MUMBAI: Filaria (vernacularly known as Haatipaon) is a venomous disease which gallops million lives in India due lack of awareness amongst people. The mandate to generate this awareness amongst the target, so that they could accept medication was given to Ogilvy and Mather Mumbai. The result of which was the creation of TVC ‘Giant Footprints’ by O&M executive creative director Sumanto Chattopadhyay.

The TVC got not just a million feet to medical centers but also garnered a silver Lion at the ongoing Cannes Lions 2015.

“I pushed hard to get the campaign registered at Cannes Lions, but the fact that it did not win any accolades in India was raising doubts in my mind. Now the fact that it indeed won a silver Lion is extremely satisfying,” says Chattopadhyay to indiantelevision.com.

The TVC was shot in Apte village in Bhor district of Maharashtra, and was targeted towards all the rural and semi rural parts of the country. “The core idea behind the video was to make it look like a universal India video which is relevant to each and every part of the country. So, be it for someone watching it in east or south India, it should resemble his or her locality,” informs Chattopadhyay.

“Cannes Lion is an amazing recognition but the number of people who reached medical centers after watching the video is something more inspiring,” asserts Chattopadhyay.       

Besides O&M's silver Lion is for the ‘Giant Footprints’ campaign for Sabin Vaccine Institute, Indian Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (Filaria Dose) India had one more winner in the Pharma category. Medulla won a bronze Lion for the ‘Spinning Living Room’ campaign for Johnson & Johnson's Cinnarazine in the Print section.

McCann won two silver Lions, one for its campaign for Dabur's Gastrina and other for Essel Group's Dish TV. The agency is the only Indian organization so far to win two Lions in 2015. Grey won one silver Lion for its campaign for DHL while Taproot Dentsu bagged a bronze Lion for its Pimp creative for Bennett Coleman's Mumbai Mirror.