Cannes – “Touch The Pickle,” a campaign made by BBDO India for Procter & Gamble brand Whisper, won the Grand Prix at the first-ever Glass Lions at the Cannes Lions Festival 2015.
Menstruation is likened to a curse among Indian women, baring them to do daily activities due to widespread cultural belief that they can pollute anything they touch with negative energy. The weirdest of these taboos – and the chief inspiration for the campaign, is discouragement to touch pickle jars over fears that it may spoil its contents.
“We took the judging responsibility very seriously. We know it will make a statement. We want to shatter stereotypes and to effect true cultural change,” said Cindy Gallup, Glass Lions Jury president and founder of BBH New York.
A total of 7 Glass Lions were awarded, which includes the popular #LikeAGirl, a collaboration between MSLGroup New York and Leo Burnett Toronto for another P&G brand, Always, which was also for the running in the inaugural top prize.
Other strong Grand Prix contenders that Gallup identified include “Feliz Dia Hombres” from Urufarma and agency Notable and “Share the Load” for Ariel detergent, another campaign from BBDO India.
The new category drew in 166 contenders from 13 countries, making judging “so fascinating,” according to Gallup. “It made all of us aware of issues in different countries we didn’t even know existed…It reinforced how very important the Glass Lions is.”
The Glass Lion was created in collaboration with non-profit LeanIn.org, inspired by the See It Be It program launched at Cannes 2014 to promote female creatives. Sponsored by IBM, Ipsos and Refinery 29, proceeds from the entry fees will be donated to gender inequality causes.
