Ogilvy SA scores at AdFocus Awards

"[Monday] night was a big night for Ogilvy and we are thrilled with the awards," says Ogilvy SA CEO Nunu Ntshingila. "They endorse the way we do business and acknowledge the incredible talent in our company."

Ntshingila attributes the successes to the company's multidisciplinary approach to advertising, combined with an amazing depth of talent. "We rely on all the communication disciplines and not just the traditional agency approach," she says.

Of the six finalists, two Ogilvy SA companies, Ogilvy Johannesburg and Ogilvy Cape Town, were short-listed for the "Ad Agency of the Year", with Ogilvy Johannesburg coming out tops. 2005 had seen Ogilvy Johannesburg achieve exceptional growth, including an 82% success rate in the pitching game and, according to the points issued by the Creative Circle, an 88% improvement in creative output from 2004. In addition, it recorded an income increase of over 10% and extended its BEE programme to incorporate 50.1% black ownership.

"Over the year, Ogilvy Johannesburg won R152.8 million worth of new business, business which can largely be attributed to Brand Activation 141," states Ntshingila. Of the 23 pitches the agency entered into, it won an impressive 19.

Of the Agency Leader of the Year Award, Ntshingila says, "Mike Abel really is our Golden Boy and a deserving winner of the award. Under his leadership, Ogilvy Cape Town experienced a 37% growth in 2005, part of a trend that saw the agency's income increase by 81% from the beginning of 2003 to the end of 2005."