ONE Asia Creative Awards
ONE Asia Creative Awards celebrates the best creative work of the year from the Asia Pacific region. Formerly known as the One Show Greater China Awards, which was founded in 2014 by The One Club for Creativity, the awards were established because of the tremendous growth and evolution of creativity in the Asia Pacific market. It presents an unparalleled level of prestige and honor for creatives, designers and innovators in the region. The awards are a fusion of culture where East meets West that brings the creativity of the region to the global stage.
Category
Brand Installations
Annual ID
OA25_EXI002S
Background
Taj Mahal Tea has been associated with Indian classical music for 4 decades. Grammy-winning tabla maestro Late. Ustad Zakir Hussian and many contemporary artists have performed for the brand. Additionally, Vijayawada, India is a marquee market for the brand. People here are ardent tea drinkers and passionate about consuming Taj Mahal Tea. The brand wanted to engage with the people of Vijayawada and at the same time make them experience its legacy in a modern, engaging and unique manner.
Presenting, Chai Bansuri – The Tea Flute. A 500 litre tea kettle that played flute by brewing tea. Every time it brewed tea, the rising steam would pass through the concealed flute and trigger the mechanized fingers to release the steam in a synchronized manner and perform Raag Hamsadhwani (classical Indian raga). The location further accentuated the whole experience. It was installed in public park on the picturesque banks of River Krishna. Surrounded by lush greenery, it is a popular hangout for families and youngsters, who come down in the evening for a stroll or to just sit and relax while enjoying the cool breeze.
Chai Bansuri mesmerized the audience. The tea bubbling inside the transparent kettle, the sight of steam escaping in a rhythmic pattern from the concealed flute, the melodious sound of the Raag being played next to a flowing river. All of it culminated together to give consumers an unforgettable and classical Taj Mahal Tea experience.
Presenting, Chai Bansuri – The Tea Flute. A 500 litre tea kettle that played flute by brewing tea. Every time it brewed tea, the rising steam would pass through the concealed flute and trigger the mechanized fingers to release the steam in a synchronized manner and perform Raag Hamsadhwani (classical Indian raga). The location further accentuated the whole experience. It was installed in public park on the picturesque banks of River Krishna. Surrounded by lush greenery, it is a popular hangout for families and youngsters, who come down in the evening for a stroll or to just sit and relax while enjoying the cool breeze.
Chai Bansuri mesmerized the audience. The tea bubbling inside the transparent kettle, the sight of steam escaping in a rhythmic pattern from the concealed flute, the melodious sound of the Raag being played next to a flowing river. All of it culminated together to give consumers an unforgettable and classical Taj Mahal Tea experience.
Creative Idea
Taj Mahal Tea has been associated with Indian classical music for decades. So, to bring this association alive, we got tea – for the first time ever – to play the flute. The Chai Bansuri – The Tea Flute was a 500-litre tea kettle that played the flute by brewing tea. As the tea simmered, steam rose and flowed through a concealed flute, while mechanized fingers moved in sync to perform the notes of Raag Hamsadhwani. Known for its uplifting and calming feel, the raga filled the air along the banks of the River Krishna, in a lush green public park. People out on their evening strolls were caught by surprise, as an ordinary walk turned into a magical, unforgettable memory.
(*Raga - An Indian classical melodic framework that evokes specific emotions, such as joy, peace or longing.)
(*Raga - An Indian classical melodic framework that evokes specific emotions, such as joy, peace or longing.)
Insights & Strategy
Taj Mahal Tea has been associated with Indian classical music for the last forty years. Grammy-winning artists like the Late Ustad Zakir Hussain and many contemporary artists have collaborated with the brand. Vijayawada—a coastal city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India—is a critical market for the brand. People here are have long been passionate drinkers of Taj Mahal Tea, but to maintain its stronghold on the region, we needed to engage with people beyond just selling them tea. By designing a larger-than-life tea kettle that played flute using steam — the Chai Bansuri created a captivating spectacle that genuinely addressed the need for deeper emotional connection and brand recall. Positioned at the scenic Krishna riverbank, the installation not only engaged the audience but also reinforced Taj Mahal Tea’s connection to Indian classical music.
