The Leo Burnett India operations have been recognised as the ‘Global Agency of the Year’ at the Burnett Awards, for the first time in the company’s history.
Leo Burnett India saw off competition from ninety-four Burnett offices in eighty-six countries across the Network. The India office also won the Gold Pencil for outstanding achievement in creativity across traditional and non-traditional media for Luxor Highlighters.
In an official statement, Arvind Sharma, Chairman India, Sub-Continent, Leo Burnett, who was present to receive the award, said, “Being judged the best office in the No. 2 network in the world is an achievement we’re very proud of. What is more heartening is that these awards come close on the heels of the Leo Intel Award for planning excellence announced a week ago. Together, these prove our mettle across Creative, Planning and Business results.”
Although Burnett has won and lost businesses over the last year, 2008 was a successful year for it in terms of recognition at various international awards platforms including the Art Directors Club, the New York Festival, Andy’s, Media Spikes, Clio’s, Adstar and the London Festival. The company also had important wins at Cannes Lion 2008, where the agency bagged two Gold Lions; One Show where it won a Gold; and GoaFest 2008, where it bagged two Grand Prix.
The businesses won by Leo Burnett this year include Reliance Globalcom, Tata Capital, Delhi Daredevils, Hindustan Petroleum and Indian Express. Nitish Mukherjee, Managing Director, Leo Burnett India, explained that 2007-08 has been a year of change at Leo Burnett India: “It has been the rethinking mode for us. Disruptive changes in the communication landscape and the way people interact with and understand brands are forcing us in the advertising industry to rethink the way we function.”
On the agency’s ability to retain talent, he said, “Leo Burnett conducts an independent employee satisfaction survey across all its offices. According to this survey, Leo Burnett India had an all time high score of 85 per cent, making it one of the best places in the network to work in.”
For Mukherjee, business at Leo Burnett comes down to two things: people and their behaviour. “We are people talking to people. In order to make real human connections, we needed to put a meaningful human purpose at the centre of our brands in order to truly connect with people”.
Mukherjee explained that the agency’s ‘humankind’ philosophy was its focus for the year, “This is the year we shed skin to become a Humankind Agency. Everything we did was designed with a ‘Human Purpose’ in mind. We believe that a brand without purpose is one that will never be understood or embraced by people. Hence, our belief is ‘Creativity has the power to transform human behaviour’.”