Abbys 2025: Wavemaker bags 'Media Agency of the Year'

Mindshare, EssenceMediacom, Initiative, DDB Mudra Max, Tribes Communications, Lodestar UM, Publicis and FCB Kinnect, among Gold winners.

Manifest Media Staff

May 21, 2025, 9:58 pm

Wavemaker team

Wavemaker bagged the 'Agency of the Year' accolade at the Abby Awards on day one of Goafest 2025.

The agency won a Grand Prix, six Gold, eight Silver and four Bronze. 

The Grand Prix came for Dream11's 'India's New Local Language' entry.

Two of its Gold wins came for Colgate Palmolive, one for the entry titled ''AI Meets Accessibility' and the other for 'Colgate's Integrated Strategy Creates a National Health Movement by Reaching Millions'. It won a Gold each for Cadbury 5Star's 'Destroy Valentine's Day', Cadbury Celebrations' 'Creating Memories Never Clicked', Cadbury Dairy Milk's '#ThankYouFirstCoach' and India Gate Basmati Rice's 'Grains of Hope', 

Mindshare was second on the list with four Gold, four Silver and five Bronze. The Gold wins were for Rin's 'Bhagyalaxmi Wears the Same Blue Rin Liquid Saree for a 100 Episodes', Indriya Jewellery's 'Dil Se Display', Britannia Bourbon's 'Your Favourite Dessert Recipes', and HUL's 'Knoor Korean Ramen - Dare To Slurp'. 

EssenceMediacom was third with two Gold, two Silver and two Bronze each. The Gold wins were for Flipkart's 'From Print to Prompt: Unveiling Flipkart Minutes' 10-Minute Miracle' and Google Pay's 'Zepto's Holiday Happiness'.
Initiative Media won three Gold and a Silver. Two of the Gold wins were for Amazon Prime Video - one each for 'Slaying Social: Redefining Media Innovation with Call Me Bae', and 'WhatsApp Se Bhaukaal Tak: Mirzapur S3's AI-led Journey of Fan Innovation'. It also won Gold for Amazon India's 'The Science of Joy'.

DDB Mudra Max and Tribes Communications won two Gold and a Bronze each.

DDB Mudra Max's Gold wins were for DRPPL's 'Dharavi Diaries'.

Tribes Communications' Gold wins were for Kansai Nerolac's 'Dukaan It Yourself'.

FCB Kinnect (Crompton - Engineered for Intent), Lodestar UM (Mahindra Rise - Mahindra Subcultures Introduces India to Unparalleled Music, Unexplored Art, and Untold Stories) Mindshare Bangladesh (Grameenphone - Bondhu Bojhe Amake) and Publicis Media (AskNestle - How AskNestle Achieved 2x Growth With Vernacular Content) won a Gold each. 

Specialist Organization Grand Prix Gold Silver Bronze Total Metals Total points
Media Agency of The Year Wavemaker India 1 6 8 4 19 124
- Mindshare India   4 4 5 13 76
- EssenceMediacom   2 2 2 6 36
- Initiative Media   3 1   4 30
- DDB Mudra Max   2   1 3 20
- Tribes Communication Pvt. Ltd   2   1 3 20
- HiveMinds Innovative Market Solution     1 1 2 10
- Lodestar UM   1 1   2 14
- Madison Media       2 2 8
- Mindshare Bangladesh   1 1   2 14
- Publicis Media   1 1   2 14
- BC Web Wise PVT LTD       1 1 4
- Cheil India       1 1 4
- Coral Media     1   1 6
- FCB Kinnect   1     1 8
- PHD India     1   1 6
- PivotRoots       1 1 4
  Grand Total 1 23 21 19 64 398

 

