Fundamental Mumbai’s ‘WhatsApp Baatan Hi Baatan Mein’ and Dentsu Creative Gurugram’s ‘Garuda Rakshak’ takes home two more Grande Lotus for India at ADFEST 2026 Lotus Awards

The culmination of the final day at ADFEST 2026 on Saturday, 21st March saw the second of two presentations of Lotus Awards to the elected winners in 9 categories, Outdoor, Press, Radio & Audio, Film, Creative Strategy, Effective, Sustainable, INNOVA Lotus and Lotus Roots.

In addition, the Young Lotus, Grande for Humanity and Special Awards were also announced to a packed hall. The awards were presented at PEACH, Royal Cliff Hotels Group in Pattaya, Thailand.

A total of 1,405 entries were received for the Lotus Awards and 56 jury members from 17 cities were organized into 7 groups, chaired by Yasuharu Sasaki, Global Chief Creative Officer for dentsu, Tokyo to decide the winners of the ADFEST 2026 Lotus Awards.

Yasuharu Sasaki, Global Chief Creative Officer for dentsu Tokyo was Grand Jury President for Creative Strategy, Effective, INNOVA Lotus, Sustainable Lotus and Lotus Roots Awards.

“Looking at the cases and the people gathered here for ADFEST 2026, what I felt again this year is that the event is a truly unique place where creativity is explored and nurtured through the lens of the APAC region’s perspectives and values. It is not a copy of other awards but rather, it is a place where you can see creativity that is unique to APAC yet applicable worldwide. I believe it is also a place that cultivates the talent needed to make that happen.”

“The top winning work at ADFEST truly embodies the concept of “Human+.” They are cases of how technology and crafts can be leveraged to enhance human capabilities, energize people to move, and solve difficult challenges together with power of humans”, he said.

Outdoor, Press, Radio & Audio, Film

Ajay Vikram, Chief Creative Officer for Publicis Groupe Southeast Asia was Jury President for Film, Outdoor, Press and Radio & Audio. 

He summarized the judging experience by saying: “The most exciting aspect of the creative work we judged across our categories was its sheer richness and diversity. It was truly like watching a tapestry emerge from the many colourful cultural threads that represent our region, from Australia/New Zealand to the Southeast Asian countries, from Japan, China, Korea, India and even Kazakhstan. It was not just a superficial tour [of the region] but one charged with the depth of true behavioural and cultural insights, which is what local advertising at its best reflects. A little capsule of culture at a specific moment of each country’s journey.”

“Could I also say here that the jury we had in the room for these categories were as rich and diverse as the region itself, and I want to thank ADFEST for putting it together in a way that every possible perspective was heard in the room.”

Outdoor Lotus

For the Outdoor Lotus category, 85 pieces of work were entered, with the Jury awarding 5 Bronze, 4 Silver and 2 Gold for great work. The Grande was won by Publicis Groupe Hong Kong for Cathay “Back to Kai Tak”.

The Gold awards were presented to:

• GForceGrey, Almaty for Citix “Saltanat Light” and
• VML Group Thailand, Bangkok for Netflix “Dalah’s Spoiler Billboard”

“Our Outdoor category led to some interesting and insightful discussions, and the big winners here represent a range from clever ideas to raw emotional power to sheer scale and impact. Our Grande winner represents the perfect blend of cultural and emotional impact, size and scale and the sheer difficulty of execution, all coming together in a spectacularly visual outdoor display,” Ajay said.

Here it is:

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Outdoor Lotus

Finalist

• Bangkok Jumps for Netflix by Jongluckdee, Bangkok (Ambient: Special Build)
• Extra Finger Lickin’ Good for KFC by Havas Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur (Traditional Billboard)
• Oreo Milky Way Dunk for Oreo by Leo Indonesia, Jakarta (Events, Guerrilla Marketing & Stunts)
• Wednesday Canal of Tears for Netflix by Gigil, Manila (Ambient: Special Build)
• What the Fruit for Smirnoff by Youngster BKK, Bangkok (Ambient: Small Scale)

