Independent agency claims two Silver awards for redefining AI deepfake technology as a vehicle for social change, while contributing to a Bronze and Finalist recognition.
Artslab Creatives, an independent digital marketing agency founded in 2020, has secured four recognitions at Effie Awards Sri Lanka 2025, competing against the country’s most established marketing organisations. The agency won two Silver awards for its campaign with Fems Sri Lanka, and contributed to a Bronze Award and Finalist recognition for Maliban Biscuit Manufactories in partnership with MullenLowe Sri Lanka.
The “Forward and Fearless: From Deepfake to Bold Purpose” campaign, developed and launched in March 2024, is Sri Lanka’s first-ever use of AI deepfake technology for social good. At a time when deepfake technology is largely associated with misinformation and harm, Artslab chose to challenge that narrative entirely, reimagining it as a tool to amplify voices for menstrual health awareness. The campaign was conceived, strategised, and executed entirely in-house.
The campaign earned a Silver in the AI category, in which no Gold award was conferred, and a Silver in Experiential Marketing (Digital). The wins were achieved without consortium backing, holding company infrastructure, or external creative support, on the strength of an original idea and the conviction to execute it, at a competition that drew over 300 entries.
Artslab also contributed to the “Yahagunakam – Rasa Siththam” campaign for Maliban Biscuit Manufactories, in partnership with MullenLowe Sri Lanka. The initiative, built around a nationwide children’s art competition and a projection mapping activation at the Colombo Town Hall, received a Bronze Award and Finalist recognition.
Akhila Wijetunga, Founder and CEO of Artslab Creatives, said: “I am deeply proud and genuinely honoured to receive this recognition, not only as a validation of our approach to marketing and campaign strategy, but as an acknowledgement that creativity and technology can be used as instruments for social good. What made this campaign meaningful to us was never the technology itself. It was the purpose behind it. We wanted to show that a tool the world largely knows for harmful and deceptive use could be reimagined entirely, to give people a voice, to raise awareness, and to contribute to a cause that truly matters. In a world increasingly defined by how we use and misuse powerful technologies, we believe the more important conversation is about how those same technologies can be directed toward addressing real human concerns. That is the thinking we brought to this campaign, and it is the thinking we will continue to build on.”
The Effie Awards are globally recognised as the benchmark for marketing effectiveness, evaluating campaigns on insight, strategy, execution, and results. In Sri Lanka, the programme is operated by the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing. Artslab Creatives is an independent end-to-end digital marketing agency specialising in AI-driven innovation, purpose-led brand strategy, paid media, and content creation. The agency’s vision is to harness the power of technology and creativity to build work that goes beyond brand outcomes, driving meaningful impact for communities and contributing to a better world.
Left to Right:
Nidarshan Viraj, Ziyan Jaufer, Anjalee Nelson, Akhila Wijetunga, Shehani Perera, Sachini Gamage, Chamathka Banneheka, Miyuru Dharmage, Anjana Gajanayaka
Artslab Team:
Nidarshan Viraj | Ziyan Jaufer | Akhila Wijetunga | Chamathka Banneheka | Anjana Gajanayaka
FEMS Team:
Anjalee Nelson | Shehani Perera | Sachini Gamage
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