Latest news with #BEExtraordinary
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
The hand that guides to buy
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity recognises a wide spectrum of creative work, extending beyond Grand Prix winners to include notable campaigns that earn silvers and bronzes. In " BE Extraordinary ," a series collaborating with Harsh Kapadia, CCO, Grey India , we highlight work that warrants discussion for its execution and results. This segment delves into the Creative Commerce category, exploring campaigns that demonstrate innovative approaches to consumer transactions and business models, driving tangible impact for brands within the commercial sphere. Preserved Promos - Ziploc, VML Ziploc, a brand recognised for its core promise of preserving freshness and extending the life of various items, expanded this fundamental product benefit to the realm of consumer promotions. In collaboration with VML, Ziploc addressed a common consumer frustration: the expiration of discount coupons and grocery vouchers before they could be utilised. The brand introduced an initiative named "Preserved Promos," which allowed for the extended validity of these coupons. The mechanism was straightforward: if a customer included Ziploc products in their shopping cart, the digital or physical coupons they possessed would automatically gain an extended lifespan, preventing their premature expiry. This innovative approach directly aligned Ziploc's established brand equity in preservation with a tangible, practical financial benefit for its consumers, thereby demonstrating a clear and immediate connection between the utility of its product and a prevalent shopping challenge. Recipe for Growth - iFood, DM9 São Paulo "Recipe for Growth" was an initiative from iFood, developed in collaboration with DM9 São Paulo, that addressed a significant challenge faced by new restaurant businesses in Sao Paulo: a high failure rate within their first two years, often due to a lack of business management knowledge despite culinary skill. iFood, as a prominent food delivery service, leveraged its extensive internal data, which included detailed insights into food trends, consumer behavior, and spending habits across various areas. Utilising this proprietary data, iFood created a digital tool designed to function as an evolving restaurant management guide. This tool provided actionable insights that helped restaurant owners make informed decisions regarding their menus, marketing and operations. By directly supporting the success and sustainability of these small businesses, iFood simultaneously reinforced its own growth model, as the prosperity of its restaurant partners directly translated into increased order volumes on its delivery platform. Makeup Payment - MasterCard, MRM Brazil / São Paulo MasterCard introduced "Makeup Payment" in Brazil during Carnival, addressing concerns about security and convenience in crowded environments. The initiative, developed in collaboration with MRM Brazil / São Paulo, involved creating connected jewelry that incorporated NFC payment technology. These wearable devices were designed to blend seamlessly with festive makeup and attire, appearing as forehead ornaments, neck pieces, or other decorative elements. This allowed individuals to make payments without needing to carry wallets or visible payment cards. The integration of payment functionality into personal accessories aimed to provide a secure and unobtrusive method for transactions amidst the chaos and large crowds of the Carnival celebrations. (At BE Extraordinary, a series about the winners at Cannes Lions in collaboration with Harsh Kapadia, CCO, Grey India, we peer outside the Grand Prix, and look at clutter breaking work that picked the silvers and the bronzes, but don't often get discussed.)
