Business & Money | Monday 18 May, 2015 12:19 am |

IKON Advertising, Dubai, was among the top 12 companies from around the world to be honoured with an award at the inaugural Internationalist ‘Marketing Makes a World Of Difference’ for its innovative and impactful ‘Global Balance Programme’ created on behalf of its client VLCC. The Awards ceremony was held on May 11th at the Thomson Reuters Building overlooking New York’s Time Square. IKON is a full-service agency specialized in developing creative communication strategies for both local and International brands since 1992.

‘Marketing Makes a World of difference’ is an initiative by ‘The Internationalist’ and ‘The Association of National Advertisers (ANA)’, which celebrates innovative ideas that go beyond reaching consumers to truly deliver on a cause. The 12 marketers recognized by the Internationalist and the ANA had demonstrated a proven ability to make a difference in the world through their efforts, while transforming both brands and the future of the marketing discipline.

This is the second important international recognition for the same campaign from IKON. The World Economic Forum (WEF) with the support from the Ad Council, had selected the VLCC Global Balance Programme as one of the best CSR Campaigns under the launch of their 'Creative for Good' initiative as part of the Cannes 2013 panel.
Commenting on the win, IKON CEO Mahesh Sunderasan says, "In the new stratosphere of business, Corporate Social Responsibility has a far greater role than ever before. That’s why, it is imperative for agencies and clients to ideate, develop and implement social strategies that deliver greater results for the community while achieving the business ROI and aid in making the world a better place. The ‘Global Balance Programme’ which was created for VLCC together with UN’s World Food Programme addresses the prevalent issue of obesity and malnourishment through one platform."

Today, there are more obese people in the world than hungry, which has created a huge global imbalance. VLCC’s Global Balance Programme was created with this insight to address the social evil and support the fight against malnutrition related to hunger or obesity. For every kilogram of fat a customer lost at a VLCC Center in the United Arab Emirates, VLCC would make a donation of AED 3 to the WFP. This AED 3 was equivalent to the value of 1 kilogram of fortified flour which would then be disbursed by WFP to help fight child malnutrition in the Middle East — across Yemen, Libya, Syria and other such countries. Thereby successfully transferring the fat from obese to hungry people.

VLCC is a 26 year old renowned wellness brand operating across South Asia, Middle East and Africa. Prafull Dwivedi, CEO, VLCC Middle East congratulated IKON Advertising and said “We are indeed proud that our Agency has won this accolade. As a brand, VLCC is a humankind brand and we have always supported social initiatives. The Global Balance Programme is a unique initiative which not only delivered on the social objective but also helped us in getting more conversions and delivered on our business objectives”.