MUMBAI: Zee Group’s MyPopkorn.com has launched its creative awards for the digital media.
MyPopkorn Creative Awards are aimed to provide a platform to creative people who have the ideas but lack a platform to showcase them. These awards will not only showcase but also judge and reward the best entries.
The entries for this contest will be evaluated by a jury comprising theater and media personality Bharat Dabholkar, Mudra Group COO Bobby Pawar, Zee Entertainment Enterprises CEO Punit Goenka and producer director Vikram Bhatt.
Goenka said, "This concept has been developed keeping in mind Zeev tradition that is about creating fresh ideas and bringing new talent to be recognized.Like we have done earlier through various programmes of ours like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa or Dance India Dance to name a few. The awards are in three categories : the television category, the winner of the same will be aired on all Zee Networks, the print will be published in DNA and the radio jingle for which the partner is BIG 92.7 FM."
Jha said, "It’s a unique concept. It’s the first time in history that you are given an idea just for your idea. This will go a long way in nurturing the creative talents in our country."
Pawar added, "Any effort that makes people think out of the box and especially when one does not have the pressure of a deadline, pressure of a client or the pressure of living up your less talented bosses standards, people can come up with some remarkable ideas but whether or not it is practical remains to be seen. Hopefully I will be able to hire a lot of fabulous guys."
Dabolkar, the man behind the famous Amul ads, said, "I have been fortunate to have a client who never checked what I was doing. Whatever Amul was and will be is all because of Dr. Kurien who let me do what ever I wanted to do. I feel that a creative mind works much better and with much more responsibility if it’s given that free hand. When I go to the colleges to judge contests I feel that the youngsters there have such fantastic ideas that maybe even the advertising guys can never think of."
On a lighter note he said, "I think after the age of 25 we should not be in advertising! But having said that, I would like to caution that when we are given a free hand we also tend to do something way above what we are supposed to be doing. Advertising is not fine art, it’s commercial art, it’s there to sell your product and not just to show your creativity. We are here to give the contestants a free hand where at the same time we will be channelizing them into writing creative stuff that sells."
To enter the contest, participants can upload multiple entries across three categories: TVC, print ad and audio spot. The contest period is from 9 March – 5 May, 2009. The winner of the contest in the television category will receive Rs 100,000 and the winning advertisement will be aired on the Zee channels. The winning print ads will be published in the DNA and the radio jingle on BIG 92.7 FM. The winners will be felicitated at the Awards Night around the second week of May.
