This year, Black River FC took home a Loeries Grand Prix for Channel O’s ‘‘Youth Day/electronic media network’ print ad in the ‘newspaper advertising’ category.

Black River FC was also behind the work that resulted in ‘publication design: whole publication’ bronze for the ‘Try something’ Nando’s book, and ‘direct mail’ as well as ‘print crafts - art direction’ campaign bronze for Reach for a dream’s ‘Payroll giving with DJ, Kruger and Barney’.

Big thinking wins at Black River FC

Fittingly, Black River FC’s recently revealed Loeries 2016 rankings show the agency ranks 11th in the overall ranking by agency table and 10th in the South African agency table, as well as second small-sized (1 to 40 employees) agency for the year and Cook herself ranked ninth in the ‘agency art director 2016’ table.

That’s par for the course when you consider that Black River FC’s official listing on holding group WPP’s website states they’re a small agency that’s all about big thinking and don’t let anything restrict their creativity – not media channels, not budgets, not deadlines and definitely not their size. Similarly, “Black River FC is not a football club. It’s an ad agency. So when you walk through their doors at 44 Stanley, don’t expect to find a locker room filled with Ronaldo lookalikes. What you will find is a team of incredibly hardworking people coming up with creative solutions to business problems.”

Cook, Loerie and Kasu.

Seems they weren’t lying about their Checkers ‘little shop’ grocery collections…

Kasu and Cook, at the agency for three years and one-and-a-half years respectively, are two of those people, and comprise the art direction team behind the 2016 Loeries Grand Prix win for Channel O’s ‘‘Youth Day’ print ad in the ‘newspaper advertising’ category. Here, between their work on “Pitch, pitch, pitch, and some Wonga and Channel O TV spots,” they share how the group feel about all their wins, plans to extend their winning streak next year and who they admire most in the industry…

1. Share your top three emotions linked to your Loeries’ wins and 2016 rankings.

Kasu and Cook: Proud, disbelieving, motivated.

2. How do you plan on keeping – if not bettering – your rankings next year?

Kasu and Cook: We’ll keep on keeping on. We are motivated by doing great work all the time, be it for awards or not.

3. Where are you displaying your Loeries?

Kasu and Cook: We sold the Grand Prix for spray glue and the others are on our desks, next to our Checkers ‘mini groceries’ collections.

4. Tell us who you personally admire in the industry.

Kasu and Cook: Ahmed Tilly is and will always remain an incredible mentor and inspiration. He is professional and respectful of individuals, and taught us how to think differently. Learning from such a great man has been an honour!

Here’s to looking forward to seeing what 2017 holds. Click through to our Loeries’ special section for more, here for more on Black River FC, and be sure to follow them on Twitter and Instagram.