,” Harris adds.

When quizzed on the trend in Indian entries in this category, Shastri says, “Most of the entries are from network agencies, while there are many specialised independent agencies that do great work. This is all due to lack of awareness.”

Shastri says he has seen some great work back home, which did not enter for the awards. Had they done so, India could have won a few more lions.

No gold, silver or bronze lions were awarded in this category because, as per Cannes rules, a category needs more than 1,000 entries to announce separate gold, silver and bronze winners; in this case, the total number of entries was only 786. A total of 40 lions were awarded in this category. The Grand Prix in this category went to the campaign titled ‘Bonded with Blood’ for NZRU/Adidas entered by TBWA/WHYBIN, New Zealand.

Cannes 2007, complete coverage.