FCB Ulka's media buying outfit Lodestar grabbed most of the awards in the four categories for media innovation and achievement given away at the Emvies 2002 last night.

The Advertising Club, Mumbai's second annual awards for the least glamorous perceived function of the ad industry, wound up on a pleasant summer evening at south Mumbai's Taj Hotel Monday night. Nominee agencies, club members and assorted celebrities turned up in strength to celebrate the media's role in the overall success of an ad campaign.

Twenty-three judges from the advertising, media and marketing fraternity sifted through 81 entries before hand picking awards for the four categories that made up the Emvies. That messrs Sam Balsara, Sandeep Goyal, Meenakshi Madhvani, Shailesh Gupta, Mohini Bhullar et al were choosy about the awards was obvious - the gold was denied in one category; nominees in some had to be content with joint silver.

Lodestar bagged the silver for the best media strategy, media research and innovation in net advertising, while netting the gold for outdoor innovation. Not surprisingly, the outfit walked away with the award for best media agency of the year. The lifetime achievement of the year award was given to Suren Chawla, the doyen of the media industry, who is best known for his research on urban and rural market ratings. A Delhi School of Economics alumnus, Chawla received the award from D K Bose, who recalled Chawla's contribution in inducting professionalism into the industry.

The awards :-