Mumbai, May 21, 2013: When technology meets creativity, the result is a whole lot of fun. This was precisely what happened in Ogilvy Mumbai last week. A whole lot of fun!

While everyone is talking about going digital, Ogilvy Mumbai has taken a big step forward in this direction. Thanks to an Ogilvy & Google India initiative, Ogilvy Mumbai witnessed some of the coolest digital innovations by Google.

Abhijit Avasthi, National Creative Director, O&M India: From a creativity point of view, the digital era is perhaps the most exciting time to be living in. If you can imagine it, it is possible. We are fortunate to collaborate with Google. We hope to have a lot of fun & to jointly come up with some awesome work for our clients.

The office was transformed into a Mini Digital Zone where Google showcased some of their tech capabilities and gave Ogilvy employees a sneak peek into the world of Google.

Motion sensors to welcome employees, a salad cart that allowed employees to toss up their own salad using an app, augmented reality based games, a hangout zone with a virtual Ping Pong table and lots of goodies to die for?.the games went on, the options went on?..there were Google activities creating excitement across the office.

Navin Talreja, President O&M Mumbai & Kolkata: As an agency we have always believed that the best way to do something new is to actually do it. We could not have found a better collaborator than Google in our endeavor to be creative pioneers in the digital era. We are positive that our people as well as our clients will see great benefit in this coming together of creativity and technology. Watch this space!

John Merrifield (Chief Creative Officer of the ZOO APAC team, Google): Doing something that?s never been done before is one of the most effective ways to grab a larger share of the future. This is why experiments and initiatives such as this - combining the best of Ogilvy with Google in India- can lead to an inspiring (and inspired) collaboration.

MUMBAI: Ogilvy & Mather Advertising, Mumbai, became the first Indian agency to win Gold at the IPA Effectiveness Awards held last night in London. The award was won for Cadbury Dairy Milk?s 7 year long ?Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye? campaign in India. Launched in 2005, this campaign has led to Cadbury Dairy Milk increasing its business manifold, and has also contributed to increased revenues and profits for the company, Cadbury India Limited. This case also won a special award for ?Best Use of Insight?.

The IPA, organiser of the IPA Effectiveness Awards, is the professional body for advertising, media and marketing communication agencies in the United Kingdom. Since their launch in the UK in 1980, the IPA Effectiveness Awards are recognised by agencies and clients as the industry?s most rigorous award scheme, because entrants have to prove their communications strategies have worked in hard business terms.

The rigourous judging process includes each entry being judged by two panels before it is considered worthy of an award ? an industry panel and a client panel. The Industry panel decides the shortlist (by making sure that each shortlisted paper fulfills the requirement of clearly demonstrating a return on marketing investment). The Client panel then attributes each shortlisted paper a Gold, Silver or Bronze Award and allocates the special prizes.

The year 2012 has seen a total of 65 entries for the awards of which 35 entries made it to the shortlist. Ogilvy?s winning entry was India?s only shortlisted entry at the awards.

Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman & Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather South Asia, and also the brain behind the ?Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye? campaign had this to say about the award: I am totally delighted that we have won India?s first ever Gold at one of the most rigourous effectiveness awards in the world - the IPA. And that too for Cadbury. As I have always said in the past, great work comes out of great partnerships. A big salute to you, Cadbury India. And heartiest, heartiest congratulations to my young colleagues at Ogilvy & Mather, Mumbai.?

Chandramouli Venkatesan, Director, India Snacking & AP Developing Markets ? Chocolate Lead: It is a matter of great pride that Cadbury diary milk is the first ever gold winner from India. It is a testimony to the exceptional advertising the brand has done over a long time. Special kudos to our partners Ogilvy India for being such an outstanding brand steward. Kuch Meetha ho jaye.

Kawal Shoor, Head of Planning for Ogilvy Advertising Mumbai, and also co-author of the entry, was present at the gala ceremony held at the London Hilton Park Lane Hotel yesterday. Beaming with joy, he said, ?This is unprecedented. Only time will tell what this means for us, and Indian advertising, but right now we?re over the moon. We have always loved and stood by our work, and knew it was world class, but to now get acknowledged as that, by arguably the most renowned and sceptical set of judges, ahead of other strong campaigns from around the world... across categories... Wow! And then to win another one for insights... perfect!?

Navin Talreja, Head of Ogilvy & Mather ? Mumbai had this to say: ?This is absolutely fantastic! We strongly believe that our wins happen only because of the faith that clients show in us, and are invariably a result of a process of co-creation with clients. Cadbury has been one such relationship that we have enjoyed for over 60 years. As an office, we pride ourselves on the efficient working of the Creative, Account Planning and Account Management triumvirate. This win is a great testimony of the same?.