The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media industry.
The MMA SA has announced the finalists for its 2023 SMARTIES Awards, as sponsored by Takealot, MultiChoice Meta, MTN and Standard Bank Group.
Twenty of the country’s top senior level marketers have spent the past few weeks carefully reviewing and assessing 159 shortlisted submissions to arrive at the top 88 who have now been through the exciting Pitch Week process. A live campaign pitch by the brand and agency teams allows the judges to understand the strategy and business impact underpinning the submissions and get a sense of the passion and ingenuity for each entry.
The SMARTIES, which holds its Gala Event on 30th March 2023, turns nine this year and it’s over this time that it has seen the evolution of marketing from social media’s impact and Web 2.0 in the mid-2000s to the arrival of Web 3.0 and all its new tools and technology today.
Under the SMARTIES’ 7 core categories, the 33 subcategories include campaigns utilising new Intelligent devices, Experiential Tech, Integrated e-Commerce, Innovation and Personalisation, as well as Metaverse, Blockchain & NFTs categories which reflect the evolving marketing landscape.
With the Finalists agreed and Pitch Week now completed, the winners will be revealed at the SMARTIES Gala event on 30thMarch at the Maslow Hotel in Sandton. They will also receive an exclusively-designed SMARTIES NFT Award which they can share digitally, in addition to the physical award.
As the list is too long to publish here, the finalists can be viewed here.
Ogilvy South Africa wins Agency of the Year
Ogilvy claimed the top position at the annual Creative Circle Awards last week. The awards are judged by a wide range of leading local industry professionals, who review work produced across the entire year and across a multitude of disciplines.
Ogilvy clocked up wins in multiple categories including Design, Film, Digital and the prestigious Integrated category, underlining its impressive performance across the year and the quality of work it’s been producing for its clients during this period.
“We are immensely proud to win these honours at the Creative Circle Best of 2022. What a wonderful result for our teams who’ve been pervasively crafting a multitude of impactful campaigns and platforms for our clients. I’m exceptionally grateful to see this work continue to be recognised not only in the international awards for effectiveness and creativity, but also by our local industry peers. Thank you to the judges for this recognition and congratulations to our clients who have partnered us on the work, and who believe in the true power of creativity,” said Pete Case, Ogilvy creative chairperson and CEO.
Two of the biggest winners for Ogilvy included ‘Game On’ for Volkswagen and ‘Anything For The Taste’ for KFC, both receiving the highest accolades in judging and in multiple categories.
SABC VE congratulates Royalty Soapie Awards winners
SABC Video Entertainment scored 60 nominations in this year’s Royalty Soapie Awards, which saw Deirdre Wolhuter from 7de Laan walking away with the trophy for the Outstanding Female Villain for her portrayal of Mariaan Welman.
Paxton Kgomo, played by Thabiso Molokomme, made his debut on the SABC1 daily drama Skeem Saam last year, was voted by the viewers as the Viewer’s Choice Best Actor, and also nominated as the Outstanding Newcomer.
The Outstanding Supporting Actor award went to The Estate’s Sparky Xulu, who played the role of Siya Phakhathwayo.
Still, following in the voting categories, 7de Laan voted as the Most Popular Soapie, and Uzalo was the Most Watched Show.
In the Creative and Technical Categories, The Estate received the Outstanding Make-Up and Hair Styling awards, and uBettina Wethu received an award for Outstanding Art Direction.
SABC Video Entertainment also congratulates Generations – The Legacy creator Mfundi Vundla and veteran actress Connie Chiume as recipients of the Trailblazer Award and Lifetime Achievement Award, respectively.
Don’t miss all the Glitz and Glamour on SABC1 on Saturday, 25 March 2023, as we bring you the broadcast of The Royalty Soapie Awards.
Closing date extended for Design Futures Lab 2023 applications
The closing date for the second Design Futures Lab has been extended to 26 March 2023. After a successful inaugural Design Futures Lab, Electric South, Twyg, Korokoza, and Crossover Labs invite South African and Zimbabwean fashion practitioners (including accessories and footwear) to apply for the second Design Futures Lab.
This creative economy project, supported by the British Council #SouthernAfricaArts, allows for the worlds of fashion and immersive technology to merge in a radical exploration of storytelling, world-building, and reimagining futures by combining the skillsets of fashion practitioners and digital technologists. These narratives will help shape kinder, earth-friendly futures.
The lab programme will include both a sustainable fashion workshop and a digital lab that will challenge successful candidates to explore and expand their digital production skills in XR (extended reality). The lab will take place in-person from 9 – 12 May in Cape Town. The teams will have four months (May – August 2023) to complete their prototypes. Each team receives R60 000 for the development of their prototypes. Market access feedback will take place virtually in September 2023.