Bronze

• Extra Finger Lickin’ Good for KFC by Havas Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur (Traditional Poster)
• Gamifries for McDonald’s by Leo Manila, Manila (Ambient: Small Scale)
• Middle Boss Hero for Craft Boss by TYO Inc., Tokyo (Integrated Outdoor Campaign)
• Sumo Stops for PlayStation 5 by Atali, Inc., Tokyo (Breakthrough in Outdoor)
• Young-Hee Freezes Bangkok for Netflix by Jongluckdee, Bangkok (Ambient: Exhibition & Installation)

Silver

• Sleeping with Giant for Nell by Dentsu Inc., Tokyo (Events, Guerrilla Marketing & Stunts)
• Sumo Stops for PlayStation 5 by Atali, Inc., Tokyo (Transit)
• The Air Pollution Jersey for Lamphun Warriors F.C. and Northern Thailand Breathe Council by Flash Bomber, Bangkok (Events, Guerrilla Marketing & Stunts)
• The Sync Ad for Tokucha by Hakuhodo Inc., Tokyo (Breakthrough in Outdoor)

Gold

• Dalah’s Spoiler Billboard for Netflix by VML Group Thailand, Bangkok (Breakthrough in Outdoor)
• Saltanat Light for Citix by Gforce Grey, Almaty (Ambient: Special Build)

Grande

• Back to Kai Tak for Cathay by Publicis Groupe Hong Kong, Hong Kong (Events, Guerrilla Marketing & Stunts)

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Press Lotus

There were 8 entries recorded for the Press Lotus awards, but no awards were given in this category.

Ajay said that they “did feel a little disappointment at the very few entries in the category that reflects the number of awards we were able to give out. This seems to be a critical moment in the evolution of print as a medium. In the Press category, we felt there were a couple of interesting applications of print, but they didn’t go far enough to showcase the potential of this medium.”

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Radio & Audio

This year, there were 27 entries for the Radio & Audio Lotus Awards. The jury gave out 2 Bronze and 3 Silver awards.

“Radio & Audio had some interesting pieces but again, we felt that what we heard was not as substantial [or representative of the category] as it could be. The industry might collectively think of Audio beyond radio commercials and consider podcasts, music and other audio elements to enter to future shows,” Ajay said. “In Radio & Audio as a jury we felt that we had stumbled across a couple of gems in an otherwise bare landscape. The winning entries truly represented audio as an impactful medium to help people improve their lives. They serve as an inspiration to the rest of us to consider how hearing is such a critical part of all the senses that make us human. We should ask ourselves if we are truly using the medium to the best of its creative potential.”

Finalists

• Knock Turn for Yamaha by Dentsu East Japan, Tokyo (Use of Music)
• The Yangzhou Qiao Bei Musical Suite for Yangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, TV and Tourism, China by TBWA\China, Shanghai (Use of Music)

Bronze

• Hearing 1945 for Korea’s Liberation Day by Innocean, Seoul (Use of Audio or Voice Technology)
• Praykinson for Vajira Hospital by Dentsu Creative Thailand, Bangkok (Breakthrough in Radio & Audio)

Silver

• Praykinson for Vajira Hospital by Dentsu Creative Thailand, Bangkok (Use of Audio or Voice Technology)
• Voice of Food for Ajinomoto Co., Inc. by Dentsu Inc., Tokyo (Breakthrough in Radio & Audio)
• Voice of Food for Ajinomoto Co., Inc. by Dentsu Inc., Tokyo (Use of Audio or Voice Technology)

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Film Lotus

Film Lotus was had one the largest number of entries at ADFEST 2026 with a total of 115 entries. The jury awarded 8 Bronze, 3 Silver, 1 Gold and 1 Grande awards.

The Grande was picked up by Choojai and Friends, Bangkok for Snack Jack Ring “Mother Strike”.

The Gold award was presented to Leo Thailand, Bangkok for Krung Sri First Choice ,”Patient”.

Ajay identified Film as one of the strongest categories his jury judged.

”Our top Film awards represent an incredible variety of storytelling styles and cultural depth, with varying levels of problem solving for clients while entertaining and engaging consumers,” he added. “Our choice of Grande was driven by what we saw as the perfect combination of universal human insight rooted in culture, but put together in a visually unexpected, arresting and impactful way that keeps you watching…and then lands beautifully with a clear and strong message. In a business category where there is so much noise and clutter, and the briefs are not always that unique, we felt this work found a way to rise above the rest.”

