Goa, 21st May 2026: Tribes Communication marked a defining moment at the ABBY Awards 2026, winning the Media Grand Prix for “The Barefoot Journey” created for Kansai Nerolac Paints.
The win makes Tribes the first independent network to receive the Media Grand Prix at the ABBY Awards Powered by One Show, a significant milestone in one of India’s most respected platforms celebrating creative and media excellence.
Awarded as the only Media Grand Prix across categories this year, “The Barefoot Journey” stood out for its simple yet powerful idea, demonstrating how culturally rooted storytelling and thoughtful media thinking can create meaningful impact at scale.
The award-winning campaign took Kansai Nerolac’s heat-reflective coating, Nerolac Perma NoHeat, beyond traditional product communication and transformed it into a lived human experience. At multiple temples across Southern India, pathways were coated with the solution, reducing surface temperatures by up to 15°C and offering barefoot devotees immediate relief during peak summer heat.
Instead of advertising the benefit, the campaign allowed people to physically experience it.
The campaign stood out for converting a functional product proposition into a culturally rooted, emotionally resonant public intervention, demonstrating how brand experiences can create real-world impact while remaining deeply intuitive and human.
Speaking on the recognition, Gour Gupta, Chairman Tribes said, “This win means a lot because it validates the power of ideas that people can actually feel. ‘The Barefoot Journey’ was never designed as an advertising stunt. It came from a simple human truth that sometimes the strongest communication is not what you say, but what people experience themselves. Winning the Media Grand Prix at ABBY’s is a proud moment not just for Tribes, but for independent Indian agencies that are building globally competitive work rooted in culture, empathy and real impact.”
The recognition further strengthens Tribes’ position as one of India’s most awarded integrated communications networks, known for blending creativity, culture, technology and immersive brand experiences at scale.
The ABBY Awards 2026, hosted as part of Goafest 2026, are organised by The Advertising Club and AAAI in partnership with The One Club for Creativity, and are considered among the highest honours in Indian advertising and media.
About Tribes:
Tribes is a US$ 100+ million integrated marketing communications agency, specializing in Out-Of-Home (OOH), Experiential, Events, Digital, Rural and Retail solutions, Sports
Marketing, and Celebrity Management. It is India’s most awarded agency with 600+ awards, a 450+ active client base, and a nationwide presence across 17 offices, delivering immersive formats with unmatched reach and scale. Tribes excels in creating impactful brand experiences that captivate audiences and empower brands.