- To enter, complete and submit this form by 11.59pm SAST on 26 March 2023.
- All successful applicants will be notified by 3 April 2023.
- Each team must complete their digital prototype/proof of concept by 31 August 2023.
- For queries about the open call please contact info@electricsouth.org
SAB’s holding company wins Cannes Creative Marketer of the year for the second consecutive time
SAB’s holding company ABInBev has made history by being the first company to ever win the prestigious Cannes Lions Creative Marketer of the Year award for two consecutive years. SAB’s own Carling Black Label has made a meaningful contribution to this achievement by being recognised at Cannes Lions for its #NoExcuse platform.
The 2023 announcement comes off the back of the 2022 Creative Marketer of the Year title awarded to AB InBev at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Zoleka Lisa, VP of Corporate Affairs at SAB, said, “What we’re most proud of, is that we have been recognised for our cause-based creativity. Not only is this an important win for the company, but it also represents an evolution in beer marketing in which we champion responsibility, anchoring brands that operate with a deeper purpose, and shine a spotlight on societal issues.”
The #NoExcuse campaign lauded for its ingenuity and responsible marketing is both an outcome of Carling Black Label’s brand purpose and SAB’s commitment to responsible marketing through its SAB Sharp platform. The brewer is committed to using the power of its brands to accelerate positive change in harmful consumption behaviours.
The winning Carling Black Label entry showcased how the brand is solving societal challenges including GBV. It calls on men to become a champion for change in a country with an increasing problem.
Registration opens for Cannes Young Lions competition
Ster-Kinekor is on the lookout for the country’s leading young creative talent for an opportunity to showcase local excellence on the global stage. As the official local representative for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the country’s leading cinema chain is once again sponsoring the Film category of the Young Lions competition this year.
“The Young Lions competition gives the next generation of industry superstars the chance to prove themselves answering a charity brief under intense pressure over a 48-hour period,” says Lynne Wylie, Chief Marketing Officer of Ster-Kinekor.
Registration for this year’s competition is now open. The search is on for teams comprising two young professionals (such as an art director and a copywriter), both aged 31 years old or younger (i.e. born on or after 23 June 1992), and who are currently employed and working in a creative, advertising, production or digital agency.
The teams of two must register here for the South African Young Lions competition – Film Category. Registration is now open and will close on Thursday, 30 March 2023. Send your registration to younglions@sterkinekor.com.
A brief will be published on Friday 31 March 2023 from 12:00 noon on the Ster-Kinekor website. Once the brief goes live, your team will have just 48 hours to conceptualise, film, edit and deliver a 30/45/60-second commercial on the topic provided. All creative entries must be submitted by Monday 03 April 2023 before 12:00. Once you have sent in your entry, it’s all up to the judges, comprising a panel of industry experts and professionals.
The winning entry, as judged by the panel, will be announced in mid-April 2023. If your team is the one that makes the final cut, the two of you will go on to represent South Africa at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, taking place in Cannes France from 19 – 23 June. There you will compete against other winning teams from around the world for the ultimate prestige of being crowned this year’s Film Young Lions.
Ukraine/Poland war thriller drama ‘Unspoken’ wins Series Mania co-pitching sessions
Laurence Herszberg, founder and general director of Series Mania, and professional jury president Caroline Hollick (United Kingdom), Head of Drama, Channel 4, has announced the winning project of Series Mania Forum’s annual Co-Pro Pitching Sessions. Of the 15 projects selected and pitched on the first day of Series Mania Forum, the industry arm of the Series Mania Festival, the jury team selected the Ukraine/Poland war thriller drama Unspoken (6 X 30’) as winner of the Series Mania Forum Best Project Award.
Unspoken is produced by Dmytro Sukhanov, Toy Cinema (Ukraine), Natalia Libet, 2Brave Productions (Ukraine) and Anna Rożalska, Match&Spark (Poland). Written by Zhanna Ozirna and Filip Syczyński.
“The winning project united the judges unanimously with the raw, emotional intensity of the storytelling. The powerful, relatable tale of a father prepared to go to any lengths to save his family was a bold and original take on the most urgent subject matter of our time,” commented Hollick.
“The Co-Pro Pitching Sessions are one of the most anticipated part of the Series Mania Forum and we are delighted to be giving the €50,000 prize to Unspoken. We are extremely pleased that our illustrious jury chose to give the award to a Ukrainian project which is very much connected with what is going on in Ukraine today. And despite this war, Ukraine, its creators, and its culture, is still very much alive and another reason to admire the courage of the Ukrainian people,” commented Herszberg.
Unspoken is a war thriller series based on current events in Ukraine. It tells the heart-rending story of a man who is trying to save his family from the grave danger of the Russian invasion.