Finalist

• Death of a Salesman for Five Star Chicken by BBDO Bangkok, Bangkok (Viral Film)
• No Labels for Nikka Whisky by Dentsu Inc., Tokyo (Online Film: Food & Beverages)
• Patient for Krung Sri First Choice by Leo Thailand, Bangkok (Viral Film)
• Possessed for Lifebuoy by Mullenlowe Singapore, Singapore (Online Film: Consumer Goods)
• Reza Rahadian Presents: Films Without Reza Rahadian for Netflix ID Blockbuster by Good People Network, Jakarta (Online Film: Media & Entertainment)
• Safetynovela for Philippine Airlines by BBDO Guerrero, Manila (Online Film: Travel & Leisure)
• Soil for Chupps Footwear by Into Creative, Mumbai (Broadcast: Consumer Goods)
• Steadfast – Dirty Money for Steadfast Stationery by Ducktape Studios, Mumbai (Broadcast: Finance, Business & Commercial Public Services)

Bronze

• Amuk Emak for WE+ by Hybrid Hakuhodo, Jakarta (Broadcast: Finance, Business & Commercial Public Services)
• Amuk Emak for WE+ by Hybrid Hakuhodo, Jakarta (Online Film: Finance & Real Estate)
• Chicky for GrabMart by Gigil, Manila (Web Series)
• Dare to Step for Gambol by YDM (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Bangkok (Web Series)
• Desi Oon for Centre for Pastoralism by Studio Eeksaurus Productions Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai (Online Film: Public Services & Cause Appeals)
• It’s Dettol Time for Dettol by Sour Bangkok, Bangkok (Online Film: Consumer Goods)
• Own It First for Central Department Store by Wolf BKK, Bangkok (Online Film: Retail)
• The Scent That Gives You the Scene for Mith Bangkok by Wolf BKK, Bangkok (Online Film: Consumer Goods)

Silver

• Death of a Salesman for Five Star Chicken by BBDO Bangkok, Bangkok (Online Film: Retail)
• The Scent That Gives You the Scene for Mith Bangkok by Wolf BKK, Bangkok (Viral Film)
• WhatsApp – Baatan Hi Baatan Mein (Love in a Few Words) for WhatsApp by Fundamental, Mumbai (Online Film: Media & Entertainment)

Gold

• Patient for Krung Sri First Choice by Leo Thailand, Bangkok (Online Film: Finance & Real Estate)

Grande

• Mother Strike for Snack Jack Ring by Choojai and Friends, Bangkok (Viral Film)

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Creative Strategy, Effective, Sustainable

Yasuharu Sasaki, Global Chief Creative Officer for dentsu, Tokyo was Grand Jury President for Creative Strategy, Effective and Sustainable Lotus awards.

He summed up his experience at ADFEST 2026: “I felt that this year’s entries were notable for their creativity that went beyond the boundaries of advertising campaigns. I found it very encouraging to see so many cases demonstrating that creativity is a major driving force for solving challenges across a wide range of fields.”

Creative Strategy Lotus

For the Creative Strategy Lotus category, 77 pieces of work were entered, with the Jury awarding 7 Bronze, 6 Silver and 2 Gold. There was no Grande awarded for Creative Strategy this year.

As Grand Jury President for Creative Strategy, Yasuharu spoke for the jury in this category when he said, “It was unfortunate that Creative Strategy didn’t have Grande this year.”

“This is one of the challenges we face moving forward, but I feel that while many of the submitted entries demonstrate excellent execution, they often lack sufficient explanation of the underlying strategy and the outcomes achieved. I hope that this issue can be resolved by having creatives and strategists work more closely together and submit entries as a team,” Yasu said.

Finalist

• Fans Fries Meal for McDonald’s Malaysia by Leo Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur (Audience Insight)
• Lexus Gentlemen’s Club for Lexus by Medialand Digital Strategy Limited, Taipei (Automotive)

Bronze

• Dalah’s Spoiler Billboard for Netflix by VML Group Thailand, Bangkok (Gutsy Strategy)
• Honda Rest Area for Honda Oneheart by Tu7uh Creative Lab, Jakarta (Corporate Image & Corporate Social Responsibility)
• Khao Mun Gai Association for KFC Thailand by Wolf BKK, Bangkok (Collaboration & Partnership)
• Ride the Buldak High for Buldak by Innocean, Seoul (Consumer Goods)
• Ride the Buldak High for Buldak by Innocean, Seoul (Gutsy Strategy)
• Second Life Kura for The Bath & Bed Team by Dentsu Inc., Tokyo (Long-Term Strategy)
• The Coolest Ihram for Saudia by Landor, Dubai (Contextual Insight)

