Cultural / Context information for the jury

The Times of India is India's leading English newspaper and is over 180 years old. Its campaign 'Trust of India' was to remind readers and introduce potential readers to the rich journalistic legacy of this brand. A legacy of credibility, balance and fearlessness. In times of fake news, partisan reporting and generally sensational tone of media, this legacy is even more relevant today. The key creative device used in the campaign is the iconic ‘Common Man’- the protagonist character that was created by India’s most celebrated satirical cartoonist- R.K. Laxman. The daily cartoon, which was a commentary of the times, appeared in the newspaper for six decades. The Common Man character represented the common man who observed the politics and social mores of a chaotically growing India. Though the cartoon was discontinued in 2010, it has a special place in the hearts of millions of Indians.

Tell the jury about the art direction.

The objective of the campaign was to showcase The Times Of India’s journalistic excellence over the years. But we wanted to do this in a way that would not seem boastful. Including a Common Man cartoon in the art provided the right balance between information and charm. A new Common Man cartoon was created for each story. The fine detailing in the art direction faithfully reflected the essence and the humour of the original R K Laxman cartoons, while telling new stories about more contemporary issues. For digital posts where we used animation, the movement was kept to a minimum to stay true to the ‘static’ feel of the original strip and the animation always culminated in a still frame. The art direction brought a beloved classic back to life and leveraged people’s familiarity with the original, letting them enjoy their favourite cartoon character all over again.