News
Ogilvy Sri Lanka’s ‘Second Life Notebooks’ campaign makes history with record-breaking awards run
The ‘Second Life Notebooks’ campaign by Ogilvy’s Geometry Global Sri Lanka for ProMate (PrintXcel) has become the most internationally awarded single campaign in Sri Lanka’s advertising history. Its latest recognition comes from the coveted Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity held in France, where it earned four shortlist nods, said a release from Ogilvy Friday.
The campaign, in total, has garnered 17 awards and shortlist honours at some of the world’s most respected creative and advertising festivals between 2024 and 2025, including Dragons of Asia, EPICA, Spikes Asia, AdFest, Clio Awards, D&AD, and Cannes Lions.
The need for the campaign arose from a sudden 300% surge in paper prices, a consequence of Sri Lanka’s recent economic crisis. This sharp increase made Braille writing books unaffordable for many families and schools.
Commenting on the campaign, Sri Lanka’s first visually impaired MP Sugath Wasantha de Silva, a well-known advocate for the rights of visually impaired communities in the country, said: “This initiative is truly a social service, a programme launched from a deep understanding of social responsibility.”
From a creative standpoint, Nadeera Warawita, Creative Group Head at Geometry Global Sri Lanka and the ideator of the campaign, said: “We set out to solve a real problem. The recognition the campaign has received is humbling, but the true reward, as a creative, was seeing children use these books and being given the opportunity to continue their learning. Knowing our work made a meaningful difference, that’s what mattered most.”
Commenting beyond the campaign’s creative merit, Lalith Sumanasiri, Managing Director, Ogilvy Digital, Ogilvy Media & Geometry Global, noted that the most powerful ideas are born at the intersection of deep consumer insight and a clear understanding of a client’s business.
He notes that, “With ‘Second Life Notebooks’, we identified a critical need in society and connected it to what our client could uniquely offer. This campaign demonstrates how creativity, when grounded in purpose and strategy, can deliver not just awards, but real, measurable impact.”
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
Fair weather will prevail except for a few showers in the Uva, Eastern, Western and Central provinces and in Galle, Matara and Rathnapura districts
Trump cancels US-Iran meetings, urges protesters to take over institutions
Govt. bows to pressure, shelves Grade 6 reforms
AKD: Govt. agenda on track despite Ditwah disaster
SL to receive 10 helicopters from US
Foreign couple held over alleged biopiracy at Horton Plains
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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