Top Saatchi man to speak at AdReview

Roberts has achieved fame for breakthrough ideas about the nature of the ad agency business. One of these was to reposition the ad agency as an “ideas company” whose job is to generate original thinking about brands on behalf of their owners.

Another was the invention of the “lovemark” - a brand which occasions “loyalty beyond reason.” This was credited with one of Saatchi's biggest account wins in recent years.

Roberts will witness the presentation of the Ad Agency of the Year awards. Agencies in various categories are recognised, and the overall winner is chosen from the category winners. Last year's overall winner was Net#work BBDO.

Among other awards are the Baobab Award for client relationships (won in its inaugural year by Ogilvy South Africa), The Commercials Director of the Year (Greg Gray), and The Big Idea (Ogilvy's Brrrr! campaign for Coca-Cola).

The evening will provide the platform for the launch of Tony Koenderman's AdReview, published with Finweek.

“Despite a bleak outlook for the economy, the ad industry is surprisingly upbeat,” says editor Tony Koenderman. “It's the nature of advertising executives to be positive, and there are numerous pinpricks of light amid the gloom. So we are budgeting for an increase in advertising support, which will make possible a bigger publication than last year.”

For information and details, go to www.adreviewclub.co.za. To put your name on a waiting list for tickets to the event, email .