The shortlists for Promo Lions and Lions Direct were announced on June 15 at the 55th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. Three Indian entries have been shortlisted in the Promo Lions, while nine Indian entries have been shortlisted in Lions Direct. The winners would be awarded on June 16, 2008.

Promo Lions

The Indian agencies that have made it to the shortlist of Promo Lions this year include JWT India in the ‘Travel and Leisure’ category for the advertiser Government of Puducherry. The entry, titled ‘Stretch Festival’, is for the ‘Yoga Festival’. The other two shortlists are in the category ‘Charities, Public Health & Safety, Public Awareness’. The first entry is from Ideas@work for the Poona School & Home for Blind. The entry is titled ‘See what they see’. The second is O&M Mumbai’s entry ‘Fake Traffic Police’ for Hindustan Times.

Till last year, the Promo Lions was not divided into Gold, Silver and Bronze awards. However, Festival officials informed that since the number of entries had gone up to to 1,103 this year from the 786 last year, the Promo Lions would now be categorised in metals. Indian agencies sent 30 entries this year as compared to 31 last year.

The Promo Lions Jury President this year is Armin Jochum, CCO, BBDO Stuttgart & Berlin. Roshan Abbas, MD, Encompass, is the Indian juror in this category.

Lions Direct

Nine Indian entries have been shortlisted in Lions Direct. Contract Advertising and JWT India each have three entries shortlisted in this category. Leo Burnett has two shortlists, while O&M Mumbai has one shortlist.

JWT India has been shortlisted for its ‘Lead India’ campaign for Bennett, Coleman and Co Ltd (in the ‘Corporate Information’ category); for Care Foundation – entry titled ‘Burden’ (in the ‘Charities, Public Health & Safety, Public Awareness’ category); and for Sulekha.com – entry titled RIP Yellow Pages (in the ‘Direct Response Digital Media’ category).

Contract Advertising’s entry ‘Help Me Read This’ for Children of the World has been shortlisted in both ‘Charities, Public Health & Safety, Public Awareness’ and ‘Alternative Media’ categories. Another entry from Contract, titled ‘Anti-Piracy’ for Cinema Paradise, has been shortlisted in the ‘Field Marketing’ category.

Leo Burnett’s work for Sony Entertainment Television – entry titled ‘Crime Mystery Novel’ – has been shortlisted in the ‘Publications & Media’ category. Its second shortlist is for Getty Images in the ‘Business Products & Services’ category – entry titled ‘Visual World’.

O&M has been shortlisted in the ‘Dimensional Mailing’ category for Castrol India – entry titled ‘T-Shirt’.

There were 1,697 works entered this year for Lions Direct, of which India had sent 87 entries. Last year, there were 1,689 entries in all for Lions Direct, while the number of entries from India was 80.

The Lions Direct Jury President this year is Marcio Salem, President and Creative Director, Samel, Brazil. Nishad Ramachandran, Vice President and Group Creative Director, Contract Advertising India, is on the Lions Direct Jury.