The 1983 moment in Indian ad at Cannes Lions 2022,by Josy Paul

How was your overall winning experience at Cannes Lions 2022? Did you anticipate the victory? 

 We are overjoyed that our campaign for P&G’s Ariel detergent, “See Equal #ShareTheLoad,” has been honoured at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2022. 

 It is gratifying to watch how the brand movement for social good has affected brand and culture since we began it in 2015. Over 115 million people saw the movement’s newest film on various platforms. Over $35 million in earned media was produced by the campaign. A total of 4 billion paid impressions. Ariel’s emotional equity increased by 43%. furthermore, a huge rise in sales. In 2015, 79% of men thought that doing the laundry was a woman’s duty. Today, only 26% of people still hold the belief. 

 It runs the longest. Look for any winning Indian brand that has been doing well year after year. For this historic victory, we are grateful to our enlightened client and all our media, PR, and activation partners. 

 At Cannes Lions, has India had its best year ever? What do you think of the artistic output from India? Is the world beginning to appreciate India’s artistic talent? 

 It was Indian advertising’s equivalent of the year 1983. Amazingly, India’s commercial success came just one day before the 39th anniversary of their famous victory at Lords in the cricket World Cup (on June 25, 1983 by Kapil Dev and his band of believers.) In this regard, the year 2022 serves as the Indian creative revolution’s “1983.” Look several agencies—Dentsu Creative, FCB, Ogilvy, VMLY&R, Leo Burnett, DDB Mudra, McCann, BYJU’S, BBDO India, and many others—contributed to the success (some more than others, but all making a difference). The triumph reflects the nation’s scattered innovation and unified effort. 

How can India keep its winning streak? Do you believe that advertising efforts are now more about soft selling, empathy, and social responsibility than they are about carefully orchestrated brand push? 

 People want brands to take acts that have purpose. Most of the art from India that has won awards proves this. Our agency has been advocating for a while now: make acts, not commercials! It is becoming increasingly obvious that Meaningful labour will always exist. The first step is empathy. Not simply insights, but a profound comprehension of human confessions is where it originates. Having the proper perspective on people and society may be uncomfortable. But if handled delicately, it has the potential to change society and brands. The key is empathy. Empathy’s gift to us in return is creativity. 

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