Four Cannes Lions for MSL India

 10th July 2017    PR News 
 Paarul Chand

MSL India (Publicis Groupe’s strategic communications and engagement arm) notched up four wins at the recently concluded Cannes 2017, along with it's sister agencies. In a statement, MSL India said that, "The winning campaigns of #GiveHer5-The Ammada Trust, HPCL Roads That Honk and Vicks #Touchofcare, involved crucial strategic communication approach to drive conversations and impact."

Amit Misra, CEO, MSL India added that, "The wins are a true reflection of the power of strategic PR counsel in creating the right conversations that lead to measurable impact. As we continue to work with greater collaboration under Publicis Groupe’s ‘Power of One’, our mission is to consistently raise the quality of our work and partner our clients to deliver integrated solutions."

Among the wins are: 

•          #GiveHer5, The Ammada Trust – Gold Glass Lion, entered by Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi

   In rural India, ‘period’ is a dirty word. Women are not allowed to water plants, wash her hair, sleep in the same room as anyone else, or enter  religious spaces, kitchens. Period-shaming had stunted necessary dialogue about menstrual hygiene. Lack of affordable protection, and  culturally-ingrained practice of segregation, meant that over 400 million rural women are being forced to miss 5 days every month. India’s women  are falling behind for being women. So, the campaign turned to the urban advantaged to help bridge the gap. For just 2.5$ with Saafkins – the 12-  hour, antimicrobial, reusable menstrual protection could help these women. Thus #GiveHer5 was born.

   Acknowledging MSL India’s involvement , Praveen Kenneth, chairman, co-owner and MD at L&K Saatchi & Saatchi said, “In a campaign of such  a nature, while it was definitely imperative for us to drive mass reach to crowdsource support, the more important and tougher task was bringing to light the issue and creating awareness with action; a task more than well managed by MSL. Their strategic communication counsel and approach, makes them an equal partner in this win.”         

           Vicks #TouchofCare – Bronze, Entertainment Lion

• Vicks, for decades, has centered its communication on ‘family-care’. With changing lifestyles, Vicks understood that contemporary families are no longer defined by biological ties alone. Acknowledging this evolving dynamic, Vicks decided to be a beacon for redefining the modern family in India through#TouchOfCare.The centerpiece of the campaign was a film that shared the heartwarming real-life story of Gauri Sawant, a transgender woman who takes on the responsibility to care for a young girl, Gayatri.

• Endorsing MSL’s contribution, Nitin Darbari, chairman and CEO -P&G Teva JV China, marketing director Asia, Middle East and Africa said,“Vicks #TouchofCare work by MSL is a great example of how power of an idea coupled with strong agency can delivery wonders even at low budgets. The MSL team tapped creatively into the full network of celebrities and influencers with virtually no budget and based on the strength of the idea delivered outstanding value in amplifying the story of Vicks Touchofcare."

•  Ritu Mittal, country brand marketing manager, Procter & Gamble also endoresed the PR firm's work saying, “MSL team was exemplary in working the end to end PR plan & execution on TouchOfCare campaign. The team managed everything within a very limited budget and demonstrated superb agility. The campaign received an overwhelming response across global and national publications as a result of the relentless efforts made by this team.”