Dentsu Creative and VMLY&R win a Grand Prix each on day one of Cannes Lions 2022

On day one of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2022, Indian agencies brought home a total of seven metals, including two Grand Prix, three Silver Lions and two Bronze Lions.

VMLY&R India won the Grand Prix in the Health & Wellness category for its entry The Killer Pack for mosquito repellent brand Maxx Flash. The campaign tackles the problem of dengue in India. The World Health Organization (WHO) found that in 2021, there were around 400 million dengue cases in the country.

The packaging of the mosquito coils was redesigned so that it acted as a mosquito repellent when it came in contact with water - killing mosquitos at the place where they breed the most - garbage dumps.

“This innovative idea from VMLY&R brings our brand purpose to life. Maxx Flash believes in creating affordable and effective solutions to eradicate mosquito-related diseases. I am extremely happy with the impact of this solution, and thrilled to see it recognised with such a high honour at Cannes Lions,” said Amit Srivastav, director, Maxx Flash, on the win.

The agency also won a Silver Lion in the Brand Experience and Activation sub-category for its entry titled Adeli for its client Unipads - a reusable sanitary pads brand.

In Gujarat, menstruating women are called ‘Adelis’. Following age-old customs and religious beliefs, menstruating women are not allowed to enter kitchens and cook during their periods, which results in them losing over 20% of their income.

In response to these customs and beliefs, Unipads launched a restaurant and invited menstruating women to cook. The restaurant was visited by politicians, influencers and other restaurant owners too.

Mukund Olety, CCO, VMLY&R India, commented on the wins, “This is a fantastic start for us, at VMLY&R. I want to thank the entire team for this amazing achievement. We are truly humbled. It feels great when a good idea gets its due recognition and gets celebrated. This will only push us to do bigger and better.”

Dentsu Creative's four Lion haul on day one

In the Radio & Audio category, Dentsu Creative won a Grand Prix for its entry The Unfiltered History Tour for Vice Media. This entry also earned Dentsu Creative a Silver Lion and two Bronze Lions.

The campaign is a set of augmented reality (AR) filters on Instagram that allows visitors to the British Museum in London to view the true history of its artefacts, narrated by a resident of the country it has been taken from.

Vice, along with Dentsu Creative, also created a 10-episode podcast, titled ‘The Unfiltered History Tour’ that shines a light on 10 disputed items on display.

Commenting on the win, PG Aditiya, co-founder, Talented, and ex-CCO Dentsu Webchutney said, “I’m beyond thrilled for two reasons. One - to leave an agency that we grew up in and love so dearly with a project that’s put them on the global map as a creative force to reckon with."

"And secondly - to start an agency right after, with the core team that worked on The Unfiltered History Tour as part of our new founding team, and getting to set our benchmarks so high this early on. Make no mistake. This project is on-record our last at Dentsu Webchutney and in spirit, it’s also our first at Talented. And we can’t wait to outdo it.”

Amit Wadhwa, CEO India, Dentsu Creative said, “This is a humongous win. A Grand Prix, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze on Day 1 itself indeed make for a perfect fairytale. The Unfiltered History Tour has won several laurels in the past but this one gets us positioned at the very top in terms of creativity."

"Kudos to each one from our army of artistic folks, both ex and current, who have invested their blood and sweat to build the masterpiece. This victory completely belongs to you and it deserves to be cherished for times to come.”

Ajay Gahlaut, Group Chief Creative Officer India, Dentsu Creative, “Winning four metals, including the coveted Grand Prix, on the first day at Cannes is a fantastic feeling. We have great hopes for this campaign and I’m sure it will win a few more metals by the end of the Cannes Lions. Meanwhile, we’re enjoying the feeling!”

Leo Burnett's Silver Lion

Leo Burnett Mumbai won a Silver Lion for its entry titled The Missing Chapter for P&G’s sanitary pads brand Whisper. The ad aims to create awareness around menstruation among young girls. It is based on the insight that 2.3 crore girls drop out of school every year and the missing chapter - about period products and protection - can help prevent that.

Speaking about the win, Rajdeepak Das, CEO & Chief Creative Officer, South Asia, Leo Burnett, says, “At Leo Burnett, we believe that creativity can change human behaviour, and this campaign is one of its biggest examples. ‘The Missing Chapter’ breaks cultural taboos, making period education accessible to all that, in turn, helps keep our girls in school.”

“The campaign winning a Cannes Lions is a huge testament to our humankind approach to creativity. This journey wouldn’t have been possible without the longstanding partnership with Whisper and its unwavering belief in us.”