Here, the work they think deserving of a bird at Loeries 2018…
Predictions are always tricky. My gut is telling me that the live events may be the more innovative and exciting part of the judging as PR seems to have gone into quite a functional space this past year. Perhaps this has been because of the incredible amount of crisis and brand trust issues that have arisen as marketers, and agencies have struggled with corporate governance, fake news, global campaigns not translating well to local environments. It doesn’t seem as if it has been a fun time in the PR space, but I am hoping that there are some clever cut-through creative entries. As always, I’m looking forward to seeing the Middle East and African entries.
Outside your category, what are your general expectations for the quality of this year’s entries.
That said, the Apex Awards were a sobering indictment of how little great, results-driven work has been delivered this year.
It is clear that it has been a tough year with lots of business challenges for all. So, perhaps the quality of the entries may be lower, but it will also make it easier to laud and applaud the pieces of work that make us laugh, cry and ultimately change our behaviour.
Favourite ad campaigns of the year?
From a PR perspective, locally, I loved the Avbob Poetry campaign. I thought it was a clever, smart way of linking an insurance product to a relevant and resonant message that made complete sense for their target market.
I also thought the Sanlam 2-Minute Shower Songs PR campaign was brilliant – taking a message and making it relevant for the audience.
Globally, Fearless Girl, a PR Cannes award winner is close to my heart. I’ve actually broken it down as a case study for a client: on how flexible and fluid the campaign was (she only got her name hours before launch), to how it actually shone a light back on the client for not putting their money where their mouth was regarding gender diversity (they actually got fined) and how social activism and community support took what was essentially a short-term PR stunt and, a year later, Fearless Girl has morphed into many different messages whilst still standing. Love it!
This year I judged non-English entries across various categories. I predict the work that will win is work that is culturally nuanced and well crafted. The non-English work is judged separately, but it competes with all the other work of the show, so we are looking for excellence.
Outside your categories, what are your general expectations for the quality of this year’s entries?Favourite ad campaigns of the year?
I love so many pieces of work this year, but I really love the Allan Gray ‘Father’s Share’ commercial. It is a wonderful story that is truly South African, but also set well in the Allan Gray brand.
Follow our Loeries Creative Week special section and social handles for updates on everything Loeries-related and to find out the actual winners on Friday and Saturday night. Watch this space!
