The Mediashop's 'Coke Rainbow' claims Roger Garlick Grand Prix at the inaugural AMASA Awards ceremony

Roger Garlick Winner 2014 Fiona Brauns of The Media Shop

"In a word, we can describe this year's Roger Garlick Grand Prix winner as breathtaking," says Wayne Bishop, head of the AMASA Awards portfolio. "The Coke Rainbow campaign had everything from tech to scale and we hope to see it at the top of the global media world in the coming months. A thoroughly extravagant campaign with creative flair, media wit and a real-life rainbow to go with it," completes Bishop. As the RGA winner,The MediaShop will have their campaign entered into the international Festival of Media Awards sponsored by AMASA.

Chris Botha, Group Managing Director at The MediaShop, says, "We are very happy and excited. This campaign was a team effort between ourselves, creative, media owners, and a very brave client. We are privileged to have won, and to work with the amazing people of Coca-Cola South Africa." Fiona Brauns, Group Head on Coca-Cola at The MediaShop, added, "I'm extremely privileged to be working with such a great team. Coca-Cola South Africa, is a wonderful and brave Client who allows the team to constantly strive and push the boundaries, FCB is an amazing partner to work with as they have great insight and creativity. Lastly but certainly not least the phenomenal team at The MediaShop - truly an amazing bunch, nothing is ever too much of an effort. We are absolutely thrilled to have won."

With a record-breaking 106 entries in this year's AMASA awards the judging panel, made up of industry specialists, had a tough job to analyse and select this year's candidates. At the lush ceremony, MC Frank Tilley announced six 'highly commended' certificates and ten gold awards.

Although the prestigious Roger Garlick Awards (RGA) have been in existence since 1999, this year's grand ceremony marks the first of AMASA's solely hosted awards.The awards have been completely rebranded for 2014 as well as renamed to the 'AMASA Awards'. "The new format of the AMASA Awards has been created to not only launch a larger celebration of industry work but also to build on the famous Roger Garlick Awards from previous years to include new categories, new standards and new scale," says Chairman of AMASA, Wayne Bischoff. "We believe South Africa's media industry is in a healthy space and it won't be long before we start seeing our work featured in the pages of the international trade press for creativity in media," he says.

With a new awards format, new categories and new positioning the AMASA Awards are restricted to reflect and align with international formats and awards standards. The awards involve 20 categories which include the Roger Garlick Grand Prix, awarded to the best work presented overall as well as the Ignition Award introduced in 2013 which awards the most promising student work submitted.

The AMASA awards celebrate 'all-rounder' media campaigns: ones which are based on sound insights, underpinned by great ideas, followed through with perfectly executed strategy to achieve outstanding and measurable results - all the while celebrating innovation. "Innovation is a must-have trait in the media world in order to keep up with the ever-changing landscape," says Bishop.

"AMASA hopes to build on the success of the 2014 inaugural AMASA awards, as we aim to create a well-established awards platform that South Africa can be proud of," competes Bishop.

"AMASA extends a big thank you to all those who entered and participated in this year's awards and looks forward to more heated competition and even more innovative work for next year's AMASA Awards," completes Bischoff.

AMASA AWARD WINNERS LIST 2014:

Best Branded Content Campaign

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Centrum Guardian Project - One Lady and a Tribe
GOLD: The 15% more Show - eBucks Rewards from FNB - MediaMark/FNB

Best Use of Mobile

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Puma Pixel Pong - Gloo
GOLD: Are You 2 Enough? - Gloo& Vizeum

Best Use of Technology

HIGHLY COMMENDED: BMW 7 Series Launch - Gloo
GOLD: ATM Switch - FNB - Gloo

Best Integrated Campaign: Retail

GOLD: Whopper Your Selfie - King James Group

Best Social Media Campaign

GOLD: Magnum Pink & Black Twitter auction - Liquorice/Hardy Boys/Marcus Brewster/Ultimate Media)

Best Experiential/Event
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Zoo Biscuits - M&C Saatchi Connect
GOLD: Coke Rainbow - The MediaShop
GOLD: #Canonphotomobs - PHD

Best Contribution by a Media Owner

GOLD: The 15% More Show - eBucks Rewards from FNB - Mediamark

Best Integrated Campaign: Financial

GOLD: Access Banking - Standard Bank - OMD

Best Integrated Campaign: Cause Related

HIGHLY COMMENDED: SANBS Mastering the Masthead - PHD

Best Sponsorship

HIGHLY COMMENDED: #Ownyourday - Wimpy - The MediaShop

Ignition Award for Tertiary Institutions

GOLD: Matla a Bana - Duct Tape - Mbali Cindi from University of Johannesburg

Roger Garlick Grand Prix

Roger Garlick Winner - Coke Rainbow - The MediaShop