Silver

• Come Back Home for Daangn by Innocean, Seoul (Corporate Image & Corporate Social Responsibility)
• G-Rock Festival (Gmarket Rock Festival) for Gmarket by Chai Communication, Seoul (Contextual Insight)
• Haven for Suncorp Insurance by Leo Australia, Sydney (Use of Data)
• The Acquitted Ramen Returns for Samyang Foods by Innored, Seoul (Gutsy Strategy)
• Unfreeze My Rights for Women Empowerment Office, CWO x Awakening Foundation by Dentsu Creative Taiwan, Taipei (Long-Term Strategy)
• Vaseline Verified for Vaseline by Ogilvy Singapore, Singapore (Breakthrough in Creative Strategy)

Gold

• Acronym Hack for McDonald’s by Publicis Groupe Hong Kong, Hong Kong (Gutsy Strategy)
• Save Me for FamilyMart by The Breakthrough Company GO, Tokyo (Contextual Insight)

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Effective Lotus

For the Effective Lotus category, 36 pieces of work were entered, with the Jury awarding 3 Bronze, 1 Silver, 1 Gold and 1 Grande. The Grande award was presented to Impact BBDO, Dubai for Annahar “Active Journalism”

The Gold award was presented to Dentsu Creative Inc., Gurugram for DSP Mutual Fund “Garuda Rakshak”

Yasu elaborated, “Regarding Effective Lotus, we didn’t just look at numbers like impressions and sales figures; we discussed the true impact and made our selection based on that. I believe the Grande winner is a prime case in point for several years of different, effective and creative initiatives to make people look into their country, politics and journalism.”

Finalist

• The Kita Initiative for Spark! Philippines by Havas Ortega, Manila (Public Services & Cause Appeals)

Bronze

• Come Back Home for Daangn by Innocean, Seoul (Campaign Success)
• Honda Rest Area for Honda Oneheart by Tu7uh Creative Lab, Jakarta (Corporate Image & Corporate Social Responsibility)
• Kween Yasmin for Canva Pro by Gigil, Manila (Launch/Re-launch)

Silver

• Come Back Home for Daangn by Innocean, Seoul (Corporate Image & Corporate Social Responsibility)

Gold

• Garuda Rakshak for DSP Mutual Fund by Dentsu Creative Inc., Gurugram (Corporate Image & Corporate Social Responsibility)

Grande

• Active Journalism for Annahar by Impact BBDO, Dubai (Long-Term Creativity)

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Sustainabile Lotus

Sustainable Lotus recorded a total of 44 entries this year. Out of these, the jury awarded 3 Bronze, 1 Silver, 2 Gold metal awards and 1 Grande award. The Grande award was presented to VML Group Thailand, Bangkok for TRA Mongkut Fertilizer “Soil Stay”

The Gold awards were presented to:

• Dentsu Inc., Tokyo for Metagen Therapeutics, Inc. “The Stool Donation Platform “Cho-Musubi”” and
• Leo Australia, Sydney for SUNCORP Insurance “Haven”

Yasuharu said: “Sustainable Lotus showcased a wide range of creative approaches to tackle the various challenges in the APAC region. APAC is the center of hidden challenges to solve with our creativity. While there were several outstanding cases, we selected the Grande winner as it helps encourage people to take action and collect data in an enjoyable way.”

Finalist

• The Life-Saving Receipt for Chorogusan for Children by Dminusone, Seoul (Health & Well-Being)

Bronze

• Saltanat Light for Citix by Gforce Grey, Almaty (Gender Equality)
• Second Life Kura for The Bath & Bed Team by Dentsu Inc., Tokyo (Long-Term Brand Platform)
• Smart Eye Camera for OUI Inc. by TBWA\Hakuhodo Inc., Tokyo (Health & Well-Being)

Silver

• Tilechalk for DBL Ceramics Limited by Pops Inc., Dhaka (Partnerships for the Goals)

