Sandcastle Fantastica wins Gold in international Midas Awards

Sandcastle Fantastica, the biggest sandcastle ever sculpted in the southern hemisphere, was unveiled on Camps Bay Beach, Cape Town, on 21st December 2003. The medieval, dragon-protected, fantasy castle depicting various characters from fairly tales stood eight metres high and was 14 metres square. It took 300 tons of sand and more than 1000 man hours to build. Created by Guinness record holding sand sculptors, Americans Ted Siebert and Charlie Beaulieu, and Canadian Andy Briggs, Sandcastle Fantastica was 'sold' by First National Bank HomeLoans to estate agents Homenet, for R100 000 to raise money for two children's charities.

"We are proud that the First National Bank HomeLoans' Sandcastle Fantastica project has received such prestigious international recognition," says Vivienne Le Roux, head of marketing at First National Bank HomeLoans. "The objective of this experiential marketing campaign was to emotionally bond with our customers and interact with them in a place that they would traditionally not expect a Bank to be. We wanted them to see that the people who work for a Bank are real people who are caring, and have fun too."

"First National Bank HomeLoans is committed to helping combat child abuse and providing shelter to homeless children where possible, and so it made perfect sense to give back to the community that hosted us for this amazing event. The funds raised were donated to R.A.P.C.A.N., an organisation formed to protect the rights of abused and neglected children, and KidzPositive, an NGO based at the Groote Schuur Hospital, which assists mothers of HIV positive children earn an income through the sale of their beadwork."

First launched in 2001, the Midas Awards extend over regional, national and continental boundaries to provide a true view of the world. Entries are invited from banking, brokerage, insurance, mutual fund, credit card, real estate, accounting and consulting companies as well as from advertising and marketing agencies, design studios and production houses.

The Midas Awards judges include client and agency leaders from the creative and marketing disciplines, as well as internationally recognised experts in financial policy and communications. These judges offer their personal perspectives not only on how well a message is delivered, but how it is received.

At a time when financial services marketing is undergoing unprecedented scrutiny, the Midas Awards serve as a positive force to improve perceptions both within and outside the industry. By broadening the focus beyond advertising alone, the Midas Awards seek to raise the perception of creativity beyond clever headlines and artful design, and instead explore the shared emotions between a message's creator and its recipient.

The awards are showcased on the Midas Awards website (www.theMidasAwards.com) and will also appear in the New York Festivals Annual of Advertising.