By A Correspondent

In the good old days (or perhaps still) Reader’s Digest magazine would run the Pegasus Awards for the best ads published in the magazine. There have been various attempts made for similar awards including one that’s ongoing in The Times of India. But given that there are so many ads especially crafted for airing around the Indian Premier League (IPL), this one seemed a no-brainer.

Star India, the television and digital broadcast partners of the tournament, has been dreaming ways to raise the bar (and hence revenues) and as part of the process came the announcement of the Star Re.Imagine Awards.

On Monday, the network announced details of the awards, the jury and the process. So every creative broadcast on Star Sports and streamed on Hotstar during the Vivo IPL 2018 will automatically be eligible for the Star Re.Imagine Awards. A high powered jury including ad veteran Sir John Hegarty,  Piyush Pandey,  filmmaker Raju Hirani, marketing honcho Vibha Rishi, Unilever’s Rahul Welde and adman V Sunil will deliberate on the winners on May 26^th and select two campaigns that they believe have excelled in terms of creativity and leveraging the platform. “The awards will not only celebrate creativity but also recognize and appreciate teamwork,” a communique notes. Two winning teams of 24 members each will be hosted for a premier global sporting event. Partnering with Star India in this initiative are Åbhijit Avasthi’s Sideways, Rajesh Kejriwal’s Kyoorius and audit firm PWC.

Said Gayatri Yadav, Head Consumer Strategy & Innovation, Star India: “VIVO IPL 2018, is poised to be one of the biggest sporting events ever and is the most powerful platform to connect with consumers and build brands. Star Re.imagine Awards is a first-of-its-kind initiative that will celebrate and recognise creativity and the integrated use of media on this the largest stage of any campaign. We are very excited to bring together a bespoke independent jury of some of the most eminent names across marketing, media and storytelling to celebrate two campaigns aired during this VIVO IPL 2018 on Star Sports network & Hotstar which push the boundaries of creativity. Recognising that great campaigns are powered by great teamwork the award will celebrate members of the integrated team across marketing, creative and media, who will be hosted for a premier global sporting event.  We hope to make Star Re.imagine Awards the space where new legends will be born!”