The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media industry.
Meltwater Selected as Finalist for Africa Tech: Technology Company of the Year 2020
Meltwater is a finalist for this year’s Africa Tech Week Awards, in the Technology Company of the Year category.
“We are thrilled that Meltwater has been recognised as a Finalist for the Technology Company of the Year Award. 2020 has been a big year for us from a product perspective, as a global leader in our space we are proud to be able bring the the most innovative and cutting-edge solutions to the African market and we are grateful for this recognition. Thank you, Africa Tech Week, for this prestigious acknowledgement,” said Matthew Barclay, Africa area director for Meltwater.
The Africa Tech Awards celebrates candidates who represent the best in the African Tech landscape. In response to the global pandemic and as part of ongoing innovation the summit and awards have become a two-day virtual event.
Winner of the IAS Agency Credentials Award for 2020 is FoxP2
The Assegai Integrated Marketing Awards, in conjunction with the IAS (Independent Agency Search and Selection) has announced FoxP2 as the winner of the prestigious IAS Agency Credentials Award.
Although this award was inaugurated in 2016, IAS recently revitalised their relationship with the Direct Marketing Association of South Africa (DMASA) – organisers of the Assegai Awards – in order to relaunch the IAS Credentials Award this year.
Judges included several leading South African marketers as well as international judge Cesar Vacchiano, who is president and Global CEO of SCOPEN International. Nikki Munsie, business director and Hlamazi Mabunda, project director of the IAS,were also part of the judging panel.
According to Vacchiano “The judges were quite specific about the criteria and the winning entry certainly displayed evidence of an agency that was clear about their focus and positioning. The FoxP2 credentials entry provided the judges with insight into the agency culture and the successes of the work that they are doing for their clients. ROI was clearly evident.”
Call for SAFTAs jury for 2021
The South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) has extended a call to the South African film and television industry to nominate or submit individuals who will form part of the SAFTAs jury.
The SAFTAs jury will be tasked with the enormous responsibility of maintaining the integrity of the SAFTAs judging process and ensuring judging is conducted following the highest film and television awards standards.
The nominated individuals will also need to be fully engaged in the judging process to ensure a credible process.
Judging will take place during 1 February – 2 April 2021.For more information or submission, contact Stacey Takane: staceyl@nfvf.co.za by the 10 January 2021, 17h00.
Discovery Networks announces shortlisted filmmakers as part of Discovery RISE competition
Launched at Jozi Film Festival, the competition shines a global spotlight on Save the Children South Africa and its partners
Discovery Networks, in partnership with the Jozi Film Festival (JFF) and Save the Children South Africa (SCSA), today announced the shortlisted filmmakers as part of the recently announced Discovery RISE competition.
10 filmmakers were matched with 10 storytellers (beneficiaries, partners and staff) from SCSA, who embarked on a journey to share each tale, having received a R10,000 contribution from Discovery RISE to go toward their production. Now completed, the films are available to be watched by the public, who will vote for their favourite and decide on the winning film. Each of the storytellers also received a contribution towards their academic or professional development.
“Over 250 responses were received”, says JFF Founder and Organiser, Lisa Henry, “out of which 10 filmmakers were chosen for their passion and vision – “people whose one-pager motivations touched me in some way and who I thought would embrace this kind of project”.
The films can be watched and voted for at https://jozifilmfestival.com, with voting closing on 10 December at 12:00pm (CAT). The stories can also be watched across Discovery’s portfolio of channels in South Africa, including Discovery Channel, Discovery Family, Food Network, HGTV, ID, Real Time, TLC and Travel Channel. The winner will be announced on 11 December.
The shortlisted filmmakers, and the stories they’re sharing, are:
PAPA WA NGWANA by Andrew Hofmeyr (Johannesburg)
A young woman acknowledges the power she harnesses inside her, in spite of her experiences. Recalling a time when she felt proud of her achievements, and the loss she suffered shortly after, she reminds herself she is here to continue her dream.
STATELESS by Anele Hlongwane (Cape Town)
This story is about a young man living in South Africa, whose family is originally from Mozambique. Even though he’s lived in the country for well over a decade – having arriving on his parent’s passport – he has not been able to get South African citizenship and does not have Mozambique identification. Equally, he’s unable to leave the country.
