INNOVATIVE RESILIENT MARKETERS

The 4th edition of the afaqs! Marketers’ Excellence Awards (MEA) was indeed a grand celebration of marketing excellence and innovation, bringing together a diverse range of brands and industry leaders under one roof. With the participation of 69 brands and the support of esteemed partners like MiQ, JioAds, and RedFM, the event highlighted the resilience, creativity, and forward-thinking mindset that shapes the marketing landscape in India and beyond.

ITC and ITC Bingo! Mad Angles stole the show, with ITC clinching the Company of the Year award and ITC Bingo! Mad Angles earning the Brand of the Year title, along with an impressive haul of 7 medals. These accolades serve as a testament to the outstanding work and dedication exhibited by the teams behind these brands in creating impactful and memorable marketing campaigns.

As the MEA continues to grow and evolve, it remains an essential platform for recognizing and honoring the pioneering spirit of marketers who constantly push boundaries, redefine norms, and shape the future of the marketing industry.

The afaqs! Marketers’ Excellence Awards (MEA) is a distinguished platform designed to honour and celebrate the remarkable achievements of various entities within the marketing industry. Its scope encompasses a wide array of participants, such as agencies, brands, creative studios, design studios, content creators, and production houses, each playing a vital role in fostering innovation, creativity, and strategic excellence within the marketing realm.

By recognizing the unique and impactful contributions made by these entities, the MEA showcases the groundbreaking work and tireless efforts put forth by these industry players in pushing boundaries, elevating standards, and making significant advancements in the field of marketing.

Through an extensive range of award categories, including All Media, Ambient Media, Brand Activation, Content, Design, Digital, Influencer Marketing, Print, Social Media, Television, Sector Awards, and Video, the afaqs! Marketers’ Excellence Awards effectively encapsulates the comprehensive accomplishments and groundbreaking innovations shaping the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of contemporary marketing.

ITC’s exceptional performance and leadership were recognized at the prestigious awards event as the company took home the esteemed Company of the Year award. Several ITC brands garnered accolades, demonstrating the organization’s strength and innovative prowess across various sectors.

ITC Bingo! Mad Angles emerged as the highlight of the event, securing the coveted Brand of The Year award and an impressive tally of 7 metals, comprising 3 Gold, 3 Silver, and 1 Bronze awards. These accolades were earned across multiple categories for the innovative Bingo AI Meme Gallery campaign, developed by Pixelfox, an integrated creative agency. This remarkable achievement underscores ITC Bingo! Mad Angles’ and Pixelfox’s strategic excellence and their ability to create campaigns that deeply connect with their audience.

Other distinguished winners at the MEA 2024 included:

Viacom18 Media, which delivered an outstanding performance with 7 metals, comprising 2 Gold, 4 Silver, and 1 Bronze awards.

KitKat India, which earned 6 metals, including 1 Gold, 2 Silver, and 3 Bronze awards.

Shemaroo Entertainment, which showcased excellence with 6 metals, securing 2 Gold and 4 Silver.

Creativeland Asia, which took home 6 metals, consisting of 1 Gold, 2 Silver, and 3 Bronze awards.

ITC Foods, which displayed their brilliance with a total of 5 metals, including 2 Gold and 3 Silver.

Vodafone Idea and Adidas, each clinching 5 metals, demonstrating their prowess in the industry.These remarkable performances across a wide range of categories highlight the diverse and innovative nature of the marketing landscape.

The MEA 2024 truly celebrated the creativity and strategic excellence that define the industry.Joining the ranks of top winners were other industry leaders like Tata Power, Neo Stretch, Paisabazaar.com, Warner Bros, Sunfeast Mom’s Magic, Croma, and more. Each of these companies showcased groundbreaking campaigns that not only captivated audiences but also set new benchmarks in marketing excellence.

The MEA 2024 Grand Jury is made up of a group of esteemed professionals from the marketing and advertising industry. They are responsible for evaluating and judging the best advertising projects in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region.

The jury panel includes several notable figures such as Adenike Adebola, Innovation Director for Africa at Diageo, and Paul Banham, Chief Creative Officer at MullenLowe MENA, among others. The jury’s expertise and experience in the industry ensure that the selected projects are of high quality and deserving of recognition.Alongside them, the Jury comprised numerous other accomplished individuals whose insights and discernment added immense value to the awards, including Aakriti Bhargava, co-founder, Wizikey; Aparna Tadikonda, executive vice president, Interactive Avenues; Anjali Krishnan, director – India Consumer Experience, AMEA Media, Mondelez; Anuja Trivedi, CMO, Shemaroo Entertainment; Anuj Gosalia, founder and CEO, Terribly Tiny Tales; Anupama Ramaswamy, chief creative officer, Havas Worldwide India; Aruna Daryanani, director and business head, Amazon miniTV; Ashley Almeida, head – product and marketing, Axis Securities; Atul Shrivastava, executive director and CEO, Laqshya Media Group; Deepesh Dadheech, head brand and media strategy, Hyundai Motor India; Divya Agarwal, chief strategy officer, Creativeland Asia; Gaurav Ramdev, chief marketing officer, Protean eGov Technologies; Girish Narayandass, co-founder, Bare Bones Collective; Harikrishnan Pillai, CEO and co-founder, The Small Big Idea; Jit Sengupta, vice president – marketing, ZEE Biskope, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited; Khatija Lokhandwala, head- brand marketing, Zivame; Katha Pankaj Tara, VP marketing, Zupee; Narinder Mahajan, CEO and co-founder, ODN Digital Services; Nalin Jain, chief marketing officer, Godrej Capital; Nishant Nayyar, VP and head of marketing, Kaya Limited; Praanesh Bhuvaneswar, co-founder and CEO, Qoruz; Prashant Sukhwani, vice president, marketing, Burger King; Rahul Vengalil, chief executive office and co-founder, tgthr; Ramya Ramachandran, founder and CEO, Whoppl; Rakesh Thakur, B2B marketing head, The Times of India Group; Ratheesh MS, general manager, Motivator, GroupM; Saksham Jadon, founder and CEO, YoungGun; Sahil Shah, president – digital experience, Dentsu Creative India; Samir Sethi, head of brand marketing, Policybazaar.com; Shradha Agarwal, co-founder and CEO, Grapes; Siddhartha Singh, founder and director, BlackCab; Smriti Sekhsaria, marketing director, Moët Hennessy India; Sourav Patwari, VP growth and marketing, Truemeds India; Vanda Ferrao, chief marketing officer, WOW Skin Science; and Yogesh Tewari, Chief Marketing Officer, Guiltfree Industries Ltd.