Bates’ Effies wins for Hemas reflects long-term brand building

Once again at the recently concluded Effies, Bates Strategic Alliance won two Effies for their long-standing client, Hemas. The wins were a silver for Dandex anti-dandruff shampoo and a bronze for Diva detergent. Both brands compete fiercely with multinational ones that flank these vital personal care and household supplies categories, and Bates has often opted for challenger brands with which they can prove their prowess in strategy and creativity in the marketplace and at awards.

Hemas’ Marketing Director Rakesh Khosla reflected on the partnership and Bates’ IMC strengths with a congratulatory note stating: “Hearty congratulations to you and the brand teams for your collective success. We look forward to working a lot more with Bates on integrated marketing communications programs on our brands, and even greater success.”

Dandex’s and Diva’s brand guardians Derrick Anthony, Bimal Silva and Fiona Munasinghe echoed the sentiments with messages that said, “Winning a silver for Dandex was a great honour and winning an Effie for Diva is the icing on the cake, having won two golds at the Brand Excellence Awards few years back.

Speaking at the awards, Bates Chairman and CEO Nimal Gunewardena acknowledged two of the agency’s strong principles of committed partnerships and focused selectivity. “We are happy to win this for a client who has been with us from our year of inception, and that’s coming to nearly 20 years. We entered two for the Effies this year and have won both.”

Bates Strategic Alliance prides itself in its pioneering integrated marketing communications capability delivered through its internationally affiliated advertising, public relations, media and digital business units, and has applied these strengths to building many successful local and multinational brands and to driving several pro bono causes and campaigns.