MUMBAI: The Advertising Agencies Association of India's Triple A's of I (AAAI) Awards is getting a major face lift. The new look awards will be backed financially and editorially by the Times Group and Star India.

This move has been initiated with a view to make the awards more popular, increase participation and make them affordable.

AAAI president Sam Balsara said, "We did not want to have awards just for the sake of awards. Every single element was looked into, questioned and then retained or recast. In the last few years advertising awards have become a business by themselves for the organisations who run them. Our member agencies are already reeling under pressure and our focus at the association is to promote and foster creativity. In the light of this we have persuaded two of the country's largest media organisations - The Times Group and Star TV to come forward and support the Triple A Awards, both editorially and financially. In view of this, it is now possible for the Association to bring down the entry fees to a very nominal Rs 100 (from the earlier Rs 1000) and the balance being contributed by the two media organisations."

Call for entries will be sent out to member agencies in the next fortnight and the last day for receiving entries will be 15 August. The winners will be announced in a special edition of Brand Equity in the month of October 2005 and the presentation ceremony will be featured on Star TV.