Awards Wrap: Agency Scope SA trophy winners, Nando’s and VMLY&R score big while Helm and DStv gain Silver success at MMA EMEA SMARTIES, South Africa emerges as a collegiate powerhouse at International Student Broadcasting Championship

The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media.

AGENCY SCOPE SOUTH AFRICA 2023/24 prestigious trophy winners announced

For the first time in South Africa, AGENCY SCOPE will be replacing certificates with trophies for the winners in six of its categories, having introduced trophies internationally six months ago.

The six trophies include three for creative agencies and three for media agencies, awarded for leading creative agency and leading media agency, judged by overall market perception; overall client satisfaction; and overall competitors’ opinion.

“We have always awarded certificates to winning agencies, whether they are subscribed to Agency Scope or not. Due to the excitement with which agencies received their certificates, SCOPEN decided to match their enthusiasm and award trophies,” said SCOPEN president and CEO César Vacchiano.

Johanna McDowell, CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) and SCOPEN partner, notes that the trophies are “indicative of the value that we ascribe to those particular category winners.

“AGENCY SCOPE is designed for agencies to benefit in terms of being able to make improvements in their offerings; to tackle tricky issues that may crop up. The trophies are accolade for these achievements, which can be proudly displayed in the workplace.”

• Ogilvy South Africa is the LEADING CREATIVE AGENCY in OVERALL MARKET PERCEPTION & OVERALL COMPETITOR´S OPINION in South Africa
• Carat South Africa is the LEADING MEDIA AGENCY in OVERALL MARKET PERCEPTION in South Africa
• Promise Agency is the LEADING CREATIVE AGENCY in OVERALL CLIENT SATISFACTION in South Africa

Nando’s and VMLY&R score big, while Helm and DStv gain Silver success at MMA EMEA SMARTIES Awards

South Africa took home the goods on 30 November as Nando’s SA & VMLY&R SA took top honours at the MMA EMEA SMARTIES Awards in Berlin, Germany. The brand pair received Golds in Cross Digital Media Marketing and Brand Experience and a Silver in Real Time Marketing for their ‘Nando’s Bright Side’ work while customer experience company Helm and long-standing partners DStv received Silver in the Customer Experience category for its ‘DStv Assist’ campaign.

KFC and Yonder also received a Bronze for their ‘KFC Micro Soccer: Unlocking the power of connected brands’. The Awards were received by entrants that covered the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions (EMEA) and the South Africa 2022 SMARTIES winners went up against the region’s best to win big on the night.

Silver winners Helm and DStv also impressed the international judges with their DStv Assist work which radically changed the self-service experience for 4.7 million South Africans since its launch, and currently solves queries of 1.2 million South Africans every month. With that many users now able to problem-solve via WhatsApp, it’s no surprise that the average customer satisfaction score is at an all-time high of 77%.

Helm head of marketing, Stef Adonis, attributed the success of the project to positive and radical change. “Five years ago, a DStv customer would have to phone a call centre, take out their smartcard, unplug their decoder and wait in a queue to clear a decoder error. Today, they can do that in 30 seconds without leaving their couch – all thanks to a smart use of technology, a well-chosen WhatsApp platform, and a DStv team who are committed to making the self-service experience as good as the viewing experience.”

Brands that made the qualifiers’ cut in the 2023/4 Marketing Achievement Awards announced

The 2023/4 Marketing Achievement Awards (MAA) has entered the next round, with the publication of the qualifiers’ list for the 12 main award categories. Entrants had to achieve an average score of 70% or more on the judges’ scorecards to make the cut and qualify for the awards. These entrants are now invited to the awards evening, where both the finalists as well as the overall winner for each category will be announced.

These categories include Excellence in Resourceful Marketing, New Product or Brand Launch, Strategic Sponsorship Marketing, South African Resonance Marketing, Marketing Innovation, Purpose-led Marketing, Brand Positioning, Integrated Marketing, Digital Brand Marketing, Reputation Management and Internal Marketing.

The adjudication process was overseen by leading South African marketing experts, who described the process as ‘thorough and robust’. Each entry was meticulously evaluated against the qualifying criteria, with judges fiercely debating the merits of the top-scoring submissions – all of which demonstrated great resilience in the face of post-pandemic challenges and prevailing economic headwinds.