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Hearing the gap: A Cannes Lions Innovation Special
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity celebrates a broad range of creative achievements, from Grand Prix winners to significant silver and bronze honorees. As part of ' BE Extraordinary ,' a series with Harsh Kapadía, CCO, Grey India , we examine work meriting attention for its execution and outcomes. This segment specifically highlights the Innovation category, showcasing campaigns that present groundbreaking solutions, new methodologies, or advanced applications to deliver substantial and transformative effects for businesses and brands. Beer Retirement Account - Poker Beer (AB InBev), Monks / Bogotá In Bogotá, Colombia, Poker Beer, a brand under AB InBev, recognised a significant social and economic challenge faced by many informal beer sellers: a lack of adequate provisions for retirement. To address this, Poker, which already operated a loyalty program for its beer vendors, introduced an innovative initiative called "Beer Retirement Account." Developed in collaboration with Monks / Bogotá, this program fundamentally modified the existing loyalty structure. Under the new system, beer sellers were no longer limited to simply earning points for their beer purchases from distributors. Instead, their accumulated loyalty points could now be converted directly into contributions towards a personal retirement fund. This strategic B2B solution transformed a standard customer loyalty program into a powerful mechanism for fostering long-term financial security within the vendor community. By linking everyday business transactions to a vital social benefit, Poker Beer effectively addressed a critical need, demonstrating a creative approach to brand loyalty that extended into social impact. Baby Minder - Eurofarma, Ogilvy Health, New York "Baby Minder," an innovation in pediatric care, was developed by Eurofarma in collaboration with Ogilvy Health, New York. This product consists of a mobile device specifically designed to be positioned above an infant's crib. The device is equipped with a high-resolution camera and advanced sensors, and it leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and image recognition technology to continuously monitor a baby's movements throughout the night. The system's core functionality lies in its ability to recognise subtle, specific patterns of movement—such as repetitive scratching, unusual tremors, or other distinctive physical behaviors—that could serve as early indicators of underlying medical conditions or signs of distress. The primary objective of "Baby Minder" is to provide parents and caregivers with early recognition of potential health issues in infants. This proactive approach to infant health monitoring aims to facilitate timely intervention without generating undue anxiety for parents, thereby supporting a more preventative and informed care strategy. (At BE Extraordinary, a series about the winners at Cannes Lions in collaboration with Harsh Kapadia, CCO, Grey India, we peer outside the Grand Prix, and look at clutter breaking work that picked the silvers and the bronzes, but don't often get discussed.)
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
The detail that echoes: A Cannes Lions Luxury Special
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity continuously evolves, and 2025 marks a pivotal year for the Luxury category. Far from being confined to traditional opulence, this year's awards underscore a profound shift: luxury brands are now defining themselves through unparalleled experiences, unwavering commitment to craftsmanship and authentic connections with a discerning, values-driven clientele. The spotlight isn't just on what is sold, but how brands pioneer new narratives and embody a deeper purpose, reflecting a market where aspiration meets responsibility and innovation. In " BE Extraordinary ," a series collaborating with Harsh Kapadía, CCO, Grey India , we highlight work that warrants discussion for its execution and results. This segment focuses on the Luxury category, exploring how brands elevate aspiration and craftsmanship through creative strategies that deliver unparalleled experiences and forge deep connections with discerning audiences. Late Checkout: A Ritz-Carlton Story - The Ritz-Carlton, Little Spain, Madrid "Late Checkout: A Ritz-Carlton Story" represents a strategic brand experience initiative by The Ritz-Carlton, a leading luxury hotel brand, developed in collaboration with Little Spain, Madrid. Faced with a highly competitive luxury accommodation market, abundant with both established and bespoke offerings, The Ritz-Carlton sought a distinctive approach to engage the evolving preferences of next-generation luxury consumers. The core of the campaign was a unique partnership with the fashion entity "Late Check Out." This collaboration culminated in the creation of a limited-edition capsule collection of merchandise, themed "Late Check Out." Crucially, the campaign pivoted away from direct promotion of the hotel's traditional services. Instead, the focus was on designing and marketing high-end, culturally relevant fashion items that resonated strongly with prevailing trends in luxury lifestyle and social media culture. This initiative served as a powerful lifestyle collaboration, allowing The Ritz-Carlton to subtly promote its brand by positioning itself squarely within contemporary luxury fashion discourse and wider cultural conversations, thereby differentiating its appeal to a new demographic. 1837 Tiffany Blue Conversation - Tiffany and Co., L&C, New York Tiffany and Co., a globally recognised luxury brand synonymous with its iconic "Tiffany Blue" color, expanded its brand purpose beyond the mere protection of its trademarked Pantone hue. In collaboration with L&C, New York, the brand recognised a powerful connection: the vibrant blue of healthy oceans and flourishing coral reefs strikingly mirrors its signature color. This realisation prompted Tiffany and Co. to engage in significant, purpose-driven work focused on environmental conservation. The initiative involved a clear commitment to preserving marine ecosystems, with a particular emphasis on oceans and coral reefs. By connecting its distinct visual identity—a color instantly recognisable worldwide—to a critical global environmental cause, Tiffany and Co. effectively demonstrated a profound commitment to protecting the natural world that embodies the very essence of its iconic brand color. This strategic move reinforced the brand's values, aligning its aesthetic heritage with a pressing ecological imperative. (At BE Extraordinary, a series about the winners at Cannes Lions in collaboration with Harsh Kapadia, CCO, Grey India, we peer outside the Grand Prix, and look at clutter breaking work that picked the silvers and the bronzes, but don't often get discussed.)
