India has secured a total of 22 shortlists across four key categories for the awards being presented tonight, reaffirming its creative strength on the global stage. However, in a notable miss, the country has drawn a blank in the Audio & Radio category, with no entries making it to the final round. Some of the winners in the Outdoor, Health & Wellness, Pharma, and Print & Publishing categories were announced earlier today, setting the stage for India’s potential medal haul.
The Outdoor category leads India’s medal prospects with a commanding 13 shortlists. Among the top contenders is ‘Lucky Yatra’ by FCB India for Indian Railways, which earned multiple nods in subcategories such as Transit, Local Brand, and Social Behaviour. Ogilvy’s ‘Eye Test Menu’ for Titan Company Limited also appears multiple times. Other notable campaigns include ‘Dry Thru’ by Tribes Communication for Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (Ambient: Large Scale), ‘Chai Bansuri – The Tea Flute’ by Ogilvy for Brooke Bond Taj Mahal (Ambient: Small Scale), and ‘Nature Shapes Britannia’ by Talented for Britannia Industries under Sustainability and Breakthrough on a Budget. Additional entries like ‘Coke Zero Auditions’ (Ogilvy for Coca-Cola), ‘Too Yumm to Cheer!’ (FCB Kinnect for Too Yumm!), and ‘VI Guardian Beads’ (Ogilvy for Vodafone Idea) round out the list.
In Health & Wellness, India has bagged three shortlists, highlighting a strong focus on purpose-led storytelling in the healthcare space. The shortlisted entries include ‘Project Early Periods’ by Leo India for P&G Whisper (Integrated), ‘Eye Test Menu’ by Ogilvy Bangalore for Titan Eyewear (Integrated), and ‘Naga Saint Eye Test’ by Godrej Creative Lab for the Eyebetes Foundation (Eye Test Services).
The Pharma category features two shortlists, both for Lowe Lintas’ ‘Dawai Reader’ campaign created for Alkem Laboratories. The work has been recognised in Creative Data under Healthcare Professional Engagement, and also in Healthcare Product Innovation.
In Print & Publishing, India has scored four shortlists. Havas India’s ‘Ink of Democracy’ campaign for The Times of India leads the way with three nods across Innovative and Adapted Use of Print & Publishing, Single-Market Campaign, and Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility. Famous Innovations also earned recognition for ‘Seven Layers of Truth’, developed for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, in the Cultural Engagement category.
Among Indian agencies, Ogilvy stands out with the highest number of shortlists across categories, particularly dominating the Outdoor and Health & Wellness segments with campaigns for Titan, Brooke Bond, Coca-Cola, and Vodafone Idea. FCB India, Leo India, Lowe Lintas, and Havas also made strong contributions, reinforcing India’s agency ecosystem as a consistent force in global advertising.
As the industry gears up for tonight’s results, all eyes are on how many of these Indian shortlists will convert into metal.
