e4m-Viacom18 IDEA: ‘Good design is aspirational and adds value to a brand’

The e4m-Viacom18 India Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) proved to be a rewarding evening for several leading brands and their advertising design teams with exchange4media holding a virtual ceremony for the inaugural session on Friday, January 21.

Presented by Viacom 18, IDEA is a first-of-its-kind recognition of the design and execution that go into advertising and marketing campaigns. The competition invited entries from across all categories of advertising design to celebrate the most innovative campaigns and brand messaging that have appeared on TV screens, print, digital platforms, corporate communications and product packaging.

The jury, chaired by Martin Uhlarik, Global Head of Design, Tata Motors, comprised an international panel of advertising industry veterans and design heads from across India and abroad. Even though this was the first edition of IDEA, the jury went through hundreds of entries from a broad spectrum of brands and advertising agencies, and the results were there for all to see:

Delivering the welcome address, Dr Annurag Batra, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of exchange4media group and BW Businessworld, appreciated the fact that the jury, and indeed the awards, were helping evangelize the design work being done in India and the large role it plays in determining business outcomes. Dr Batra said IDEA was another step towards adding value to the whole ecosystem of design.

"Design is a business value creator and we have seen many applications of design across various formats. We pay more for well-designed products, and good design is aspirational and adds value to a brand. Over the coming years, we hope to make the exchange4media IDEA a benchmark for excellence in design and I'm sure our venerable jury members, which include the top names in their domain, the quality of the entries and the honesty with which e4m evaluated the entries will encourage many more people and companies to come forward in the coming years and participate and showcase their work."

ABP Network, in association with Saffron Brand Consultants, won Gold for Channel Branding (TV), with ABP Network CEO Avinash Pandey thanking the e4m group and jurors for recognising the fine work done by the news network as part of its brand revamp. "Our new identity is a reflection of our continuous, relentless search for truth. It's a vector in a direction where we are unveiling new ideas, new programming, and path-breaking stories. Being neutral, fair, and interesting is not an easy task. I'm thankful for our association with Saffron Brand Association, and that Jacob and team were part of this journey," observed Pandey.

Hindustan Times and Zee Entertainment also walked away with top awards, with Dynamite Designs helping the latter secure both bronze and silver for Best Design for Channel Branding (TV).

One of the biggest winners of the night was Landor & Fitch, which picked up two Golds for Best Design for Branding for Startups and Best Design for Logo for their work with Sri Lankan burger delivery brand Full'r. Landor & Fitch Creative Director Arnav Ray said, "We had a lot of fun creating the brand's identity, which celebrates the truest way of eating a burger, making a delicious mess all the way along."

While Mo's Bakery and BHA Future Co picked up Gold for Best Design for Consumer Products, Apppl Combine bagged a Gold for Retail Space Design for Hippo Stores. Ranjan Das of Apppl Combine noted, "The award is a validation for how successfully we have translated the brand values and brand's developments across verticals, including the retail space itself.”

Congratulations to all the winners!