IAA's Olive Crown Awards to recognize the work in "green communication"

The IAA today has announced India's first ever awards dedicated to creative excellence in the area of "green communication". The "Olive Crown Awards" as they are called, would address a crying need to recognize the pioneering work in communicating sustainability that is being done by some responsible corporate houses and agencies.

Kaushik Roy, President India Chapter of the International Advertising Association said "These awards would encourage and in fact inspire marketers to communicate sustainability in every facet of business, and motivate advertising agencies to bring communication of sustainability on top of the strategic agenda of advertisers."

Talking about the industry's response to the awards, Ramesh Narayan, Chairman, Olive Crown Awards, IAA, said, "Whomsoever I have spoken to, feels this is an idea whose time has come. Remember, this is a time when corporate houses are beginning to see being "green" as a key differentiator in the highly competitive market place. Consumers too accept that we are at the tipping point when it comes to our planet's environment, and are increasingly demanding accountability from manufacturers and service providers."

The Olive Crown Awards also seek to position marketing and advertising as critical components of not just economic growth but more importantly, responsible growth. To achieve this objective, the IAA felt it was important to reward outstanding creative work that communicates sustainability in any form.

The judging will be done by a panel consisting of some of the finest creative minds in the industry. The list is being presently compiled. "The jury will look at the originality, impact and relevance of creative thinking and execution in the communication," Narayan added.

When asked if the awards will be looking at enrolling younger creative minds into the concept of "green communication", Narayan said, "Awards like this will do precisely that. They will spread the word about the green movement and as we continue to strive to bring sustainability to the top of the strategic agenda, more people will be enthused to take up this meaningful responsibility."

The Olive Crown Awards would be open to all marketing companies, advertising agencies and others who had created and placed paid communication that espoused sustainability in the calendar year 2010. They would cover a wide range of media and marketing disciplines including print, television, radio, digital out-of-home advertising, printed literature, documentaries, events and advocacy campaigns.

The Energy Resource Institute (TERI) would be the "knowledge partner' for the IAA in these awards. The Olive Crown logo has been designed by B.Ramnathkar of Umbrella Design. | By Prabha Hegde [prabha(at)adgully.com]