WARC, the global authority on advertising and media effectiveness has announced the winners of the WARC Prize for Asian Strategy 2017, a search for the best strategic ideas that have driven business results in Asia.
Close to 200 submissions 17 countries across Asia were judged by a panel of 25 agency- and client-side professionals. 16 campaigns for global and local brands have been selected as winners, showcasing the region’s smartest thinking and highlighting breakthrough ideas. The jury awarded one Grand Prix, five Golds, five Silvers and five Bronzes.
India leads the way with 10 awards, including a Gold, which also ran in Pakistan. China won three awards; and Hong Kong, Japan, and The Philippines earned one each.
Additionally, five special awards were given honouring specific areas of excellence: The Market Pioneer Award, The Research Excellence Award, The Channel Thinking Award, The Local Hero Award and The Asia First Award.
Forsman & Bodenfors Sweden took top honours by winning both The Grand Prix and The Research Special Award for their emotional multichannel campaign ‘The Marriage Market Takeover’ for Japanese prestige skincare brand SK-II which allied itself to unmarried women to raise awareness and boost sales in China.
Commenting on the Grand Prix winning campaign, jury chair Nicole McMillan, Vice-President, Marketing of The Wrigley Company, Asia-Pacific says: “The boldness of SK-II in taking a position very distinct a market saturated with defined category norms is what made their strategy stand out amongst some very strong peer entries. Taking a taboo subject can be fraught with danger, however SK-II managed to navigate these complexities to construct a strategy and narrative that has struck accord with consumers and judges alike.”
The winners are:
Grand Prix
- The Marriage Market Takeover · SK-II · China · Forsman&Bodenfors + Research Excellence Special Award
Gold
- The next-gen is ready · Vodafone Business Services · India · Ogilvy & Mather + Market Pioneer Special Award
- Making shampoos an office supply in Japan · Clear · Japan · ADK Tokyo + Asia First Special Award
- When embracing dirt became an act of faith · Surf Excel · India, Pakistan · MullenLoweLintas Group
- The First Hello · Elevit · China · PHD China
- The Job Switch · The Akanksha Foundation · India · Ogilvy & Mather + Local Hero Special Award
Silver
- Use Dipper at Night · Tata Motors · India · Rediffusion Y&R + Channel Thinking Special Award
- Winning the 4G race without 4G · Vodafone India · India · Ogilvy & Mather
- #IShapeMyWorld · Levi’s Strauss India Pvt Ltd · India · Zeno Group India
- ManulifeMOVE Launch · ManulifeMOVE · Hong Kong · mcgarrybowen, Dentsu
- Launching Jeans in India · Durex · India · Havas Worldwide
Bronze
- Roads that honk · HP Lubricants · India · Leo Burnett India
- Anonymous Call To Eponymous Glory · Premier Futsal · India · DDB Mudra Group
- Saroj, The Leader · Colour Academy · India · Ogilvy & Mather, Asian Paints
- IsThereAProblemOfficer.ph · Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) · Philippines · McCannWorldgroup Philippines
- Deliver the love · Amazon · India · Ogilvy & Mather
