Outreach advertising agency from Nepal has won Gold at the ECI Awards 2025, held in Guangzhou, China, for its campaign “Mero Khukri”, created for Nepal’s iconic legacy brand Khukri Rum. The recognition marks a significant milestone for the Nepali creative industry, placing Nepal firmly on the global map of marketing effectiveness and innovation.
Rooted in the belief that relevance is key to longevity, “Mero Khukri” reimagines how a heritage brand with deep cultural resonance can meaningfully engage a younger generation without losing its identity. The campaign blends authentic storytelling, contemporary cultural expression, and original music by OMG Spark, creating an emotional narrative centred on pride, identity, and belonging.
Commenting on the win, Varsha Perera, Chief Marketing Officer, The Nepal Distilleries Pvt. Ltd., said:
“Making a legacy brand like Khukri Rum relevant to a younger audience is a mammoth task. You are constantly balancing how far you can modernise while staying true to the brand’s cultural soul and not alienating those who have loved it for years. Khukri Rum has become a people’s brand, with consumers feeling a deep sense of personal ownership. With Mero Khukri, that balance was everything. The Outreach team understood this instinctively and took the brief very personally—because Khukri felt like a part of them. From the idea to the choice of OMG Spark, whose fusion of traditional sounds and modern rap felt perfectly aligned, the campaign struck a powerful chord. The ECI Gold is a strong validation of both the idea and its execution.”
Noor Shrestha, CEO, Outreach Nepal, acknowledged the collaborative effort led by Shiv Prakash Sharma, Planning Director, and Binaya Lamichhane, Creative Director, alongside the wider Outreach team and partners. The ECI Awards jury commended the campaign for its cultural relevance, strategic clarity, and the effective use of music as a unifying emotional device—successfully translating local insight into storytelling that resonates with younger audiences.
As the ECI Awards 2025 Gold trophy makes its way to Kathmandu, Outreach celebrates the win as a collective achievement for the Nepali advertising ecosystem and a proud moment for South Asian creativity on the global stage.
