Pakistan ad agency wins coveted award in New York for anti-drone strike poster

BBDO receives first Gold at Clio Awards 2015

Advertising agency BBDO Pakistan made history as it clinched its first Gold at Clio Awards 2015 held on Wednesday.

The Lahore-based advertising agency picked up the coveted Gold Clio, the advertising industry's most prestigious award globally, as well as three Silver and four Bronze awards.

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The Gold award was received in the outdoor category for "Not A Bug Splat" -- an outdoor poster installation to protest against civilian deaths caused by drone strikes, in collaboration with artists, and for Foundation for Fundamental Rights. BBDO Pakistan was the only agency in Asia to win Gold in that category, continuing to write history for Pakistan.



The silvers were in the ambient and guerilla categories and the three Bronze awards in the design, direct and social media categories.

Thrilled at receiving the award, BBDO General Manager Aamir Allibhoy said, “In 18 months alone, we've managed to win at the biggest and best award shows regionally and globally, truly reinforcing our commitment to creative excellence and celebrating Pakistani passion world over."

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In 2014, BBDO Pakistan came up with, and executed the simplest and most effective campaign Pakistan has ever seen. So much so, that its effectiveness not only captured the interest of international media but was also awarded The Best Low Budget Campaign Award at the Cannes Film Festival. This was the first time Pakistan was even nominated for such an award.

The advertising firm was approached by Reprieve FFR (Foundation for Fundamental Rights) to create an anti-drone attacks campaign. ‘Bugsplat’ is military lingo for those killed in drone attacks, and the campaign aims at creating awareness regarding the collateral damage of drone attacks in the K-P region. “It took a few months to create this campaign but the idea was simple,” says BBDO creative director Ali Reza. “We chose an image of a young girl who had lost her family in drone attacks, and we blew up her portrait to about 90 feet by 60 feet and laid it down in K-P.”