Cannes Lions 2018: TBWA\ India Bags Grand Prix on Day 1

TBWA\ India led India to a brilliant start on Day 1 of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity by winning a Lions Health Grand Prix for Good for its Blink to Speak campaign for Asha Ek Hope Foundation.

The agency also secured India’s first Gold Lion for the week. It bagged one of the three Gold Lions awarded in the Pharma Lions category. The winning initiative by TBWA\ Blink to Speak is the world’s first ‘eye sign language.’ The language solved the problem of communicating with ALS patients, and people with other neurological disorders. The language helps patients who lose their ability to speak to communicate with the blink of an eye. Blink to Speak alphabet has eight letters that can be used to communicate everything from “Call the Doctor” to “I Love You”.
Accepting the award Parixit Bhattacharya, CCO TBWA\ India said, “To win the Grand Prix For Good at Cannes is testament to the power of this solution and is true to Cannes’ reputation of awarding creativity that makes a real difference. We accept this honour on behalf of Neurogen and Asha Ek Hope Foundation who were always passionate and supportive throughout the process helping to bring this intellectual property to life.”

Health Grand Prix for Good award is designed to recognise creative achievements that promote the advance of social good and support the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The jury looks for scalable ideas and those that reach the furthest left behind. Commenting on the winning entry,  Jury President, Rajesh Mirchandani, Chief Communications Officer, United Nations Foundation, said, “ We got chills when we saw ‘Blink to Speak’. We were impressed with its simplicity and its ability to inspire and empower.”

India also shone in the Health&Wellness Lions category by bagging two silver Lions and a bronze Lion. Grey India’s The Health Purse (Sehat Ka Batua) campaign that promotes self-examination for breast cancer for Mahindra Rise and DDB Mudra’s Project Free Period for Stayfree Sanitary Napkins secured a silver Lion each.

McCann Health India won a bronze for the Noon Assembly campaign for Kwality Milk.