Execution
Chai Bansuri was brought to life with great attention to detail. A 500-litre tea kettle was specially designed to play the flute by brewing tea. As the tea brewed, steam rose and activated a concealed flute, while mechanized fingers moved in sync to perform Raag Hamsadhwani. A specially engineered superheater complemented the steam produced by brewing tea and made sure there was a steady flow of steam at the right pressure, so the notes played seamlessly. The installation was set up at a public park along the banks of River Krishna — a popular hangout for families and youngsters, making it the perfect spot to create an unforgettable experience. We faced challenges, from controlling steam condensation inside the flute to fine-tuning the fingers for the perfect notes, but over 8 months every little detail was taken care of, to make sure the experience felt effortless and full of magic.
Results
Chai Bansuri – The Tea Flute was installed in the city of Vijayawada with the primary objective of increasing brand love, surpassing brand metrics, and enhancing consumer preference. The activation received an overwhelming response from the city, generating extensive coverage across local media, influencers, and national news outlets. It even made a cameo appearance in a regional soap opera. Enthusiastic fans traveled from neighboring cities like Hyderabad to witness the Tea Flute's performance firsthand.
Impact on Mind Measures
+600 bps Spontaneous Awareness
+300 bps Top-of-Mind Awareness (TOM) – Delivered the strongest brand lift during the activity month compared to the previous quarter.
Brand Imagery +700 bps ("Enhances your mood") – Achieved the highest score in 12 months.
2X TVR (1.9) versus the regular campaign TVR of 0.8.
Impact on Mind Measures
+600 bps Spontaneous Awareness
+300 bps Top-of-Mind Awareness (TOM) – Delivered the strongest brand lift during the activity month compared to the previous quarter.
Brand Imagery +700 bps ("Enhances your mood") – Achieved the highest score in 12 months.
2X TVR (1.9) versus the regular campaign TVR of 0.8.
2025 Awards
Total Points: 14
Silver Award
Credits
Agency
Ogilvy India / Mumbai
Media Agency
Mindshare / Mumbai
Client / Brand
Hindustan Unilever Limited / Mumbai
Production Company
Little Lamb Films / Mumbai
Art Director
Jayesh Raut
Ketan Kadam
Copywriter
Fritz Gonsalves
Creative Director
Ketan Kadam
Director
Nobin Dutta
Executive Creative Director
Fritz Gonsalves
Jayesh Raut
Global Chief Creative Officer
Liz Taylor
Producer
Ballori Roy
Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India
Kainaz Karmakar
Harshad Rajadhyaksha
Sukesh Nayak
Chief Strategy Officer, Ogilvy India
Prem Narayan
Senior Art Director
Brett Collaco
Senior Creative Director
Ricardos Vaz
Account Director, Creative Technology
Hitesh Patil
Agency Managing Director & Senior Vice President
Snehi Jha
Associate President
Nikhil Mohan
Brand Manager
Vamika Singh
Chief Creative Officer - Asia Pacific
Reed Collins
Chief Executive Officer
Amin Lakhani
Client Services Director
Neville Katrak
Client Services Director, Creative Technology
Vaishali Mange
Creative Controller
Soumyanshu Behera
Director - The Exchange
Hari Durairaj
Executive Chairperson, Ogilvy India
Hephzibah Pathak
Executive Director, Foods and Refreshment
Shiva Krishnamurthy
Head - Branded Content & Experiences
Priyadarshi Banerjee
Head - Client Leadership
Puja Chauhan
Head - The Exchange
Rachana Monteiro
Head Content and Creative Services
Khushnuma Daruwala
Manager - Content
Parul Arora
National Head, Creative Technology
Rajneesh Bolia
Partner - Client Leadership
Cliantha Anthony
President and Head of Mumbai and Kolkata Office
Hirol Gandhi
Principal Partner - Client Leadership
Shailja Bali
Principal Partner - Content
Rakesh Rao
Principal Partner - The Exchange
Umesh Bawle
Senior Account Executive
Satvik Dabholkar
Senior Brand Marketing Executive
Nitin Raina
Senior Director - Content
Pooja Sawant
Senior Director - Investments
Neha Verma
Senior Vice President
Shrenika Ajeet
Vice President
Ishtpreet Singh
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