Mumbai, May 26, 2008

The team of Tanika Jalan and Rashi Goel from Media Direction, the specialist media services group of RK Swamy BBDO, has won the competition to represent India in the International Young Lions Media Contest at this year’s Cannes Advertising Festival.

The AAAI had conducted, for the first time, the Young Lions Media Competition 2008 with the support of THE TIMES GROUP, which is the Indian Festival Partner of Cannes International Advertising Festival.

The jury for this prestigious competition comprised Sam Balsara of Madison World, Shashi Sinha of Lodestar Universal, Vikram Sakhuja of GroupM and Lynn de Souza of Lintas Media Group.

The selection was a two-stage process. In the first phase, from the 28 entries that had come in, 15 teams were shortlisted on the basis of written submissions sent by the entrants which were scrutinised by a jury comprising NP Sathyamurthy (Lintas Media Group), Kartik Sharma (Maxus), Vanita Keshwani (Madison) and Mahuya Chuturvedi (Lodestar Universal). These 15 teams then took part in the Phase II selection.

The topic for the contest was ‘Young India Votes’, and was open to all advertising professionals working in AAAI member agencies and agencies accredited by the Indian Newspaper Society. The eligibility criterion was that contestants had to be under 28 years of age that is, born on or after June 21, 1979.

They had to prepare a media plan to encourage the urban youth belonging to the SEC A, B and C to vote in the 2009 General Elections. The indicated budget was Rs.10 crore, spread over six months.

THE TIMES GROUP will bear the all-expenses paid trip of Jalan and Goel.