Category Sub Category Entry ID Title Brand Winner Metal
A. Use Of Media 01. Innovative Use of Audio Visual MA-0155 India's New Local Language Dream11 Wavemaker India Grand Prix
A. Use Of Media 01. Innovative Use of Audio Visual MA-0169 How Birla Opus hacked the live content on TV! Birla Opus Paints Wavemaker India Silver
A. Use Of Media 01. Innovative Use of Audio Visual MA-0126 Squid Game: A 5Star Challenge CADBURY 5STAR Wavemaker India Bronze
A. Use Of Media 02. Innovative Use of Print MA-212 From Print to Prompt: Unveiling Flipkart Minutes' 10-Minute Miracle  Flipkart Internet Pvt Ltd EssenceMediacom Gold
A. Use Of Media 03. Innovative Use of Activation MA-371 Ab Meri Dharavi Ki Baari Hain DRPPL DDB Mudra Max Gold
A. Use Of Media 03. Innovative Use of Activation MA-304 Honda Dry Thru Honda Tribes Communication Pvt. Ltd Bronze
A. Use Of Media 06. Innovative Use of Radio MA-608 Dharavi Diaries DRPPL DDB Mudra Max Gold
A. Use Of Media 07. Innovative Use of Branded Content - Integration MA-7102 Bhagyalakshmi wears the same Blue Rin Liquid Saree for a 100 Episodes Rin Liquid Mindshare India Gold
A. Use Of Media 07. Innovative Use of Branded Content - Integration MA-784 Bachchan to Basket: Turning TV Viewers into Amazon Shoppers Amazon.in Initiative Media Silver
A. Use Of Media 07. Innovative Use of Branded Content - Integration MA-760 Har Kahani Ke Rang Birla Opus Ke Sang Birla Opus Paints Wavemaker India Bronze
A. Use Of Media 08. Innovative Use of Branded Content - Creation MA-801 Mahindra SabCultures introduces India to Unparalleled Music, Unexplored Art, and Untold Stories. Mahindra Rise Lodestar UM Gold
A. Use Of Media 08. Innovative Use of Branded Content - Creation MA-830 India's ULTIMATE Biking Revolution: Powering moto-racing dreams of 220 million bikers Castrol POWER1 Mindshare India Bronze
A. Use Of Media 08. Innovative Use of Branded Content - Creation MA-854 From Backstage to Spotlight: How L’Oréal Professionnel Turned Hairdressers Into Stars with IHA’s Reality TV Revolution Loreal Professional Wavemaker India Silver
A. Use Of Media 09. Innovative Use of Digital Search SEO MA-915 Connecting with India: How AskNestle Achieved 2X Growth with Vernacular Content and GenAI-Driven SEO Strategy AskNestle Publicis Media Gold
A. Use Of Media 09. Innovative Use of Digital Search SEO MA-917 From Launch to Leadership: 2X Organic Growth with 93% Engagement Rate for MyNestlé, Nestlé's D2C Platform MyNestle Publicis Media Silver
A. Use Of Media 09. Innovative Use of Digital Search SEO MA-914 Beyond Rankings: Building Relevance, Resonance & Results with SEO Home Centre HiveMinds Innovative Market Solution Silver
A. Use Of Media 10. Innovative Use of Paid Search MA-1032 Engineered for Intent: Crompton's Search Precision Crompton FCB Kinnect Gold
A. Use Of Media 10. Innovative Use of Paid Search MA-1006 Festive Leads Surge: Powered by Data and Automation Royal Enfield PHD India Silver
A. Use Of Media 10. Innovative Use of Paid Search MA-1012 Tayyari Jeet Ki : Rebuilding Trust, Keyword by Keyword Bournvita Wavemaker India Bronze
A. Use Of Media 11. Innovative Use of Social Media MA-11102 Slaying Social: Redefining Media Innovation with Call Me Bae Amazon Prime Video Initiative Media Gold
A. Use Of Media 11. Innovative Use of Social Media MA-1110 Destroy Valentine's Day: Cadbury 5Star's Uncle Takeover Cadbury 5star Wavemaker India Gold
