The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media.
#5FMWarCryChamps back due to massive demand
5FM, South Africa’s favourite youth radio station, is back with the second instalment of the ultimate showcase of high school spirit: The 5FM War Cry Championship, brought to you by Standard Bank.
After an immensely successful inaugural event last year—one that even caught the attention of international celebrities like A$AP Ferg, Queen Latifah, and Sharon Stone—this year’s championship promises to be even bigger and louder! With close to 5.5 million views across social media, the 5FM 5 War Cry Championship proved that South African schools have some serious GEES.
The reigning champions, St Stithians Girls’ College, set the bar high in 2024, but now it’s time for a new battle. 5FM is calling all high school students to step up, showcase their gwijo power, and prove that their school has what it takes to be crowned the 2025 #5FMWarCryChamps champions.
This year, there will be overall winner awards in three categories – best girls, boys and co-ed schools – so it’s time to get creative, get loud, and see who will take home not only the title, but also R10 000 in cold, hard cash for the winning school in each category, which they can keep or donate to a charity that the school actively supports, and 5FM’s presenters rocking the party at the school’s matric dance. That’s a whopping R30 000 in prize money, courtesy of Standard Bank, and three massively epic parties with 5FM on the decks.
This year, 5 Breakfast with Nick Hamman, airing weekdays from 6-9am, will be bringing you all that’s hot and happening in the world of war cries.
Schools can enter by submitting their war cry video via the 5FM app. Entries close on Sunday, 23 March.
“Last year’s championship was nothing short of electrifying,” says 5FM and Good Hope FM Business Manager, Masi Mdingane. “We were blown away by the enthusiasm, creativity, and sheer energy that schools brought to the competition. 5FM is all about championing the passions of South Africa’s youth, and we can’t wait to see the next round of contenders bring the heat!”
For more on the 5FM 5 War Cry Championship, prizes, and Ts & Cs, stay tuned to 5FM, download the 5FM app for iOS and Android, visit www.5fm.co.za, and follow 5FM across all social media platforms.
IAB South Africa Assembles Dream Team for the 2025 Bookmark Awards Jury
The Interactive Advertising Bureau South Africa (IAB SA) has welcomed nine Jury chairs and a full panel of judges, alongside Elizabeth Mokwena as the Jury President for the 17th annual Bookmark Awards, set to take place in August 2025.
With 14 years of experience in the FMCG industry, Mokwena brings deep expertise and strategic vision to her role as Jury President. As the Home Care Executive Marketing Director for Unilever Africa, she has played a key role in adapting global brands for the African market while also bringing African brands to the world. Passionate about brand-building, she is committed to shaping the future and mentoring the next generation of African leaders.
“Digital innovation holds the power to transform industries and elevate brands to new heights. As we move into 2025, I am excited to witness how creativity continues to shape the digital landscape and drive measurable impact. The Bookmark Awards present a unique opportunity to celebrate those who are pushing boundaries, setting new standards, and building the future of marketing. I’m truly honoured to be a part of this journey and to recognize the brilliance that is defining tomorrow’s digital world,” says Mokwena.
To guide the judging panel with expertise and insight, nine industry professionals have been appointed as Jury Chairs.
- Carl Willoughby, Chief Creative Officer, TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris
- Deshnie Govender, Global Marketing Manager at TikTok
- Insaaf Khan, Chief Growth Officer, VML South Africa
- Jerusha Raath, Publisher, News24
- Jeanette Grove, Director: Digital, Content & Creative, Instinctiff Partners Africa
- Senzo Xulu, Head of Digital, The Odd Number
- Alex Goldberg, Creative Partner, Ogilvy South Africa
- Paula Hulley, Managing Director, Digitas Liquorice
- Jabulani Sigege Group Executive Creative Director, Machine_
The Jury Chairs will represent diverse areas of panels and expertise, ensuring that every entry is evaluated with the highest standards of creativity, effectiveness, and technical execution. The 2025 panels include the Marketers Panel, Marketing Craft, Performance Marketing, Publishers, Social, Community & Influencer Marketing, Youth Action, Builders, Innovative Engineers, and Special Honours.
Key dates for the 2025 Bookmark Awards
- Standard Entry Deadline: March 31, 2025
- Late Entry Period: April 1 – April 16, 2025
For more information about the Bookmark Awards and entry submissions, please visit thebookmarks.iabsa.net
Simply Black Côte d’Ivoire Wins Bronze at Pikasso d’Or Awards
Simply Black Côte d’Ivoire has been awarded Bronze in the Digital Campaign category at the 2024 Pikasso d’Or Awards for its work on French multinational Bel’s Back to School campaign. The award recognises the team’s ability to develop and execute effective digital marketing strategies that drive engagement and deliver measurable results.
The Back to School campaign was designed to connect with parents and students through targeted digital placements, ensuring strong visibility and interaction. The Simply Black team – led by Marieme Faye – focused on precision targeting, data-driven content, and optimised ad placements to maximise reach and impact.
“This recognition reflects the strength of our digital strategy and the hard work of our team,” said Issa Bamba, Managing Partner at Simply Black Côte d’Ivoire. “We focused on delivering a campaign that was not just creative but also strategically positioned to achieve clear business objectives. Winning Bronze at the Pikasso d’Or Awards reinforces our commitment to delivering results for our clients.”
The Pikasso d’Or Awards celebrate the most effective Out-of-Home (OOH) and Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) campaigns across multiple regions, including West Africa, North Africa, the Levant, and Italy. The awards are a benchmark for excellence in media placement, creative execution, and campaign impact.
University of Pretoria’s Rachel van Zyl swoops up top prize at the 2025 SAICE National IP Showdown
The 2025 SAICE National Intellectual Property (IP) Showdown, a much-coveted event where final-year Civil Engineering students from leading universities across the country go head-to-head presenting their groundbreaking research projects – all for the chance to win a substantial cash prize – took place on 6 March at Wits University, Johannesburg this year.
This year’s SAICE IP Showdown winner, final year student Rachel van Zyl, from the University of Pretoria, caught the eye of the judges when she asked them to picture a world where every drop of rain on a roof is captured and conserved, maximising one of South Africa’s most precious resources, and introduced the possibility of the percentage volume of harvested rainwater dependent not only on the characteristics of a roof but also on the unique properties of each rainfall.
Second and third prizes went to Reeyaz Martin, from the University of Cape Town and Abraham Louw from Stellenbosch University respectively for their IP projects on Nutrient Trading from Source-Separated Human Urine and Enhancing Extreme Rainfall Event Estimation in South Africa.
SAICE 2025 President, Friedrich Slabbert, encouraged the finalists to continue to “think beyond technical feasibility, consider society and the impact of what they desire. And secondly, to prioritise equity alongside efficiency, with the aim to design not just for today but for the future.”