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The transformed touch points
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity celebrates outstanding creative work across various disciplines, honoring not just Grand Prix winners but also impactful silvers and bronzes. In our " BE Extraordinary " series, a collaboration with Harsh Kapadia, CCO, Grey India , we spotlight campaigns that truly warrant discussion for their strategic depth and exceptional execution. This installment focuses specifically on Brand Experience and Activations , showcasing how brands craft immersive, interactive encounters to forge direct connections with audiences, build lasting impressions, and drive tangible results in dynamic environments. Fictional Insurance - Bogotá, DDB Colombia / RCN Prime The "Fictional Insurance" campaign, a collaboration between an unspecified insurance entity in Bogotá, DDB Colombia, and RCN Prime, aimed to illustrate the relevance and benefit of insurance in an engaging and accessible manner. The initiative leveraged branded entertainment by integrating itself into a crime show broadcast on RCN Prime. Viewers were provided with the interactive opportunity to "insure" fictional characters within the ongoing narrative of the show. Participants could predict the manner in which a specific character might die during the series. If their prediction accurately aligned with the plot's outcome, they would receive a real payout. This novel approach served as an interactive activation, demonstrating the core concept of insurance payouts within an entertaining and relatable context, allowing audiences to experience the tangible benefit of coverage without overt promotional messaging. Ads Cover Rent - Brahma Beer, Africa Creative DDB/São Paulo Brahma, a prominent Brazilian beer brand with strong historical ties to the country's Carnival celebrations, launched the "Ads Cover Rent" initiative in collaboration with Africa Creative DDB, São Paulo. This campaign addressed the challenge of escalating accommodation costs in Brazil during the Carnival period, which often deters tourists. The core of the initiative involved offering tourists who booked apartments through Airbnb a reduced rental fee. In exchange for this financial incentive, the renters agreed to display Brahma-branded banners on their balconies. These banners were not generic; they were custom-designed to fit the specific size and aesthetic of each individual balcony. This provided a direct financial benefit to the vacationers while simultaneously securing prime advertising visibility for Brahma. The strategically placed banners along parade routes effectively transformed private rented spaces into prominent, high-traffic advertising locations for the brand during one of Brazil's largest and most photographed cultural events, maximising brand exposure without the cost of official sponsorship. The Kimberly Price - Plaza Vea, Fahrenheit DDB, Lima Plaza Vea, a supermarket in Peru, launched "The Kimberly Price" campaign, developed with Fahrenheit DDB Lima, to stimulate viewership for Peruvian speed walker Kimberly Garcia's races during the Paris Olympics. A key challenge was that these races were scheduled for late-night hours in Peru, making widespread viewership difficult. To incentivise audiences to tune in, Plaza Vea announced a unique promotion. The pricing of a selection of electronic gadgets, including televisions, refrigerators, and mobile phones, would be directly linked to Kimberly Garcia's bib number. This bib number was a dynamic element, only revealed moments before the start of her race. For instance, if her bib number was 146, certain promotional items would then be offered at a price of S/146 (Peruvian Soles). This mechanism generated significant curiosity and anticipation, directly motivating consumers to watch the live telecast at unconventional hours to discover the discounted prices. The campaign successfully connected the supermarket's brand to national athletic pride and a shared viewing experience, extending beyond traditional promotional methods. The Athlete's Code - Powerade (The Coca-Cola Company), Ogilvy New York "The Athlete's Code" by Powerade, a brand from The Coca-Cola Company, addressed a significant and long-standing issue within professional sports: the potential loss of sponsorships for athletes who take necessary breaks due to injury, mental health struggles, or severe stress. In collaboration with Ogilvy New York, Powerade, which positions itself around athletic recovery, made a public commitment to integrate a specific, protective clause into its sponsorship contracts. This clause guaranteed that Powerade would continue to fulfill its financial obligations to sponsored athletes even if they needed to step away from competition for health-related reasons. The initiative directly aligned with Powerade's core brand promise of supporting comprehensive recovery, extending beyond physical recuperation to include mental well-being. Furthermore, the campaign actively encouraged other brands within the industry to adopt similar protective clauses in their athlete agreements, aiming for systemic change. The campaign was brought to life through a compelling film directed by Babak Khoshnoud, which featured prominent athletes such as Alex Morgan, Tatjana Smith, Linda Motlhalo, and Douglas Matera. These athletes shared their personal experiences and stories related to mental health challenges in their careers, adding authenticity and emotional depth to Powerade's commitment. This narrative was amplified strategically across various digital platforms, social media channels, and notably, during the broadcast of the 2024 Summer Olympics. This multi-platform amplification fostered a global conversation about the critical importance of mental health within the demanding world of professional sports. (At BE Extraordinary, a series about the winners at Cannes Lions in collaboration with Harsh Kapadia, CCO, Grey India, we peer outside the Grand Prix, and look at clutter breaking work that picked the silvers and the bronzes, but don't often get discussed.)
