Cannes Lions: JWT wins two, India wins five metals in Design

JWT has won a gold for Design Lions for “Street to School” for Balwadi Night School (see picture) and a bronze for “Arjuna the Archer” for Sulekha.com. India has a total tally of five metals.

Red Lion Publicis has bagged a silver for “Broken Window” for Sulakshan Kulkarni Cricket. Leo Burnett has won a silver too for “Stainbroidery” for P&G’s Tide.

O&M has won a bronze for “Art Restoration” for Nalini Prabhakar.

Commenting on the gold, Senthil Kumar, ECD, JWT said, “The journey that began on a street opposite the Balwadi Night School in Mumbai has ended with a Golden Gong at Cannes Lions 2009. It is great because a really young team from JWT India has pulled this off this phenomenal Gold for us. And I believe this idea is so stunningly simple that if amplified across India, it can surely educate all street children out there.”

Talking about the Balwadi Night School campaign, Sylvia Vitale Rotta, president of Design Lions and CEO, Team Créatif said that the campaign had moved the jury members to the extent that she, in her personal capacity, had decided to send money for the organisation. "What we especially liked was the approach that the campaign took, which was that, instead of preaching about the ills of child labour which is an obvious statement to make, they accepted the reality of the situation and addressed it by saying that if the child needed to work to support his family, here was the option to provide education to him, after he finished work."

Commenting on the win for “Broken Window”, Elsie Nanji, managing partner, Red Lion Publicis said, "I'm thrilled at winning a silver. It's amazing being awarded at The One Show and now at Cannes. We're Red Lion that has won a Silver Lion!"