Leading Cape Town creatives judging in the Big Apple

Haas Collective’s executive creative director, Glynn Venter.

2012 sees a revamped Caples to celebrate the boldest, most creative solutions to tough marketing problems in a three-day summit. More than 50 senior creative directors from around the world will gather in New York City to judge submitted digital and direct work in 20+ categories.

Soaring over the Atlantic to participate in the judging and summit will be three South African creative directors: Haas Collective's executive creative director, Glynn Venter; Lowe Cape Town's below-the-line (BTL) creative director, Nico du Toit; and Zoom Advertising's (part of the Ogilvy Group, Cape Town) executive creative director, Nina Daniel-Gruber.

Venter, the South Africa chair for Caples, has been judging for the past three years. He is also responsible for selecting the right mix of talent to accompany him as fellow judges every year. Says Venter: "I am delighted to have managed to get Nico and Nina to join the South Africa judging contingent. Their knowledge and experience is sure to be invaluable during the judging process and they will unquestionably gain great insights by being exposed to the best direct and interactive work from around the globe."

Lowe Cape Town’s below-the-line (BTL) creative director, Nico du Toit.

Nico du Toit has most notably worked at Draftfcb Cape Town as deputy creative director and as a non-traditional creative expert at The Jupiter Drawing Room CT, before starting early this year at Lowe Cape Town as creative director. A writer by trade, he is also heavily involved in his clients' digital business disciplines. He has created some iconic BTL campaigns for, amongst others, Savanna, Windhoek Lager, Santam, and Unilever.

Zoom Advertising's executive creative director, Nina Daniel-Gruber, has created some of SA's most admired CRM programmes, including Johnnie Walker Striding Man Society, The Captains Mates (Captain Morgan), and Levi's Loop. Her expertise not only lies in CRM but also in integrated marketing to South Africa's mass market. Nina is a through-the-line creative thinker with ideas that are results driven.

Zoom Advertising’s executive creative director, Nina Daniel-Gruber.

After 11 years as executive creative director at Draftfcb, Venter decided to open his own agency, through an innovative move which created a "collective"; working alongside a concept and design store, a design gallery, and a high-end, and subsequently very successful, coffee house and roastery in the Bo-Kaap. The idea was to develop a creative hub: an area which attracts creative talent and expertise, and facilitates the start of creative conversations - with the aid of a little single-origin coffee. The Haas Collective also represents about 50 up-and-coming SA artists and designers.

Venter joined forces with SA creative legend Francois de Villiers and well-known industry BTL executive creative director Mike Orrey to form The Haas Advertising Collective.

Within a year and a half The Haas Advertising Collective has built up a list of blue-chip clients and will continue to offer true integrated campaigns that are media neutral and results driven. It's also probably the only ad agency in SA that owns its own consumer brands. "We practice what we preach."

These three top Cape Town creatives will certainly bring valuable insight to the Caples judging in New York City. "I'm looking forward to Nina and Nico joining me in New York and know they will add huge value to the judging process" says Venter.