[Loeries 2015] Agency expectations with... The Hardy Boys

1. Remind us of your official job title and how long you've been at the agency.

Tomlinson: I'm the Chief Executive Officer. I've been with The Hardy Boys since founding it in 1994.

2. How long has your agency been attending the Loeries?

Tomlinson: We've been attending the Loeries for years, but haven't always entered. When I started The Hardy Boys, I firmly believed we first needed to establish ourselves and focus all our efforts on our clients without the potential distraction of awards. But once we reached a certain scale and level of maturity, we began entering... and winning.

3. What's your biggest Loeries highlight of years past?

Tomlinson: The biggest highlight was last year, when we won five bronzes and a craft award, which was a great way to mark our 20th birthday. In particular, the Bronze for a guerrilla marketing "election poster" campaign for NSPCA (it also won a Clio in New York) was special as they really need all the awareness they can get.

4. What are you most looking forward to from Loeries Creative Week 2015, set to hit Durban next week?

Tomlinson: The vibe is going to be amazing. With most of the events taking place along the Golden Mile or close by, Durban is going to become a mini-Cannes for a week.

5. Tell us some of your own agency work you're entering this year!

Tomlinson: We did a great campaign for OMO around their DIG (Dirt Is Good) platform, which encourages children's development by playing and getting 'dirty' but the concept of dirt is not very welcome in Africa. It was the simple interpretation of DIG into "Clean never discovered anything," showing what young kids would have discovered hidden in the earth below their gardens if their moms had let them dig a little deeper - a buried Spanish galleon in one and in the other a subterranean cave. The craft was great and the campaign won at last year's Loeries and was a finalist at the Cannes Lions this year.

6. Who do you predict will win big this year, and why?

Tomlinson: Very hard to say, there are always those high-profile campaigns that everyone sees and loves; then those little gems that are very focused with limited exposure for a number of reasons that surprise on the day - I'll tell you after the judging!

Lots to look forward to, it seems, especially with Tomlinson also serving on this year's Loeries Effective Creativity & Service Design and Ubuntu judging panels.

For more on what to expect from this year's Loeries' Creative Week next week, visit the official Loeries website or our special Loeries Creative Week section.