NDB Bank was awarded with a Bronze Award for its ‘Ithuru Karana Maga’ initiative in the Financial Services Category at this year’s Effie Awards. The Bank secured the Award at the Effie Awards organised by the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing in partnership with Sri Lanka’s Advertising body, the 4A’s, for its effective and innovative campaign to promote the saving habit among the masses. The Effie Awards is the only international advertising awards currently being conducted in Sri Lanka.
NDB Bank’s ‘Ithuru Karana Maga’ campaign was planned and implemented with the objective of promoting the savings habit among people, by extending the concept of ‘saving’ beyond the traditional monetary savings. Based on the campaign tagline – ‘ithiri karamu, api hedemu, rata hadamu’, its numerous marketing initiatives highlighted the potential benefits of cutting down unnecessary waste that takes place in one’s day-to-day lives. NDB Bank went that extra step to show how an average citizen can convert savings from minor lifestyle modifications, into practical financial value additions.
Indrajit Wickremasinghe, Chief Operating Officer of NDB Bank, commenting on the win said, “We are proud to have won an Effie this year as well, and be the only Bank in the country to win three Effie Awards in three consecutive years. NDB Bank constantly strives to do things differently, daring to stand out while being effective in an intensely competitive environment. This strategy has proven itself at the previous year’s Effies as well; where we were honoured with an award for the ‘Badu Malla’ campaign in 2009 and the ‘Savings Star’ campaign in 2010.” He added, “With our expertise in the banking sphere and the drive to go beyond the traditional norms of advertising that is supported by innovative concepts from our long standing advertising partner, Phoenix Ogilvy, we are confident of producing bold and effective campaigns in the years to come.”