MA MAPULA by Colin Macrae (Cape Town)
Mama Mapula runs an informal bridging school that caters largely to migrant children who are waiting to access formal education. She has also expanded her work to include young women’s empowerment and a senior support group.
WAITING TO BLOOM by Fidel Tshivhasa (Pretoria)
In 2010, a young woman arrives in South Africa with her mother and four siblings, following the death of their father. Eight years later, her mother also passed away. Today, she faces ongoing tribulations with health, and money for food and rent, in addition to the challenges associated with being an undocumented migrant.
RISE SONTO RISE by Grant Scissons & Shahir Chundra (Johannesburg)
A 20-year-old youth reporter living in QwaQwa, Free State, who took part in a Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Programme with Save the Children South Africa asks herself, “how can we stop unwelcome behaviour, if we can’t even articulate what it is?” Since participating, the programme has influenced her to speak out on behalf of those whose voices could not be heard, as she works to empower women to break the cycle of gender-based norms, and amplify the voices of all women in her community
THE BEAUTY IN PLIGHT by Kabelo Ramputa (Pretoria)
Professor Lesiba Mantsaung is the founder and chairperson of a Christian Women’s Ministry, the Child and Youth Care Centre, which he founded in 2008. The centre accommodates unaccompanied and separated migrant children, which for many, this bridging house is a place of sanctuary and support as families recoup.
PAIN TO ASHES by Londiwe Shange (Pietermaritzburg)
A young girl, grappling with the harsh realities of life, confronts the trauma of her past by going on a journey of self-discovery. This is a touching tribute and offer of support, to her younger self.
DIFFUSE by Naomi Gumede (Durban)
A triumphant 17-year-old girl who was tired of being worried, scared and not being allowed to take a breath and grasp the glory she deserves, powers through life’s hurdles as she fights for a chance for a better life. What makes her even more extraordinary is her dedication to fight for her family and everyone around her too.
LEARNING TO TEACH by Rapelang Ntamu (Johannesburg)
Nthabiseng, a student teacher, joined the Save the Children South Africa District Based Recruitment Strategy (DBTRS) Project in Qwa-Qwa, Free State. The project takes student teachers from various universities to test and apply differential teacher training in the district. The aim: to keep teachers informed, prepared to handle their classrooms and employed in the same district. A win-win for learners and teachers.
ZERO TO FIVE by Tamarin Gerrierty (Johannesburg)
Phindile Zulu is a project coordinator at Save the Children South Africa and works in the Sireletsa Bana Project in Limpopo. The project, targeting maternal and child nutrition, impacts communities in Limpopo and the Free State, through the support of parents, caregivers, Community Health Care Workers and ECCD practitioners.
The winning film will be announced on 11 December, with the winning filmmaker walking away with state-of-the-art filming equipment to the value of approximately R50,000. All of the SCSA storytellers taking part will also receive educational tablets from Discovery RISE.
Commenting on the films, Henry Windridge, Senior Director: Marketing, Digital & Creative, EMEA Pay TV & Global Brands, Discovery, said: “We at Discovery are delighted to be airing these 10 outstanding short films across our portfolio of channels later on this month. The poignant ways in which these children’s lives have been so positively impacted as a result of their relationship with Save the Children South Africa fully encompasses everything that we are trying to achieve with Discovery RISE globally. And we are thrilled to be using our local platforms to spread the word and to help tell these stories”
We thank Save the Children South Africa for allowing us to tell these stories, and to Jozi Film Festival for helping us to bring this to life. Lastly, we thank the public for embracing each of these filmmakers and the stories being told, and for showing their support to the cause and to the creative craft by voting for their favourite film.”
The personal accounts are moving, uplifting and revealing, in keeping with Save the Children South Africa’s mission to amplify children’s voices. “These are not doom-and-gloom stories,” says Dianne van der Tuin, partnerships manager at Save the Children South Africa. “When you watch these films, it is not about feeling sorry for the story tellers – they have overcome and shown such resilience. The whole premise of our work is the future. So we’re excited about telling these wonderful stories, and about changing minds and how people see undocumented minors and other vulnerable groups.”