Gold

• Haven for Suncorp Insurance by Leo Australia, Sydney (Energy, Sanitation & Sustainable Communities)
• The Stool Donation Platform “Cho-Musubi” for Metagen Therapeutics, Inc. by Dentsu Inc., Tokyo (Health & Well-Being)

Grande

• Soil Stay for Tra Mongkut Fertilizer by VML Group Thailand, Bangkok (Education)

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INNOVA, Lotus Roots

Yasuharu Sasaki, Global Chief Creative Officer for dentsu, Tokyo was Grand Jury President for INNOVA Lotus and Lotus Roots. The jury comprised of all the Jury Presidents at ADFEST, including:

• Jury President of Brand Experience Lotus, Commerce Lotus and Direct Lotus: Jim Ingram, Co-Founder & Group Chief Creative, Thinkerbell, Australia
• Jury President of Design Lotus and Print & Outdoor Craft Lotus: Geet Rathi, Founder & Creative Director, Openfield, Mumbai
• Jury President of Digital & Social Lotus and Digital Craft Lotus: Theresa Ong, Head of Creative Shop, SEA & India, Meta, Singapore
• Jury President of Entertainment Lotus, Media Lotus and PR Lotus: Julie Jihyun Kang, CEO, Serviceplan Korea and Founder & CEO, Flux Al Asia, Seoul
• Jury President of Film Craft Lotus and New Director Lotus: Michael Ahmadzadeh, Partner & Executive Producer, electriclimeº, APAC & MENA
• Jury President of Film Lotus, Outdoor Lotus, Press Lotus and Radio & Audio Lotus: Ajay Vikram, Chief Creative Officer Publicis Groupe, SEA

This jury also selected the winning work for Lotus Grande for Humanity.

INNOVA

There were 30 entries for INNOVA Lotus, which recognizes world-class concepts that have made a dramatic impact on the marketplace. 

Dentsu Creative Inc., Gurugram picked up both the INNOVA Grande and a separate INNOVA award for its work for DSP Mutual Fund “Garuda Rakshak”

Yasu said: “All of the INNOVA Lotus presentations were outstanding. The kind of innovation ADFEST seeks isn’t merely the proposal of new technology, but rather the creation of new value through creativity that makes you think, “I never thought of that!” We discussed a lot of different entries but ultimately chose the cases that were the most thoughtfully designed.”

Finalist

• Sakura Scan for Hare-Kaze by Hakuhodo Inc., Tokyo (Innovation in Local Culture Application)
• Smart Eye Camera for OUI Inc. by TBWA\Hakuhodo Inc., Tokyo (Sustainable Innovation)

Innova

• Garuda Rakshak for DSP Mutual Fund by Dentsu Creative Inc., Gurugram (Innovation in Technology)

Grande

• Garuda Rakshak for DSP Mutual Fund by Dentsu Creative Inc., Gurugram (Innovation in Local Culture Application)

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Lotus Roots

The Grand Jury President and group of Jury Presidents also presided over the Lotus Roots award, which recognizes creative work that preserves and celebrates the rich heritage and value of each local culture.

There were 89 entries for the Lotus Roots category, an increase of 13% on last year’s entries. 5 Lotus Roots awards and a Grande Lotus Roots were awarded.

The Grande Lotus Roots award was presented to Fundamental, Mumbai for WhatsApp “WhatsApp Baatan Hi Baatan Mein (Love in a Few Words)

The 5 Lotus Roots awards were given out to:

• Garuda Rakshak for DSP Mutual Fund by Dentsu Creative Inc., Gurugram (Brand Experience Lotus)
• Hearing 1945 for Korea’s Liberation Day by Innocean, Seoul (Brand Experience Lotus)
• Sakura Scan for Hare-Kaze by Hakuhodo Inc., Tokyo (Direct Lotus)
• The Great In-Game Wedding for Battlegrounds Mobile India by DDB Mudra Group, Mumbai (PR Lotus)
• Traces of Trance for Shiseido by Shiseido Creative, Tokyo (Print & Outdoor Craft Lotus)

“The Lotus Roots category is not just about being local; it’s about uncovering valuable insights rooted in each local culture and developing creative solutions that resonate globally,” Yasu explained. “The Grande winner had every aspect deeply rooted in the local culture; from the local context and the daily lives of the people to the casting, storytelling, length and production quality.”

adobo Magazine is an official media partner of ADFEST 2026.

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