A. Use Of Media 11. Innovative Use of Social Media MA-11143 Closeup Love Tunes Closeup  Mindshare India Bronze
A. Use Of Media 11. Innovative Use of Social Media MA-1126 Colgate's Oral Health Movement: Leveraging WhatsApp for Nationwide Dental Awareness and Access Colgate Palmolive India Wavemaker India Silver
A. Use Of Media 12. Innovative Use of Digital Display MA-1295 Dynamic, Data-Driven, Disruptive: New Saridon's Display Success Story  New Saridon - Bayer Consumer Health EssenceMediacom Bronze
A. Use Of Media 12. Innovative Use of Digital Display MA-12101 Indriya Jewellery : Dil Se Display Indriya Jewellery Mindshare India Gold
A. Use Of Media 12. Innovative Use of Digital Display MA-1278 Cricket ka tha junoon, Sprite ne diya sukoon – #ThandRakh! SPRITE EssenceMediacom Silver
A. Use Of Media 12. Innovative Use of Digital Display MA-12105 Baat Ghar Ki - UltraTech Logos Ke Saath UltraTech Mindshare India Silver
A. Use Of Media 13. Innovative Use of Mobile MA-1365 Your Favorite Dessert Recipes – ‘Bourbon-AI-zed’ Britannia Bourbon Mindshare India Gold
A. Use Of Media 13. Innovative Use of Mobile MA-1317 Creating Memories Never Clicked Cadbury Celebrations Wavemaker India Gold
A. Use Of Media 13. Innovative Use of Mobile MA-1366 Transforming 1.9 Billion UltraTech Logos into 1.9 billion home building experts  UltraTech Mindshare India Bronze
A. Use Of Media 13. Innovative Use of Mobile MA-1333 FEAR IN THEIR HANDS – A MOBILE HAUNTING MTV Wavemaker India Silver
A. Use Of Media 14. Innovative Use of Commerce MA-1447 Zepto's holiday happiness, courtesy of Google Pay! Google Pay EssenceMediacom Gold
A. Use Of Media 14. Innovative Use of Commerce MA-1443 Toofani Biryani Thums Up EssenceMediacom Silver
A. Use Of Media 14. Innovative Use of Commerce MA-1426 From One-Time Orders to Lifelong Subscribers Bisleri PivotRoots Bronze
A. Use Of Media 14. Innovative Use of Commerce MA-1427 Continental Coffee: Brewing Connections, Across Every Corner of India Continental Coffee  HiveMinds Innovative Market Solution Bronze
A. Use Of Media 15. Innovative Use of Gaming MA-1518 Knorr Korean Ramen - Dare to Slurp Hindustan Unilever Mindshare India Gold
A. Use Of Media 15. Innovative Use of Gaming MA-1520 Jal Jeevan Yatra: A Mahakumbh Story Jal Jeevan Mission Coral Media Silver
A. Use Of Media 15. Innovative Use of Gaming MA-1517 #PlayGalaxy Cup Galaxy S25 Ultra Cheil India Bronze
A. Use Of Media 16. Moment Marketing MA-1658 Turning Doctors'Day into a National Moment of Gratitude Sun Pharma Corporate Wavemaker India Silver
A. Use Of Media 16. Moment Marketing MA-1620 Destroy Valentine's Day: Cadbury 5Star's Uncle Takeover Cadbury 5star Wavemaker India Bronze
A. Use Of Media 17. Small Budget, Big Impact MA-1758 The Invisible hack  GATSBY BC Web Wise PVT LTD Bronze
A. Use Of Media 17. Small Budget, Big Impact MA-1708 Nerolac Dukaan It Yourself (DIY your shop) Kansai Nerolac Paints Limited (Nerolac Paints) Tribes Communication Pvt. Ltd Gold
A. Use Of Media 18. Sports Marketing MA-1808 Cadbury #ThankYouFirstCoach Cadbury Dairy Milk Wavemaker India Gold
A. Use Of Media 18. Sports Marketing MA-1834 Oreo History In The Baking Cadbury Oreo Wavemaker India Silver