Launched to help shine a global spotlight on SCSA and the incredible work that they do, Discovery RISE (Reducing Inequalities and Supporting Empowerment) is a global initiative focused on reducing inequality and supporting empowerment around the world. In South Africa, the RISE initiative supports SCSA, an organisation established in 2013 to fight for children’s rights.
Voting is now open and closes on 10 December at 12:00pm (CAT).
SMARTIES’ Judges announced as record number of entry submissions received
The countdown to the 2020 SMARTIES Awards – a celebration of talent that honours global innovation, creativity and success – has begun, and its 26 judges are undertaking their final rounds of assessments to announce the winners on 9 December. This year a record number of entries, at 370 across 16 categories, was received, demonstrating the value that winning a SMARTIES Award affords.
“To win a SMARTIES Award is an outward sign of mobile marketing expertise, mastery of the medium and the ability to drive results. Winners demonstrate power over the medium – effectively weaving together a great idea, compelling creative and air-tight execution – to deliver significant business results,” explained Luisa Mazinter, MMA Chair Emeritus and judge chair for the SMARTIES 2020 Awards.
On the judging process, Mazinter explains that the aim for Round 2 is for the judges to evaluate and score the 160 shortlisted campaigns that made it through from Round 1, so the MMA SA can arrive at the top scoring finalist campaigns in each of the 16 SMARTIES categories.
The SMARTIES’ judging is unique as the focus is on the impact mobile has on business results, which is evident in the way the judging criteria allocates 40% of all awarded points to Business Results, while Creativity, Strategy and Execution account for 20% each.
The top scoring 160 shortlisted campaigns in Round 2 are now being evaluated by the following senior marketers.
- Sarah Utermark – Opera
- Dudu Mokholo – Samsung
- Kerry Ho-Van Rensburg – Massmart
- Linda Appie – TymeBank
- Kim Garland – Standard Bank
- Media: Brought to you in Partnership with Standard Bank
- Sagren Pather – Standard Bank
- Zia Namooya – Mindshare
- Bruno Bertrand – Estee Lauder
- Suhayl Limbada – KFC
- Lunga Ngcime – Telkom
- Angelique Lynch – Autotrader/OLX
- John Bradshaw – Pick n Pay
- Technology: Brought to you in Partnership with MTN
- Jason Probert – MTN
- Phumzile Van Damme – DA Shadow Minister Communications and Digital Technology
- Francois Botha – Shoprite
- Michael Walker – GumTree
- Beyers van de Merwe – Pep
- Business Unusual: Brought to you in Partnership with Facebook
- Elizma Nolte – Facebook
- Phil Cohen – ABSA
- Lindy Rudman – Vodacom
- Audrey Naidoo – ABSA
- Sadika Fakir – Tiger Brands
- Jenny Pheiffer – Standard Bank
- Darren Hampton – Nando’s
Corporate Image clinches Best Public Affairs & Reputation Management Company award
Corporate Image has been awarded as Best Public Affairs & Reputation Management Company in South Africa at the MEA Business Awards 2020.
Hosted by MEA Markets, the agency was subject to a rigorous internal vetting procedure. The extensive research and judging process is driven by merit and centred around an in-depth evaluation of skills and services on offer.
Awardees must demonstrate expertise within their field, dedication to customer service and a commitment to promoting excellence. Award winners are not determined by popularity of votes, but by their contributions to their industry.
“This award is evidence of our commitment to excellence in reputation building and management as well as crisis communications, which we put to work daily among our pool of clients – including some of the country’s largest corporates, most of which are JSE-listed,” said CEO and founder, Tamra Capstick-Dale.
The MediaShop: Most awarded at this year’s Assegais
On the back of being named Network Media Agency of the Year at the AdFocus Awards, The MediaShop has claimed victory again at the Assegai Awards, entering and winning five awards, making it the most awarded media agency on the night.
Originating in 1998, the Assegai Awards acknowledge and award Integrated Marketing campaigns that deliver exceptional results.
Chris Botha, group managing director at Park Advertising, said the team at The MediaShop could be exceptionally proud. “The team should be, and are, bursting with pride today. Winning awards on the back of solid, innovative campaigns that provide a real return on investment for our clients is extremely rewarding and confirms that the agency is consistently making a difference to our client’s bottom lines – by thinking differently.”
