The campaign was based on a simple but uncomfortable fact. In the previous Indian General Elections, around 33% of eligible voters did not vote, according to the campaign entry listed by The One Club for Creativity. The reasons included laziness, lack of awareness and political alienation. The campaign linked that absence to 7,500 litres of unused electoral ink, the purple ink used to mark voters’ fingers and prevent duplicate voting.
 



 

 

A print campaign built around a national symbol

The Times of India and The Economic Times printed pages in purple ink instead of the usual black. For every 132 absent voters, one page was printed. The campaign reached 2.28 million prints with one direct appeal: “Don’t waste a drop of electoral ink. Don’t waste the power of democracy.”

The idea worked because the colour already had meaning. In India, the purple ink mark is widely understood as proof of voting. By putting that colour onto a newspaper page before voting day, the campaign changed its role. It was no longer a mark of participation. It became a reminder of what gets wasted when people stay away.

The execution was released across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata, just before those cities were scheduled to vote. That timing mattered. The campaign was not trying to create general awareness over a long period. It was designed to reach people close to the moment of decision.

Why Ink of Democracy campaign feels effective

Ink of Democracy campaign is a strong print idea because it does not over-explain itself. The campaign uses the medium as the message. Purple ink was not an aesthetic choice. It carried the entire argument.

The audience choice also made sense. The campaign entry notes that urban voter turnout had lagged behind rural turnout, making an English newspaper a relevant medium for the appeal. For readers in major metros, the message landed in a familiar daily format, but with one unusual visual change.

There is a restraint to the work that helps it. It does not shout at voters. It does not rely on a celebrity face or a heavy emotional script. It uses absence as the starting point, then turns that absence into something visible.
 

 

A smart use of waste as a creative trigger

Voter apathy is usually discussed through numbers. Percentages can feel distant. Ink of Democracy gave the issue a physical form.

The thought behind the campaign is clear: electoral ink exists only when citizens vote. If people do not turn up, that ink remains unused. By printing pages in purple, the campaign created a visual connection between wasted ink and wasted democratic power.

That makes the campaign more than a topical election message. It becomes a piece of civic communication built from a material associated with voting itself.

The line “Don’t waste a drop of electoral ink” is also doing useful work. It keeps the campaign grounded. It does not make a grand claim about changing democracy. It simply reminds people that participation is the point.

Recognition and reported impact

Ink of Democracy received notable industry recognition. Branding in Asia reported that Havas Creative India won India’s first Gold Lion at Cannes Lions 2025 for the campaign, created in partnership with The Times of India. The same report notes that the campaign won in the Print & Publishing category and centred on the symbolic power of electoral ink.

The One Show lists Ink of Democracy as a 2025 Direct Marketing winner in the Print category, with Havas Creative India, Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd, Mr Pink Music and Galloping Horse Production Pvt Ltd credited on the campaign. The One Show entry also reports 2.28 million prints, 642 million voters in India’s 2024 election and a 280% increase in brand mentions across social media with high positive sentiment.

Those reported results should be read carefully. Voter turnout depends on many political, social and logistical factors. The campaign’s strongest achievement is creative and editorial: it found a way to make not voting visible, using a medium and a symbol people already understood.

Credits
Brand: The Times of India
Campaign Name: Ink of Democracy
Agency: Havas Creative India
Client / Brand: Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd
Production Company: Galloping Horse Production Pvt Ltd
Music / Sound Production Company: Mr Pink Music
Chief Creative Officer: Anupama Ramaswamy & Joji Jacob
Creative Director: Soham Ghosh, Ravinder Kumar, Marcelo Bruzessi & Neha Sidhra
Director: Sophie Lacheze & Annie Joshi
Executive Creative Director: Joao Medeiros & Nazly Kasim
Global Chief Creative Officer: Stephane Xiberras
Photographer: Harmeet Singh Sana

This campaign is about:
Ink of Democracy campaign, The Times of India print campaign, Havas Creative India campaign, Indian election print campaign, electoral ink campaign, newspaper advertising campaign, voter awareness print ad, democracy campaign India, Cannes Lions print campaign, award-winning print ad, creative newspaper ad, social impact print campaign, Creative Print Ad, Creative Print Ads, Print Advertising, Print Campaign, Election Campaign, Voter Awareness Campaign, Democracy Campaign, Electoral Ink, Purple Ink Campaign, Indian Advertising, The Times of India, Havas Creative India, Ink of Democracy, One Show Winner.

Amstel Shot Without Permission Campaign Uses Observation Instead of Direction

The campaign replaces controlled setups with observation. There are no actors or scripts. Real people in real bars become the subjects, bringing a different tone to creative print advertising.

Photographer Javier Tles worked discreetly, capturing moments as they happened. The camera does not interrupt the scene. It simply records it.