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Eye for the outcome
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity acknowledges creative work across various award levels, including silvers and bronzes, in addition to Grand Prix winners. As part of ' BE Extraordinary ,' a series with Harsh Kapadía, CCO, Grey India , we examine campaigns notable for their execution and outcomes. This segment focuses on the Creative Business Transformation category, presenting initiatives where creativity contributed to significant changes in business models, operations, or market presence, resulting in measurable effects for brands. Cars to Work - Renault, Publicis Conseil Renault, in collaboration with Publicis Conseil, executed a comprehensive, long-term strategy that exemplifies "Creative Business Transformation." Facing a significant loss of traditional market share and encountering public resistance towards electric vehicles, Renault made a strategic decision to fundamentally shift its primary focus towards electric car production. Prior to the mass launch of its new electric car models, Renault undertook various strategic initiatives designed to build market momentum and cultivate a strong public association with electric vehicles. These included the establishment of widely accessible charging stations, a move aimed at alleviating range anxiety and infrastructure concerns. They also proactively shared comprehensive crash test data for electric cars, addressing safety perceptions and building consumer confidence. Furthermore, Renault actively participated in developing fully electric urban zones, demonstrating the practical application and benefits of electric mobility in real-world environments. This comprehensive and integrated approach aimed to effectively position Renault as a pioneer and a leader in the electric mobility sector, systematically preparing the market for their upcoming vehicle rollout, and fundamentally transforming public perception of the brand's profound commitment to electric technology. The Other Hand - Cheetos / Frito-Lay, Goodby Silverstein and Partners The campaign titled "The Other Hand," developed by Frito-Lay in collaboration with Goodby Silverstein and Partners, represents a key component of a broader, multi-year creative business transformation strategy for Cheetos. This initiative ingeniously re-positioned a commonly perceived drawback of eating Cheetos — the distinctive orange, cheesy residue left on fingers, officially termed " Cheetle " — into a central and celebrated brand asset. Instead of attempting to eliminate this characteristic, which might have been viewed as messy by some consumers, Cheetos strategically embraced and highlighted it as an integral and unique part of the product experience. Their sustained approach involved officially naming this orange powder "Cheetle" to give it a recognised identity. "The Other Hand" and subsequent campaigns humorously illustrated various scenarios where having "Cheetle-covered fingers" could be advantageous, such as providing a convenient excuse to avoid undesirable tasks by relying on the clean "other hand." Another facet explored how the very concept of "hands-free" technology was playfully presented as being inspired by the need to avoid getting Cheetle on things. This consistent and creative strategy successfully shifted a potential negative perception into a highly positive and distinctive brand identifier, significantly contributing to consistent brand growth and fundamentally transforming how this unique product trait was perceived by consumers. (At BE Extraordinary, a series about the winners at Cannes Lions in collaboration with Harsh Kapadia, CCO, Grey India, we peer outside the Grand Prix, and look at clutter breaking work that picked the silvers and the bronzes, but don't often get discussed.)