The MediaShop received four Leader Awards for clients Debonairs, Fishaways, DSTV and SA Tourism and one Silver Award for DStv.
The MediaShop wins Network Media Agency of the Year
For the third time in the past four years, The MediaShop has been awarded Network Media Agency of the Year at the 2020 Financial Mail AdFocus Awards.
Chris Botha, group managing director at Park Advertising, The MediaShop’s holding company, said that The MediaShop has experienced a tough but ultimately rewarding 2020. “Firstly, I’d like to extend congratulations to every staff member that made this happen – this is your award,” he said.
“The fact that The MediaShop has consistently won this award three times over the past four years is testament to the team’s hard work and enduring success over the years in pioneering innovative and evidence backed strategies. I’d also like to extend a special word of thanks to our ex Johannesburg MD Kgaugelo Maphai and our existing leadership team Bonita Bachmann in Cape Town and Arish Saroop in Durban in their efforts in making this award a reality.”
Eclipse Communications wins AdFocus PR Agency of the Year
Recognised for new business, growth, client retention, training and development and empowerment, Eclipse Communications was awarded the 2020 Financial Mail AdFocus PR Agency of the Year Award.
Despite 2020 being a challenging year for businesses, it has also been one of significant growth, opportunities and industry recognition for Eclipse Communications. In May, the agency was awarded Best Large PR Agency by industry body, Public Relations Industry of Southern Africa (PRISA). In September, three silver awards were clinched at the New Generation Awards for its two Netflix campaigns, Blood & Water and Queen Sono and most recently in October, the agency won the Global Campaign of the Year for Netflix Blood & Water launch at the SERMO Globe Awards.
With 100% local ownership, of which 51% is black-employee-owned, the agency is responsive to clients’ and industry needs, with global competencies and local agility.
#Loeries2020 round-up: FCB Joburg, HelloFCB+
FCB Joburg and HelloFCB+ each picked up highly coveted Gold Loeries at the Loeries Creative Week held between November 16 and 20.
HelloFCB+’s Gold, in the Film: TV & Cinema category, was for a horror movie-inspired piece for Cancer South Africa (CANSA) called ‘Don’t Fear the Finger’. It was created to spread the news that testing for prostate cancer is now simple as pricking a finger to release a single drop of blood.
FCB Joburg’s Gold was for the striking corporate identity designed for its holding company, Nahana Communications Group, in the Brand Identity & Collateral Design – Identity Programmes category.
Between them the FCB agencies also won three Bronze Loeries, a Bronze Campaign Loerie and a Campaign Craft Award.
FCB Joburg took two of the Bronzes – in the Effective Creativity category for The Coca Cola Company ‘The Phonetic Can’, a campaign which has won countless awards locally and abroad, and in the Digital Social Media category for Debonairs Pizza and ‘Headless Man’.
It’s Campaign Bronze in the Radio Station Commercials category was for Toyota South Africa Motors ‘Corolla Reverse’.
CANSA and ‘Don’t Fear the Finger’ won Bronze in the Digital Social Media for HelloFCB+ while its Campaign Craft was achieved – along with Carbon Films – in the Film Crafts: Direction category for the City of Cape Town and ‘Boys Do What Men Teach Them’.
Both agencies, part of the Nahana Communications Group, were congratulated by Group CEO, Brett Morris, for their performance, as were all other agencies for their showing during the week.
Samsung retains position as SA’s Favourite Electronic Brand in Sunday Times Top Brands Awards 2020
After over a decade of success in the Sunday Times Top Brands Awards Samsung has continued cement its position in the hearts and minds of South Africans. Samsung was named as South Africa’s favourite Electronic Goods brand.
This year Samsung was also recognised among the most popular cell phone and large kitchen appliance brands. Importantly, Samsung was certified as the brand with the most growth over the last decade. The awards reflect the country’s affinity for Samsung’s diverse product range, from cutting-edge smartphones across price ranges to home appliances that empower people to do more. The Sunday Times Top Brands rankings have been awarding South Africa’s most recognised brands for the over two decades.