The Design Lions, which is in its second year, turned to be one of the best Lion categories for India this year. India has bagged five Design Lions including a Gold Lion that was awarded to JWT India. This is the first Lion that JWT has won in the year. The Lion was awarded for the ‘Street to School’ work done for Balwadi Night School of the Maharashtra Janavikas Kendra.

Sylvia Vitale Rotta, CEO, Team Creatif, said, “We were so moved by this entry that we are also looking at how we can raise money to send to the Balwadi Night School in India. The entry has moved us that much.”

There are two Silvers in the category awarded to Publicis Red Lion and Leo Burnett India. Publicis Red Lion’s Silver was for the entry ‘Broken Window’ done for the Sulakshana Kulkarni Cricket Academy. Leo Burnett India got its Silver for the ‘Stainbroidery’ entry done for P&G’s Tide Detergents.

There are also two Bronze Lions awarded one each to Ogilvy India and JWT India. The Design jury stated unanimously that India’s work stood out in the overall body. Ogilvy India won a Bronze for ‘Art Restoration’ for Nalini Prabhakar and JWT India has won a Bronze for ‘Arjuna the Archerer’ done for Sulekha.com.

Interestingly, there was one Ogilvy India entry which was done for the agency’s Delhi office that had made it to the shortlist. Speaking on this entry, the Indian juror Sujata Keshavan Guha of Rav & Keshavan said, “That was a very good piece of work and was in serious consideration despite the fact that it was not done for an advertiser in that sense. However, there was awesome work from various other agencies in that category, and that was why this did not make the cut. Sujata Keshavan Guha reiterated the jury’s point that she was very happy with the kind of work that came from India.

She said, “There was the bottom of the heap work also that came from India but what was good was very good. Indian work truly stood out.”

It may be noticed that the number of Indian entries had dropped from 134 of last year to 93 this year, even as the overall entries in the category had gone up.