Shooting First, Then Asking

Images were taken without staging or warning. Afterward, the people photographed were informed and asked for permission to use the images. This sequence keeps the reactions natural.
The expressions remain unfiltered. What appears in the campaign are moments that were not adjusted for the camera.

Moments That Feel Familiar

The campaign focuses on small interactions—friends talking, reacting, sharing space. There is no attempt to exaggerate the setting. The scenes stay close to everyday life.
Details like casual posture, unfinished conversations, and quick glances give the images their tone. They feel lived-in rather than constructed.

Print That Feels Like a Memory

The visuals carry imperfections. Slight blur, uneven framing, and unplanned composition are left untouched. These elements make the images feel like something pulled from a personal archive.
This approach shifts how print ads are read. The images don’t immediately present themselves as advertising. They feel like moments first.

Product Within the Scene

The Amstel product appears naturally in each setting. It sits within the interaction rather than leading it. This keeps attention on the people while still placing the brand in context.
The consistency across the campaign helps build recognition without relying on strong visual control.

Responding to Curated Environments

The campaign contrasts with environments where moments are often staged or edited. By stepping back from control, it focuses on interactions that happen without performance.
The value comes from leaving the moment unchanged.

Extending Beyond Print

The images appear across outdoor and social placements. People who recognize themselves are invited to come forward and claim a year’s supply of Amstel.
This keeps the campaign connected to the people within it, even after the images are published.

For more information, visit Amstel

Credits
Amstel – Shot Without Permission
Product/Service: Amstel
Brand: Amstel

Creative Agency: INGO Amsterdam & Ogilvy Amsterdam

Global CCO Ogilvy: Liz Taylor
Global CCO INGO: Daniel Fisher
Executive Creative Director: Nicolás López Bravo, Fernando Montero
Art Director: Rafael Ochoa, Andrea López-Boado
Copywriter: Anna Breinfalk
Editor: Miguel Muriel

CEO Ogilvy Amsterdam: Anneke Schogt
Global Chief Client Officer INGO: Lucy Tone McGurk
Client Partner: Floris van de Weg
Senior Account Manager: Rachel Bridgette
Account Executive: Saskia Richards
Executive Producer: Diego Baltazar
Chief Strategy Officer Ogilvy EMEA: Hadi Zabad
Strategy Partner: Arthur Van de Kamp
Strategist: Twan Wiertz

Production Company – FAR Media

Photographer – Javier Tles
Executive Producer – Amalia Cano, Fernando García Patos
Producer- Miguel Angel Moyano
2nd Unit Video – Paco Morales
Local Executive Producer Romania – Bogdan Maraloiu
Local Producer Romania – Raluca Marinov
Local Executive Producer Argentina – Martin de Escalada
Local Producer Argentina – Hernan Acuña
Digital Assistant – Sebas Luragui

This campaign is about: candid photography, friendship moments, print advertising, creative print ads.

Introduction: The Power of Seeing More

Imagine how much easier life would be if you could see everything around you — not just when you’re driving, but in every tricky situation life throws your way. Whether it’s navigating a tight parking spot or avoiding an awkward encounter, having a 360° view can make all the difference. That’s exactly what Nissan’s Intelligent Around View® Monitor brings to the road — and beyond.

In their latest “Tight Spaces” campaign, Nissan cleverly reminds us how their cutting-edge technology doesn’t just make driving safer and more convenient — it inspires the kind of problem-solving we all wish we had in everyday life.

What is Nissan’s Intelligent Around View® Monitor?

At the heart of Nissan’s innovation is the Intelligent Around View® Monitor, a driver-assistance feature designed to help drivers maneuver confidently in any situation. This advanced system provides a 360-degree bird’s-eye view of the vehicle’s surroundings, eliminating blind spots and making parking and tight maneuvers stress-free.

Key Features:

• Full 360° Visibility: Offers a composite overhead view to help drivers see obstacles all around the vehicle.
• Enhanced Safety: Reduces the risk of collisions while parking or driving in confined spaces.
• Driver Confidence: Makes maneuvering in busy streets, crowded parking lots, or narrow alleys easier and safer.

This innovative technology is part of Nissan’s broader commitment to driver safety and comfort, enhancing every journey by putting more control in the hands of the driver.

The “Tight Spaces” Campaign: Real-Life Situations, Same Struggles

Nissan’s Tight Spaces campaign cleverly flips the script, showing how their technology could come in handy not only on the road but also in everyday life. The campaign uses relatable, humorous scenarios to highlight the universal desire for a 360° view when things get uncomfortable.

Real-Life Moments That Could Use a 360° View:

• A basketball player trapped by defenders on the court – wishing they could see every move around them.
• A fisherman surrounded by hungry seagulls – needing eyes in the back of his head to protect his fresh catch.
• Navigating a crowded event or tight hallway – where knowing what’s behind you could save you from awkward encounters.