A second adjudication process is currently underway to ascertain the finalists in the MAA Leadership Awards. The adjudication committees are conducting online interviews with nominees and their colleagues to gain insights into the marketers and their impactful work.

Event ticket details will be announced in January 2024, with the grand awards celebration and the announcement of all the winners confirmed for 29 February 2024.

The full qualifiers’ list is attached or  available here: Marketing-Achievement-Awards-2023-Qualifiers.pdf (marketingawards.co.za)

Jacaranda FM Remains One Of Mzansi’s Favourite Radio Stations With 3 SA Radio Awards

RAMP Media has wrapped up the International Student Broadcasting Championship 2023 (ISBC), culminating in a spectacular celebration of student talent, global collaboration, and industry recognition. The live-streamed Winners Ceremony showcased a diverse array of winners, highlighting the global nature of the competition.

Launched in October on World College Radio Day, ISBC has not only met but exceeded expectations. With a social reach of over 1.2 million for this year’s campaign and a rapidly growing following, ISBC has made an indelible mark on the global student broadcasting landscape.

South Africa emerged as a powerhouse in the International Student Broadcasting Championship (ISBC) with two universities and one high school clinching a total of six awards on a national scale. This achievement places South Africa in an impressive third position globally, following the USA and the UK, among the 35 potential award categories.

Phillip Vinciullo, Founder of ISBC, commended the achievements, stating, “This remarkable performance by South African institutions emphasizes the diverse and impactful contributions from around the world. We look forward to witnessing further growth and innovation in the coming years.”

• Best Community Initiative – Tuks FM at University of Pretoria 
  
• Best New Podcast – The Sex Show – Tuks FM at the University of Pretoria in SA 
  
• The ‘Peoples Choice’ for best On-Air Talent – Tshepang Moji – Tuks FM University of Pretoria in SA 
  
• Best Audio Production – Imaging- Thomas Hele UCT radio at the University of Cape Town in South Africa: 
  
•  Best Voiceover – Mthawlenga Agberryoogoo UCT
• Best Station Website – Red Radio – Redhill School in South Africa

5FM presenter wins big at International Student Broadcast Championship

BIG news that one of the new additions to the 5FM team, 5 Weekend Early Mornings host for Saturdays, Tshepang Moji, was voted the People’s Choice Talent Winner for the inaugural International Student Broadcast Championship (ISBC) for his work at Tuks FM.

The ISBC is an international student broadcast award, that recognise student broadcasters on campus radio stations around the world.  Tshepi was nominated amongst presenters from the UK, Phillipines and USA !

Cheers to marketing excellence as SAB wins 20 Assegai Awards

Winning an Assegai Award is a “mark of victory in integrated marketing excellence”, according to the organisers of the event, with the ultimate goal of raising the bar for the marketing industry. One company, that did just that, was the South African Breweries, who clinched not one, or two, but 20 awards.

SAB’s wins highlighted the brewery’s best-in-class entries and its work in achieving industry greatness through various campaigns. The awards were split between eight Gold wins, three Leader wins, seven Silver wins, and two Bronze wins.

Vaughan Croeser, vice president, Marketing said, “It is such an honour to be recognised as leaders in our category by winning 20 awards. Marketing is an ever-evolving industry, and these achievements underscore our commitment to innovation, creativity, and breakthrough strategy. As a team we are constantly pushing boundaries and to receive this kind of recognition not only validates our efforts but also inspires us to keep trailblazing in our industry.”

The eight Gold and three Leader awards were:

• In the category, Experiential, Carling Black Label Foam Knows, won Gold
• In the category, Experiential, Carling Cup – Talk Up Your Team, won Gold
• In the category, Campaign for CSR, Social Good, Castle Lager, Bread of the Nation, won Gold
• In the category, Food & Beverage, Castle Lager, Bread of the Nation, won Gold
• In the category, Integrated Campaign, Castle Lager – Bread of the Nation, won Gold
• In the category, Shared Value, Castle Lager – Bread of the Nation, won Gold
• In the category, social media, Castle Lite – Liten Up, won Gold.
• In the category, Video Content, Castle Lite – Liten Up, won Gold
• In the category, Food & Beverage, Castle Lite – Liten Up, was named Leader
• In the category, Food & Beverage, SAB Castle Lite – Don’t Accept Whatever, was named Leader
• In the category, Video Content, SAB Castle Lite – Don’t Accept Whatever, was named Leader

Another notable achievement was the ‘Brand of the Year’ category, where Castle Lager won silver place.

