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Ogilvy’s ‘Masterpiece of Abuse’ bags two Grand Prix and six Golds
Phoenix Ogilvy’s ‘The Masterpiece of Abuse’ campaign clinched two out of the three Grand Prix awards and six Gold Awards at the recently held Four A’s Advertising Awards 2024,
The campaign, created for the Women in Need Organisation, triumphed in multiple categories, addressing a crucial social issue that is relevant to the 11 million women in the country.
The ‘Masterpiece of Abuse’ took a provocative approach on International Women’s Day, deviating from the conventional celebratory and empowerment-focused messaging that’s limited to one day. It introduced a character named Ewa – The Masterpiece of Abuse, a statue constructed from hundreds of newspaper stories that highlighted various forms of abuse faced by women during the 365 days leading up to Women’s Day.
Ewa was displayed in highly public locations, reflecting the hypocrisy of ‘empowering’ women for just one single day in media while ignoring the ongoing acts of abuse they endure during the rest of the year. The campaign sparked genuine social debate, capturing the attention of major news outlets, alternative media, influencers, and social channels.
Kasun Wadumestri of Phoenix Ogilvy, sharing insights behind the award-winning campaign said “every year on Women’s Day, advertising agencies receive numerous briefs to create campaigns highlighting women’s empowerment or appreciation. However, we noticed a paradox. These advertisements often appeared in newspapers alongside news articles that highlighted various abuses faced by women. This contradiction became the foundational thought for the campaign. Our objective was to expose this social hypocrisy by using the very stories of abuse as raw material to create Ewa.”
Wadumestri noted Ewa was created to be a thought-provoking statue as traditionally in the country statues are symbols that command recognition. But, in this case, Ewa served as an idol of society’s own complicity in perpetuating abuse against women.
The collaborative efforts by multiple disciplines under the Phoenix Ogilvy Group won two Grand Prix Awards in the categories of Static and PR. Further, the agency won six Gold awards in the categories of Static Single, Static Special, Static Craft, PR Products and Services, OOT Not-for-profit and OOT Best use of Ambient at the Four A’s Advertising Awards held on the 31st of May 2024 in Colombo.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
