Kansai Nerolac Paints Limited’s ‘Dukaan It Yourself’ campaign, developed in partnership with Tribes Communication, will represent India at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity following recognition at the 2025 Abby’s One Show Awards.
The campaign received the highest number of awards for a single campaign by an independent agency at this year’s event. It was acknowledged across categories including PR, Outdoor, Activation, and Corporate Purpose.
Launched during the Maha Kumbh Mela, the initiative converted Nerolac’s large foldable shade cards into DIY retail shop kits. Aimed at underserved street vendors, the kits included elements such as shelves, signage, hooks, and counters, and were constructed using eco-conscious materials. The design aimed to support visibility, identity, and functionality for small vendors.
“Earlier, we displayed good products on the ground, but people didn’t respect us,” one vendor said. “Now that we’ve been elevated, it feels like we’re proper shopkeepers.”
Another vendor commented, “Now things will be much better for us.”
The campaign reached over 100 million people, generated more than one million engagements, and contributed to a 300% increase in vendor sales. It also aligned with five UN Sustainable Development Goals, reduced emissions by 89% compared to traditional MDF shops, and maintained a 7:3 women-to-men vendor ratio.
“We are honoured by the recognition at ABBYs One Show 2025. ‘Dukaan It Yourself’ is a powerful expression of our brand purpose—designing solutions that protect, inspire and elevate everyday lives. This campaign is not just about innovation; it’s about inclusion. It gave real visibility to vendors who are often invisible, and brought our values to life on the streets, where it matters most,” said Ramakrishna Naik, Chief Marketing Officer, Kansai Nerolac Paints Limited.
Gour Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director, Tribes Communication, said, “Dukaan It Yourself is proof that purposeful design doesn’t need to be complex to be powerful. With sustainability, simplicity and scale at its core, this was design for impact. We didn’t just design a new medium—we transformed it into a platform for meaningful engagement. This recognition at ABBYs is a proud nod to what homegrown creativity can do when it’s rooted in empathy and built to serve real needs.”
The campaign will now be presented at Cannes Lions 2025.