Agency of the Year Double Double for Levergy

Levergy, South Africa’s leading passion marketing agency, has closed off 2023 in style, walking away with the coveted Specialised Agency of the Year at the Financial Mail AdFocus Awards and the Agency of the Year title at the Hollard Sport Industry Awards – a double feat achieved for the second consecutive year. Additionally, the agency achieved a record-equalling total of nine Sport Industry awards, with Levergy’s fifth Agency of the Year title (achieved in a seven-year period) becoming the most by any agency.

Levergy entered the Hollard Sport Industry Awards with 31 nominations across 16 categories, with client partner Telkom being the big winner on the night; walking away with Brand of the Year, Campaign of the Year, Event Sponsorship of the Year, and Team Sponsorship of the Year award for their involvement in the 2023 Netball World Cup.  The event also saw Nedbank claim the Social Impact award for the ‘Runified’ campaign and the Tech Innovation award for their ‘Virtual Country Club’ at the Nedbank Golf Challenge. It was rounded off with the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup claiming the Communications and Best in Social awards for Levergy’s ‘Turn it Up’ campaign.

Melissa Daniels, managing director of Levergy, said: “Our success is not only a reflection of our capabilities but also a testament to the strong partnerships we’ve cultivated with our clients. Working hand-in-hand with brands like Telkom and Nedbank has been instrumental in achieving our shared goals. This recognition is as much theirs as it is ours.”

Two South Africans in Gerety Awards’ the 2024 Grand Jury

Respected and admired leaders of the advertising and marketing world join the Grand Jury for the 6th edition of the award. More than 40 different countries will be represented in the jury to be announced.

 “Gerety brings together another incredible list of judges from all around the globe to look at work from a powerful perspective,” explained co-founder Lucía Ongay. “The only judging criteria at Gerety is originality of the creative ideas and the quality of their executions. We cannot wait to award again the best campaigns”.

The jury includes South Africans Rachel Manchu Motloung, Senior Marketing Manager at Nedbank South Africa and Ana Rocha, executive creative director, VMLY&R Cape Town. 

South African Filmmaker, Dan Mace, brings two trophies at the 8^th Annual Shorty Impact Awards in Los Angeles

South African filmmaker and Youtuber, Dan Mace, founder of JOE and the chief creative officer at Beast Philanthropy, stepped on stage with Darren Margolias, executive director at Beast Philanthropy, in Los Angeles to accept two prestigious Shorty Impact Awards.

Their film ‘We Adopted an Orphanage,’ created to showcase the work done by MrBeast and Beast Philanthropy took home the Global Impact of the Year Award and the Audience Honor Award on the YouTube platform at the 8^th Annual Shorty Impact Awards ceremony.

The first video in the series about the Baphumelele orphanage aired on the 11 January 2023 – ‘We Saved an Orphanage’ – helped raise R10 million to rebuild the children’s home in Khayelitsha, saving the children from asbestos poisoning and renovating all 13 houses at the orphanage.

This video received more than 17 million views and as it continually grows so do the donations to the upkeep of the orphanage. Seven months later, after changing the lives of the children at the orphanage and its founder, Mama Rosie, the team released a second video – ‘We Adopted an Orphanage’ – to continue raising awareness to ensure the children’s home remained successful and sustainable. The goal was to create collaborations with organisations from around the world to ensure the orphanage received consistent, essential support.

 The Global Impact of the Year Award and the Audience Honor Award on the YouTube platform recognises how effortlessly the video captures Beast Philanthropy’s unwavering commitment to positive and sustainable change.

Joe Public awarded overall Agency of the Year at the 2023 Financial Mail AdFocus Awards

Joe Public was awarded Overall Agency of the Year, Large Agency of the Year as well as theTransformation Award at this year’s 2023 Financial Mail AdFocus Awards.

