Warc announces winner of inaugural Prize for Asian Strategy

The campaign, created by Creative Excellence (CE) Japan, was chosen from an entry list of almost 140.

I Lohas was launched in 2009, and is this month due to become the latest billion-dollar brand owned by Coca-Cola. The brand was built around crushable packaging, giving consumers the chance to do something simple to aid the environment.

In a category dominated by foreign imports, Warc found that I Lohas found a positioning that made its Japanese origins a strength rather than a weakness.

"The Coca-Cola ‘Crush eco’ entry stood out for the bigness of its thinking,” said Prize chairman Miles Young, worldwide CEO of Ogilvy & Mather. “Here we saw strategy deployed at the highest level, literally as a game changer, turning conventional thinking upside down.”

David Elsworth, vice-president, CE Japan said winning the Warc Prize was particularly gratifying, as it is a brand which leaves a legacy beyond its category. “It has built a massive market share through strong strategy [and] breakthrough creativity, but is also making a positive contribution to sustainability and environmental action.”

Elsworth added that he would donate the US$5,000 prize to a disaster relief charity following the earthquake that struck Japan in March.

In addition to the Prize winner, nine entries were named as Highly Commended. For more, see Warc.com/asiaprize.