Agencies react to e4m’s story on similar entries for Cannes Lions 2023
Both Dentsu Creative and VMLY&R have presented their sides of the argument after the former questioned the latter about the authenticity of the product they were promoting
On 22 May, 2023, e4m reported that two Cannes Lions entries from India could land in trouble for similarities in the products and the executions of their respective campaigns, sent by two leading creative agencies. Dentsu’s Mortein - ‘Suraksha ka Kaala Teeka’ entry and VMLY&R’s Maxx Flash – ‘Arogya Bindu’ entry appear to be strikingly similar to each other in concept.
Both agencies have sent their entries to the international advertising festival for the same Branded Experience category. One of the agencies when contacted by e4m said they were not taking any objection to the concept of the campaign but to the authenticity of the product.
VMLY&R has sent us an official statement, vouching for the authenticity of the product. They said, “Arogya Bindu has been lab tested and certified. It has been distributed across villages in Maharashtra and Gujarat along with an education and awareness campaign. It is currently available for purchase at grocery stores in several districts, as well as on IndiaMart for wholesale buyers.”
“This product is a natural extension of The Killer Pack, which VMLY&R and Maxx Flash launched last year. The Killer Pack is a bio-degradable and mosquito-repellent packaging solution to keep India safe from mosquitos both inside and outside the home. This year, VMLY&R and Maxx Flash continue their mission to empower mothers to protect their newborns effectively. The objective is to encourage the adoption of mosquito-repellent habits by leveraging existing consumer behaviour that's rooted in culture.”
While on the other hand, Dentsu has also come on record and spoken about their campaign. They said, “Mortein, one of the most widely used insect repellent brands has collaborated with Dentsu Creative & Malaria No More to introduce Suraksha Ka Teeka, a groundbreaking product that transforms a centuries-old tradition into an effective weapon against Malaria. Through extensive research and development at Mortein’s Advanced Research Lab, the teeka mixture has been expertly reformulated with specialized ingredients to serve as a natural insect repellent.”
“Suraksha Ka Teeka was specifically designed to safeguard infants and young children from the threat of malaria, with utmost attention given to their safety and compliance with all regulations pertaining to small-scale market distribution. Recognizing the significant impact of malaria in Bareilly, one of the most severely affected regions, it was chosen as the primary location for our dedicated efforts to support the local community. The product was distributed to mothers through a comprehensive awareness campaign.”
Dentsu Creative says it has been working on the concept of kaala teeka since 2020 and Mortein created the product in 2022. It was given to women as part of a public awareness drive in the Bareilly area, which is responsible for over 50% of all malaria infections in Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in India.
Based on our conversation, sources in VMLY&R claimed their product is very much listed and there is no evidence that the other agency started working on the product before them. "We can also claim that we started working on it since 2019; it's a matter of concern and needs to be probed".