The Financial Mail AdFocus Awards have been showcasing success in the South African marketing and communications landscape since 1990. The awards recognise agencies and individuals not just for their creative and marketing abilities but for their business excellence. This year’s theme was ‘the alchemy of AI, data and DNA’ – with Joe Public proving that creative talent in the industry is very much needed and that transformation is happening at our fingertips.

According to the AdFocus judges, “Joe Public stood out for its continued creative success, its growth on the back of the Nedbank digital account win, and for its strong transformation story.”

“We believe that creativity thrives on unexpected relationships between diverse ideas, people and points of view, so in this regard, we are equally proud to have been awarded the Transformation Award, as we are for being recognised as Large Agency of the Year, and Overall Agency of the Year.  We see diversity as the cornernstone of creativity and a critical ingredient in delivering on our purpose of serving the growth of our people, our clients and our country, through the power of creativity,” commented Khuthala Gala Holten, co-managing director, Joe Public.

Ogilvy & Carling Black Label win the Partnership Award at the 2023 AdFocus Awards

Every year the AdFocus Awards celebrate a strong and enduring partnership between a brand and agency. This year the accolade went to Ogilvy’s long term partnership with Carling Black Label.

Arné Rust, brand director for Carling Black Label, commented, “As marketers, we often discuss the bravery required to create exceptional work, and that is absolutely true. What is less frequently mentioned is the trust essential for being brave. True courage emerges when you have unwavering trust in yourself and your team, empowering you to push the limits. Carling Black Label and Ogilvy share a level of trust that I have not encountered in any other brand or company, and I take great pride in the legacy we have built together.”

One highlight of this evolving platform was the introduction of the #NoExcuse platform, alongside a shift in society towards toxic masculinity. The platform aimed to directly shine a light on intimate partner violence in South Africa, where 1 in 3 women face abuse each year. In its first year, the brand reached 38 million people with its message, recorded an increase in women willing to report intimate partner violence, as well as an increase in men committing to stand against intimate partner violence. In parallel, the campaign also resulted in a significant increase in brand equity, achieving the highest recorded brand equity score in the brand’s history. This accelerated Carling Black Label to the number 1 spot for brand power in the entire beer category.

“Alongside the powerful work we’ve produced together, we’ve also experienced impressive levels of sales growth. Our brand affinity and brand power scores are also at their highest ever, putting us in the top spot in brand power,” Arné added.

Anzisha Prize invites SA’s green entrepreneurs to apply for funding 

The Anzisha Prize, the biggest award on the continent for very young entrepreneurs aged 15 to 22, has just announced the opening of applications for its upcoming funding cycle. This time, the focus is on green entrepreneurs who combines innovation and sustainability, and are passionate about making a positive impact on the environment.

A green entrepreneur is an individual who identifies and develops business opportunities that address environmental challenges their communities face while also generating financial profits. They are driven by a passion for sustainability and a commitment to creating a positive impact. The category also covers a broad range of sectors, including but not limited to, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, waste management, food upcycling, and eco-friendly product development.

“In recent years, the impacts of the climate crisis and environmental destruction have become all too visible to South Africans,” says Didi Onwu, managing editor of the Anzisha Prize. “From the floods that ravaged Kwa-Zulu Natal in 2022 to the drought that brought Gqebergha close to its own Day Zero, our impact on the natural world cannot be ignored. At the Anzisha Prize, we’ve always believed that innovative entrepreneurs are key to solving some of the world’s biggest issues, including those concerning climate and the environment.”

Applications for the fellowship, which can be found online, close on 30 December, with the new fellows announced in June 2024.

Topco Media announced winners of the Future of HR Awards 2023

Topco Media, a leading events and media company, proudly hosted the Future of HR Awards 2023 on 23 November at the prestigious Maslow Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg with over 150 attendees, MC’d by Mokoena Moloto.

In this opening address, Ralf Fletcher, CEO of Topco Media emphasised the transformative role of HR in shaping the future of work. He stated, “It’s the people’s practices that allowed organisations to attract and retain the talent that achieved these results.” Reflecting on the conference, Fletcher highlighted the global competition for highly skilled talent and the need to showcase and celebrate African talent in the face of evolving challenges.