AdFocus Awards 2014: Twice as nice for Joe Public

In the Agencies' Agency Award, which is voted for by the advertising community itself, five agencies topped the list, including FCB Johannesburg, FoxP2, King James, Ogilvy Cape Town and the winner Joe Public.

There were seven agencies shortlisted in the Advertising Agency of the Year Award, including King James, FoxP2, Ireland/Davenport, Machine, M&C Saatchi Abel, Lowe Cape Town, and Joe Public, the winner.

Combining awards

The AdFocus Awards from the Financial Mail (FM), and The Annual combined into one awards at The Fifth Room, in Rivonia in northern Johannesburg. This follows the acquiring of the Future Group in July this year by the Times Media Group.

Hosted by David Furlonger, Editor, AdFocus and Jeremy Maggs of the The Annual, who were both unanimous in their support of the combining of the two awards.

"Together FM and the Future Group can present the advertising industry with a common united goal and a new opportunity to amplify recognition in the advertising industry," the two stated, while giving each other a bit of friendly banter.

The Deputy Editor of the FM, Ron Derby, did the official welcome, and referred to the merger when he said the 2014 AdFocus Awards "is the best thing we have done this year". He added that they are looking forward to the partnership.

Referring to the Awards themselves, Derby said that this year the judges accepted the ugly stepsister of digital as part and parcel of the marketing mix. "As publishers we are grappling with digital every day. We hope to learn from the advertising industry to develop an understanding and hopefully soon we will all be speaking the same language."

Traditional advertising is alive and kicking

The keynote speaker was Emma Wilke of the Gunn Report, who explained what the Gunn Report is and then shared some of the best work from this year with a restless audience.

She noted that great work is coming from anywhere, no matter how big or small the country or agency. "Argentina is punching above its weight, India is producing very creative work and South Korea has entered the top countries."

Of the 54 countries registered, it looks like Egypt is one, she added. "The Middle East is becoming more creative and we are waiting on our sleeping giant, Russia to creatively get its act together."

She also said that it appears that there might be a new contender in the number one spot this year - a spot held by Nike or VW for the past 13 to 15-odd years. In conclusion she said: "Traditional advertising is alive and kicking so don't believe everything you hear."

A change in the marketing landscape

The Chairperson of the AdFocus Awards jury, Festus Masekwameng addressed the audience saying that the marketing landscape is changing and with this, advertising. "In other words culture and transformation can no longer be ignored. It is not about ticking the boxes or regulating it to a committee. Therefore as the jury we felt this needed to be considered in our deliberations and did in fact do so."

The jury also recognised the important role that the creative schools play in the industry and introduced a student award for which a cash prize of R35,000 has been sponsored by Nedbank. He added that the quality of entries received in the student awards was very high. The first ever student award went to Tarryn Chudleigh, a third-year design and art direction student at the Red & Yellow School.

Bob Rightford won the Lifetime Achievement Award. His career of nearly 50 years, includes being one of the founders of Ogilvy & Mather. He is seen as setting standards for the local advertising industry and co-founded the Red & Yellow advertising school.

The Award winners:

1. African Agency Network of the Year: Ogilvy Africa
2. Envy Award: FCB Johannesburg for "Rainbow for a Rainbow Nation"
3. Digital Agency of the Year: Hellocomputer
4. New Broom Award: Zibusiso Mkhwanazi
5. Branding and Design Agency of the Year: Interbrand Sampson De Villiers
6. Student of the Year: Tarryn Chudleigh
7. Media Agency of the Year: MindShare SA
8. Agency Leader of the Year: Philip Ireland, John Davenport, Sue Napier, Adene van der Walt (Ireland/Davenport)
9. Specialist Agency of the Year: 34
10. Partnership of the Year: King James and brandhouse for Bells Extra Special Scotch Whisky
11. Agencies' Agency of the Year: Joe Public
12. Advertising Agency of the Year: Joe Public
13. Lifetime Achievement Award: Bob Rightford