Cannes Lions announces first shortlist; JWT gets maximum with 7 entries, Leo Burnett has 4, McCann & O&M get 2 each

Of the ten awards that comprise the Cannes Lions, shortlisted entries for four awards were announced today. Good news for the Indian ad industry comes with Media Lions and Lions Direct seeing one entry each from India. Press awards has nine shortlisted entries and Outdoor has eight. Agencies whose entries have made it to the shortlist are JWT, Mediacom India, Leo Burnett, O&M, Saatchi & Saatchi, Ambience Publicis, McCann Erickson, 1Pointsize and Contract.

Mediacom India is shortlisted for a Media Lion, in the category Best Use of Outdoor for its entry titled ‘Yellow Cabs’ for advertiser Emirates Airlines India.

For a Lions Direct, JWT has been shortlisted for the category Business-to-Business, Advertising and Media for its self entry ‘Ideator’.

The winners for both these awards would be announced tomorrow, June 22.

For the Press award – in the Alcoholic Drinks category -- Saatchi & Saatchi makes it for its entry ‘Balance’ for Château Indage. In Toiletries and OTC Pharmacy, Ambience Publicis has got in with ‘Cross’ for Godrej Sara Lee. In Travel, Transport and Tourism, JWT comes in again for ‘Bliss’ for GRT Temple Bay along with its other entries ‘Sinful’, ‘Undiscovered’ and ‘Unlimited’.

McCann Erickson has two shortlisted entries in the category Banking Investment and Insurance for entries titled ‘Dollar’ and ‘Pound’ – both for Western Union.

In the category Advertising and Media, 1pointsize has been shortlisted for ‘Just Do it’ for client Sharad Haksar. JWT has one more in the category Fundraising and Appeals for its entry ‘Give’ for the Indian Red Cross.

For Outdoor, Indian agencies have eight shortlisted entries. Leo Burnett has two entries for the category Savoury Foods, both for its client Heinz India - ‘3 hours’ and ‘Broken Fries’. The agency has another entry in the category Household – ‘Copyright’ for Procter & Gamble, and one more in Restaurants and Fast Food category for ‘Hole’ for McDonald’s.

JWT has an entry in this category as well for its client Pizza Hut.

The Entertainment and Leisure category has an entry from O&M with its ‘Birds’ for A:Door. O&M is also shortlisted in the category Business Equipment and Services for IBM India. Contract has been shortlisted in the category Ambient for Fame Adlabs.

As for the other awards, the shortlist for Cyber Lions awards will be announced on June 21 and winners on Thursday, June 23. The shortlist for Films, Radio Lions and Titanium Lions will be announced on June 24 and the winners on June 25. The Young Creatives winners would be announced on June 23.

A Special Award will be given to an agency in one country that obtains the highest score for entries in the Press, Outdoor and Film sections, irrespective of whether these have been entered by the agency or another party. This award would be announced on June 25.