Ink of Democracy

Overview

Ink of Democracy, developed by Havas Creative India for The Times of India and the Election Commission, won India's first Gold Lion at Cannes 2025 in Print & Publishing, plus two Bronze Lions. It printed 2.28 million newspaper pages in purple electoral ink before the 2024 General Elections, symbolizing a protest against voter apathy.

Problem

In the 2024 Indian General Elections, 33% of eligible voters abstained, leaving 7,500 liters of unused electoral ink. Urban voter apathy threatened democratic participation despite record-high eligible voter numbers.

Solution

Editorial pages of The Times of India and The Economic Times were printed entirely in the purple ink used on voters' fingers, with no headlines, just the message: "Don't waste a drop of electoral ink. Don't waste the power of democracy." One purple-inked front page was issued for every 132 absent voters, visually representing abstention across millions of copies.

Outcome

The election saw the highest voter turnout in India's history with 642 million voters—30 million more than before—despite a severe heatwave. Brand mentions for The Times of India rose by 280% with positive sentiment. The campaign was celebrated as a powerful example of creativity promoting democracy.