A. Use Of Media 18. Sports Marketing MA-1828 Strapped for Victory: RuPay's Sports Move Rupay EssenceMediacom Bronze
A. Use Of Media 19. Micro Marketing MA-1907 Nerolac Dukaan It Yourself (DIY your shop) Kansai Nerolac Paints Limited (Nerolac Paints) Tribes Communication Pvt. Ltd Gold
A. Use Of Media 19. Micro Marketing MA-1987 UltraTech's Rural Revolution: Yashasvi Sarpanch UltraTech Cement Mindshare India Silver
A. Use Of Media 19. Micro Marketing MA-1983 Parvarish Ki Baat Pankaj Tripathi Ke Saath Britannia Industries Mindshare India Bronze
A. Use Of Media 20. Innovative use of integrated media MA-2075 Colgate's Integrated Strategy Creates a National Health Movement by Reaching Millions Colgate Palmolive India Wavemaker India Gold
A. Use Of Media 20. Innovative use of integrated media MA-20114 Center Fruit-"Kaisi Jeebh Laplapaayi"  Center Fruit Wavemaker India Silver
A. Use Of Media 20. Innovative use of integrated media MA-2025 Creating Memories Never Clicked with AI Cadbury Celebrations Wavemaker India Silver
B. Specialist Categories 21. Cause Marketing MA-2139 Empowering Ability of Specially Abled Adani Group DDB Mudra Max Bronze
B. Specialist Categories 21. Cause Marketing MA-2126 Saffola's #StepUpForYourHeart Challenge  with Ronit Roy on World Heart Day Saffola Madison Media Bronze
B. Specialist Categories 21. Cause Marketing MA-2135 India Gate : Grains of Hope India Gate Basmati Rice Wavemaker India Gold
B. Specialist Categories 22. Innovative Use of Data & Analytics MA-2245 The Science of Joy: How Amazon Used Data to Celebrate India's Diverse Festive Spirit Amazon India Initiative Media Gold
B. Specialist Categories 22. Innovative Use of Data & Analytics MA-2247 GrowthIQ – Delivering Game-changing Growth Angel One Mindshare India Silver
B. Specialist Categories 22. Innovative Use of Data & Analytics MA-2248 Angel One's F1RST Revolution  Angel One Mindshare India Bronze
B. Specialist Categories 22. Innovative Use of Data & Analytics MA-2209  Performance Forecaster - A cutting-edge tool for planning on television impact properties decoding viewership dynamics, delivering unerring precision, and maximizing ROI through data-driven strategies. Mahindra and Mahindra Lodestar UM Silver
B. Specialist Categories 23. Innovative Use of Emerging Technology MA-2346 WhatsApp Se Bhaukaal Tak: Mirzapur S3's AI-Led Journey of Fan Immersion Amazon Prime Video Initiative Media Gold
B. Specialist Categories 23. Innovative Use of Emerging Technology MA-2307 Buddhe Hoke Kya Banoge? Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Madison Media Bronze
B. Specialist Categories 23. Innovative Use of Emerging Technology MA-2337 Knorr Korean Ramen - Dare to Slurp Hindustan Unilever Mindshare India Silver
B. Specialist Categories 23. Innovative Use of Emerging Technology MA-2323 AI Meets Accessibility: Colgate's WhatsApp Campaign Transforms Oral Health in India Colgate Palmolive India Wavemaker India Gold
South Asia Category (Excluding India) Special Award 24. Innovative Use of Integrated Media (South Asia) MA-2406 Internet-er Duniya Shobar Grameenphone Mindshare Bangladesh Silver
South Asia Category (Excluding India) Special Award 24. Innovative Use of Integrated Media (South Asia) MA-2405 Bondhu Bojhe Amake Grameenphone Mindshare Bangladesh Gold

Source: MANIFEST MEDIA

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