Dentsu Webchutney gets a Grand Prix hat-trick; Ogilvy gets two Gold Lions

India is shining at the Oscars of advertising. Dentsu Webchutney becomes the first Indian agency to win three Grand Prix in a single year at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The agency’s work - ‘The Unfiltered History Tour’ for Vice has picked up a Grand Prix in Social and Influencer Lions. The agency also won a Grand Prix in Radio & Audio Lions and Brand Activation & Experience Lions. The campaign got a Silver Lion in Social & Influencer category and a Bronze Lion in PR Lions too.

The campaign is a guided tour for visitors at the British Museum, which houses some of the world’s most disputed artefacts. Through The Unfiltered Tour, visitors to the museum could scan the artefacts using Instagram filters and unlock an augmented reality (AR) experience that visually teleport the objects back to their homeland. Taking this further, The Unfiltered History Tour also extends into a ten-part podcast series featuring experts from the countries were the artefact was taken from and not from where it’s currently housed. This was done to provide a broader education on the artefacts, as well as the history and ongoing impact of colonialism.

In a recent interview with Storyboard18, PG Aditiya, former chief creative officer of Dentsu Webchutney, and now co-founder of Talented, said the idea for the campaign started as a casual conversation between Gautam Reghunath, former CEO of Dentsu Webchutney and now co-founder at Talented, and him, about an episode from Empires of Dirt - a VICE original series on YouTube.

“Ever since, over a 100 people have stepped in to do the bravest work of their lives (yet), amidst a raging pandemic, across 10-plus countries - and some of us, for months even after moving on from our jobs officially...because this discourse matters. We’re already seeing its impact with smaller museums and private collectors around the world changing their stance on repatriation. The history buff in me is overjoyed,” he told Storyboard18. Aditiya and Reghunath left the agency after working on the campaign to set up their own creative shop Talented.

FCB India on a winning spree too

FCB India is the other Indian agency that’s bringing home a troop of Lions. In the Social & Influencer Lions, FCB India and Kinnect won three Lions (Gold, Silver and Bronze) for SOS Children’s Village India’s ‘Chatpat’ campaign. This piece of work picked up a Gold and Silver in Media Lions too. A Bronze Direct Lion was also given to the campaign.

FCB India and FCB Chicago grabbed a Gold in Direct Lions for The Times Of India's ‘Nominate me Selfie’ campaign. The agency was also awarded a Silver Lion in Media Lions for the same campaign.

FCB India’s ‘Unbox Me UNAIDS' campaign for UNAIDS got a Bronze Lion. This campaign also scored two Bronze in PR Lions.

Ogilvy India strikes Gold

Ogilvy India won two Gold Lions for Cadbury Celebrations’ ‘Shah Rukh Khan - My Ad’. One in Creative Lions and the other in Direct Lions. They also got a Bronze Direct Lion. Wavemaker India was the media agency behind this campaign.

Ogilvy India also won a Media Lion for Cadbury Perk’s ‘Perk Disclaimer’ campaign. Both these brands are owned by Mondelez India.

BBDO India received a Media Bronze Lion for P&G India’s ‘See Equal #ShareTheLoad’ campaign.