Through these playful examples, Nissan shows that the comfort and confidence their technology provides isn’t just for drivers — it’s something we all crave in life’s tight spots.

Why This Technology Matters

In a world that moves fast and often feels unpredictable, Nissan’s driver-assistance technology serves a real purpose:
✅ Improved Safety: Reduces the chances of accidents in busy urban environments.
✅ Stress-Free Driving: Takes the anxiety out of parking and reversing.
✅ Enhanced Awareness: Helps drivers stay informed of their surroundings at all times.

By focusing on human needs and real-life struggles, Nissan is positioning itself not just as a car manufacturer, but as a brand that understands the little challenges people face every day.

Conclusion: A 360° View for a Smoother Life

Nissan’s Intelligent Around View® Monitor is more than just another driver-assist feature — it’s a reflection of the brand’s mission to simplify and enhance the driving experience. And with the fun, relatable angle of the Tight Spaces campaign, Nissan proves that when technology is designed with people in mind, it can make life easier in more ways than one.

So, the next time you’re stuck in a tight spot — whether behind the wheel or in life — you’ll find yourself wishing for the kind of innovation that sees everything coming.

This campaign is about:
Nissan Intelligent Around View Monitor, 360-degree view, Driver-Assistance Technology, Nissan safety technology, Nissan’s driver-assistance feature, Nissan Around View Monitor benefits, Creative Print Ads, Print Advertising, Creative Ads, Print Advert

Credits
Campaign: P(illow)tics
Brand: Sleepzone
Ad Agency: Adpro Communications

Credits
Brand: Goonj NGO
Campaign: Little Needs
Art: Unmesh Nayak
Category: Print Advertising

To drive awareness and debate on International Women’s Day about how women are paid on average 25% less than men, J. Walter Thompson London has created a provocative outdoor campaign using clever word play to drive home just how offensive the world can seem with 25% missing.

James Whitehead, Chief Executive of J. Walter Thompson London, said: “This is an important opportunity to shine a light on a critical topic in society and culture. This work is a catalyst for debate and behavior change and true to #BeBoldForChange on International Women’s day.”

Rachel Pashley, creator of Female Tribes and Global Planner at J. Walter Thompson, said: “Removing 25% of anything can fundamentally change the meaning, and underpaying women confers an implicit or even explicit message to women as to how much they are valued in society.”

Credits
Advertising Agency: J. Walter Thompson, London, UK
Creatives: Katia Schutz, Stefan Foster
Executive Creative Director: Lucas Peon
Creative Director: Jaspar Shelbourne
Project Manager: Kate Madden
Account Director: Charlie Martyn
Planners: Dan Cameron, Rachel Pashley
Digital Strategist: Pierre-Henry Briec
Media Agency: Maxus
Media Agency Managing Director: Anna Hickey
Media Agency Chief Executive: Lindsay Pattison

Tag: Agency Self-Promo, Creative Print Ad, Print Advertising, Print Campaign, Gender Pay Gap, Female Tribes

 

 

 
Credits
Advertising Agency: Noah’s Ark, Lagos, Nigeria
Agency Website: https://www.noahsark.com.ng
Tags: Best Women’s Day Ads, Creative Ads, Creative Advertising, Creative Print Ads, International Women’s Day Ads, Agency Self-Promo, Print Advertising, Break The Bias

28 Too Many launched a poster campaign ‘Mutilated Words’ using handcrafted Arabic calligraphy and carefully chosen words, mutilated and stitched back together, just like the victims of FGM.

The words reflect the physical, psychological and social damage. They used paper that mimicked the skin’s colour and texture, made from material that can’t be vandalized. They put the decision in people’s hands, urging them to pull the thread. The words unfold to reveal a hidden letter that changes their entire meaning to reflect positivity and hope. Inhuman becomes human; Pains becomes dreams; Accept becomes Condemn; Despair becomes Joy; Cruel becomes Civilized; Consent becomes Defiance. With each word, the agency revealed a fact that educated people about FGM and drove home the message: “Some things can’t be undone”, encouraging people to say no to this awful practice.

Credits
Campaign: Mutilated Words
Advertising Agency: Impact BBDO Dubai
Brand: 28 Too Many

Credits
Advertising Agency: INGO, Hamburg, Germany
Brand: Burger King
Campaign: Proper dining is back

PETA New Ad Campaign Shows Dark Side of Animal Circuses: Your fun hurts animals

To increase the pressure on them, PETA has partnered with award-winning ad agency Ogilvy’s Honduras team to launch a thought-provoking and vibrant ad campaign that contrasts the pageantry of a circus with the misery of the animals who are forced to perform in it.

