DDB SA is SA's ad agency of the year

DBB SA - the winners.

The ANGY trophy was conceptualized and made by top South African designer Brian Steinhobel.

More than 70 local agencies were asked to vote for what they thought was their best performing agency of the year and DDB came out tops.

The polling was managed and monitored by independent research company TNS Research Surveys and took place in October this year.

The award is given by Jeremy Maggs' yearly hardcover review of the advertising, marketing, design and branding industry - The Annual - now into its third edition.

Notes Maggs: “In an industry seriously overpopulated with awards and accolades this one - and the only one we make - has real currency. It's much the same as the footballers' footballer of the year. Recognition by your peers, uninfluenced by any judging process is priceless.”

Participating agencies - including the majority of the country's big advertising players - were asked a simple question by TNS: which agency in your opinion has performed best in the past 12 months?

Several other noteworthy agencies were mentioned in dispatches, but DDB SA crossed the line first. Agencies would have considered creative and business performance as well as reputation.”

“There is probably the X-factor as well,” says Maggs, “in the ad industry one agency always creates a little more buzz and excitement in the market place than others, people have been talking about DDB this year, of that there is no doubt.”

The Agencies' Agency Of The Year trophy (the ANGY) will be presented to DDB SA at the official launch of The Annual today, Thursday 26 November 2009 at a conference at the Wanderers entitled 10 Ideas from 10 People for 2010. A number of experts across a variety of disciplines will present their views on what is shaping up to be a watershed year in the country.

DDB SA's recent account wins include McDonalds, FIFA, Mango and FNB. The agency was also voted small agency of the year in the 2009 Finweek AdReview survey.