‘Creative courage’: Top prize for DM9’s money-saving ads

DM9, Sao Paulo, has won the Creative Data Grand Prix for a game-changing campaign on behalf of Consul Appliances, entitled ‘Efficient Way To Pay’. The campaign is built around the insight that low-income families in Brazil often own old energy-inefficient appliances because they can’t afford to replace them.

The problem, however, is that this means they are paying higher energy bills. DM9 and Consul came up with an ingenious solution. Consul allowed low-income families to purchase appliances with no upfront payments. They then paid for them in interest-free instalments — with the savings they made on their energy bills. The net result was that they secured new appliances without any additional outlay.

Jury President Tina Allan

Jury President Tina Allan, global chief data and intelligence officer, FCB, Global said: “We loved it. It solved a problem that others hadn’t yet recognised. Its impact was undeniable. It came from something overlooked and underleveraged but took courage. It’s the kind of work you take back to the CEO and chief finance officer.”

Explaining what the Jury was look- ing for, she said: “We wanted work that solved a problem in a truly in- novative way, that pushed bound- aries and delivered fresh, inspiring solutions. Transformation wasn’t a bonus, it was an expectation.” Allan said that around 60-70% of entries involved AI but that the ones which won Lions were the ones where AI genuinely added something to the campaign.

True to the purpose of the category, she said: “We were looking for ideas where data was not just an accessory or proof point but the engine powering the entire story.”

The Jury also awarded two Gold Lions to Portugal and India.