Your Fun Hurts Elephants
Elephants are highly social animals who live in matriarchal herds, sharing mothering responsibilities for the herds’ babies. In nature, they spend their days socializing, browsing on trees and shrubs, playing in the mud and water, and exploring vast habitats. While touring with circuses, they spend most of their lives in chains, unable to take more than a step in any direction. Trainers use fear and pain to force them to perform. The exhibitor who supplies elephants to Loomis Bros. has been repeatedly caught striking elephants in the face and jaw with bullhooks.

Your Fun Hurts Tigers
In their natural habitat, tigers are apex predators who control vast territories and raise their young. In circuses like Carden, they’re locked in cages. They’re whipped to force them to perform tricks that they don’t understand. Regardless of how long they’re kept in extreme confinement, tigers never lose their genetic drives.

Your Fun Hurts Zebras
UniverSoul continues to force zebras to perform even though, as a prey species, being in close contact with humans—whom they view as predators—is highly stressful. Circuses put these sensitive animals in danger: Frightened zebras have escaped from UniverSoul and run through city streets on two different occasions. Zebras who have escaped from other circuses have sustained deadly injuries. The crazed look on this scary clown’s face is how zebras must feel in circus arenas.

Credits
Client: PETA
Campaign: Your Fun Hurts Animals
Advertising Agency: Ogilvy, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Chief Creative Director: Wanda Cálix, Andres Villalobos
Creative Director: César Chinchilla
Creative: Sebastisn Bullorini, Daniel Palala
Illustrator: César Miralda
Planning Director: Alan Cruz

Thousands of Central American migrants leave their countries searching for a better future, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the language of “Social Distancing”, Amnesty International show the parallel between the distance that saves some people’s lives and how two meters are not enough for the migrant population of Central America.

Credits
Advertising Agency: VMLY&R, Colombia
Brand: Amnesty International
Campaign: Safety Distance
CEO: Catalina Sánchez
CCO: Santiago Cuesta
Creative Director: Cristian Forero Yusti
Art Directors: Andrés Gómez, Jéssica Gómez
Copywriter: Sara Vega Mateus
Illustrator: Mateo Aguirre

Credits
Advertising Agency: Grey Group, Mumbai, India
Managing Director And Chief Creative Officer: Sandipan Bhattacharyya
Executive Creative Director: Vivek Bhambhani
Creative Director: Mangesh Kavale
Associate Creative Director: Mehul Prajapati
Art Director: Mangesh Kavale
Designer: Mangesh Kavale
Copywriter: Mehul Prajapati
Associate Vice President: Anand Ashar
Account Supervisor: Owais Ansari
Chief General Manager(Branding), IOCL HO: Sandeep Sharma
Studio Manager: Dhananjay Thakur
Artwork: Vaibhav Bhilare
Retouching Artist: Pravin Patil
Retouching Artist: Manoj Dalvi

Traditionally Italians enjoy Easter holidays flame grilling with family and friends in the park. But for the second year in a row, this was not possible due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Grilling at home seemed to be the only solution. However, we know home BBQs don’t always plan and even result in newsworthy disasters, with several cases have been photographed and reported by Italian newspapers.

Burger King turned real pieces of news into billboard ads to communicate the Burger King delivery service. Only incidents that did not involve people or cause particular damage to homes were used as irreverent reminders to all that sometimes, it’s better to leave the grilling to those who know best.

Credits
Campaign: It’s Better Delivered
Client: Burger King
Advertising Agency: Wunderman Thompson Italy, Milan, Italy
Chief Executive Officer: Giuseppe Stigliano
Chief Creative Officer: Lorenzo Crespi
Creative Directors: Pas Frezza, Luca Iannucci
Creative Supervisor Copy: Federica Rebuzzini
Senior Art Director: Fabio Pistoia
Account Supervisor: Claudia Longo
Motion Designer: Morgan Storti

Credits
Client: Good Mask Company
Advertising Agency: Boys+Girls, Ireland
Chief Relationship Officer, Boys +Girls: Pat Stephenson
Chief Creative Officer, Boys +Girls: Rory Hamilton
Creative Director, Boys +Girls: Kris Clarkin
Creative Director, Boys +Girls: Laurence O’Byrne
Copy: Nigel Roberts
Art Direction: Paul Belford
Head of Digital, Boys +Girls: Shane Casey
Account Manager, Boys +Girls: Hannah Heweston
Designer, Boys +Girls: Maxi McDonnell
Photographer: Alex Telfer
Retoucher: Jon Lloyd

Credits
Client: El Tiempo
Advertising Agency: Beat MullenLowe, Bogotá, Colombia
Creatives: Carlos Andrés Rodríguez, Duván Villegas, Sonia Barrera, Andrew López, Yekar Osorio, Samuel Prieto, Mateo Guerrero, Juan Villa