Purple patch: Cannes Gold Lion for TOI's 'Ink of Democracy'

India is the world's largest democracy, but not everybody participates in the grand festival of elections. In fact, almost one-third of eligible voters didn't vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, leading to about 7,500 litres of purple indelible ink going unused.

With the aim of increasing turnout, Election Commission of India and the Times Power of Print (POP) initiative by The Times of India invited creative minds across the country to tackle a challenging brief: 'Encourage every eligible citizen to step out and vote during the 2024 Indian general elections.'

In response, several brilliant ideas poured in. The winning one, from the Havas Creative India team, led to the 'Ink of Democracy' campaign, which on Monday won a prestigious Gold at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, in the Print and Publishing category under Corporate Purpose and Social Responsibility.

The concept's sheer simplicity made it immensely powerful. To symbolise the lost potential of votes not cast, TOI, along with The Economic Times, printed a page in purple ink, the same shade used to mark voters' fingers.

The special 'Ink of Democracy' pages appeared in TOI's Mumbai edition on May 19, 2024, Delhi on May 24, and Kolkata on May 31. In ET, the page appeared in Bengaluru on April 26. This symbolic gesture represented one purple page for every 132 missed voters, culminating in approximately 23 lakh purple pages. The message was clear: "Don't waste a drop of electoral ink. Don't waste the power of democracy."

By literally turning the pages purple, 'Ink of Democracy' became a striking symbol of civic responsibility, and served as a poignant reminder to readers that every uncast vote is a squandered opportunity for democratic participation.

This innovative approach effectively engaged urban audiences, where voter turnout has historically been lower. It also wowed critics and juries, winning over 40 awards nationally and globally so far - and yet again effectively underlined the Power of Print in creating impact and driving results.


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