Awards galore for DStv

DStv has recently won a hatful of advertising awards, both national and international.

Last week DStv's TV ad Happy Birthday, one in its series of Guess who's been watching DStv ads won Gold with Young Adults and Silver with Teens at the Khuza Awards. The Khuza Awards are claimed to be South Africa's biggest research-based youth-marketing communications awards. This year more than 3000 of South Africa's sharpest critics, aged 8-22 years old, cast their vote on ads in four entry categories (TV, print, radio and outdoor). The study is conducted by HDI Youth Marketeers.

Promax, New York

Also at the biggest international TV marketing event, the Promax Awards held in New York recently, DStv walked away with eight awards, including three Gold, three Silver and two Bronze for their “Guess who's been watching DStv” campaign. The ads are based on characters who love DStv so much that they take on humorous characteristics - a fireman who is inspired to put on a pole-dancing show at his place of work; a father who takes on Simon's Cowell's American Idols persona; and a construction worker who lays out his lunch with the airs and grace of a renowned chef.

Other DStv campaigns that were awarded Promax Awards included the HD PVR decoder Sheepdog campaign and Once upon a time on DStv.

Bad TV is boring

Back in SA, at the AD Review Radio Campaign of the Year Awards, the DStv campaign satirising how really boring it is to watch bad TV came away with top honours against all radio campaigns flighted during the year. This is the first time that DStv was awarded this award.

Commented Graham Pfuhl, MultiChoice director of marketing and sales: “We are especially pleased with our performance at the AD Review Radio Campaign of the Year Awards; this is our first-ever such award and we look forward to many more.” Pfuhl paid tribute to the channel's creative partners, Studio Zoo and Ogilvy.