MUMBAI: India got its second gold at the Cannes Lions 2012, DDB Mudra Group being the winner in the Design Lions category for its work on The Hinglish Project for the Ministry of Tourism’s Incredible India initiative.

The entry scored a double whammy as it took home a bronze as well.

As part of the Hinglish Project, the agency developed a typeface that would make Hindi less intimidating and more approachable and friendly so that tourists to the country find it easier to read road signs.

The fusion-font design allows the reader to discern the phonetic sound of a Hindi character by looking at the corresponding English alphabet superimposed on it. This helped Incredible India create a typeface for foreigners to familiarise themselves with the native language.

Great work from Germany won the Grand Prix in this category. This proved that a dull subject like an annual report can also be designed interestingly. Agency Service Plan, Munich designed the colourless annual report for Austria Solar, using the innovative photo chromatic colour technology to print it. This, in effect, meant that the annual report could be read only in the sunlight.

A total of eight entries from India made it to the Design Lions shortlist of which six were from DDB Mudra Group. The other two agencies shortlisted were BBDO India and TBWA India.

Compared to last year, this edition’s performance may be called bleak as India won five metals in the category in 2011.