Grey Colombo bags global award

Sri Lanka has delivered Asia’s first ever win at the Global Effies with Grey Colombo’s `Garment’s without Guilt’ campaign, which has now become one of the country’s most awarded campaigns internationally. This is an incredible feat for the country as these awards are dominated by global brands, where three of the most effective brand marketing campaigns on average are selected. This year only two were adjudicated as the best in the world - IBM’s `Stop Talking, Start Doing’ and Sri Lanka Apparel’s `Garments without Guilt’ for 2009. The two campaigns will enter the Global Effie Hall of Fame in New York.

The winners were awarded at the North America Effie Awards Gala at the prestigious Cipriani in New York on June 3, 2009. Ajai V. Singh, Vice President and Country Head, along with Sailesh Wadhwa, Director of Strategic Planning and Brand Services, of Grey Colombo received the international award. The Global Effie Awards honour marketing campaigns that have proven a combination of effectiveness and creativity, with all submissions having to go through two rigorous rounds of judging, with the final round being judged by over 15 global marketing leaders.

This year’s panel consisted of Greg Andersen, Managing Director, BBH, Ms. Minda Gralnek, Vice President and Creative Director, Target Corporation, Gerry Graf, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi and Saatchi, New York and Jonathan Mildenhall, Vice President - Global Advertising Strategy and Creative Excellence, Coca Cola among others. Speaking on the significance of the win, Ajai V. Singh, Vice President and Country Head, Grey Colombo said, “This is a milestone win for Sri Lanka and we are tremendously honoured to be globally lauded as the creators of one of the most effective case studies in marketing communications. The campaign `Garments without Guilt had to deliver results for the relatively new brand Sri Lanka Apparel.