The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media.
Johnnie Walker forges bold partnership with Trace Awards and Summit
Whisky brand Johnnie Walker, with a long heritage across Africa, has announced its partnership with Trace Awards and Summit 2025.
This exciting collaboration highlights the shared commitment of Johnnie Walker and Trace in celebrating creativity, cultural impact, excellence, and innovation in African Music.
“We are delighted to collaborate with Trace Awards and Summit 2025 to celebrate the audacious spirit of African music artists who have excelled in their craft and continue to push boundaries, raising a toast to their individual and collective strides across the globe,” said Anne Joy Michira, marketing and innovations director for Diageo Southern, West and Central Africa.
“As the world takes notice of Africa’s cultural renaissance, Johnnie Walker through this partnership celebrates its proud heritage in Africa and commitment to championing Africa’s ever-rising creative economy and inspiring creative experimentation by enabling African creatives to showcase their prowess.”
Johnnie Walker is committed to creating new experiences for creatives across Africa and championing transformational creative experimentation. The Trace Awards and Summit, a flagship event on the African cultural calendar, annually brings together leading figures in music to honour outstanding achievements and inspire the next generation of artists.
By partnering with the Trace Awards and Summit 2025, Johnnie Walker is living true to the brand’s ‘Keep Walking’ ethos which embodies the continuous commitment to progress and while supporting the recognition and celebration of African music.
Entries open for Digital Media Awards Africa
WAN-IFRA has announced that submissions for the newest edition of the Digital Media Awards Africa opened this week.
For over a decade, WAN-IFRA has honoured the most groundbreaking and innovative digital initiatives across Africa and beyond. This year, the global body is to feature 12 categories that spotlight the core areas driving newsroom initiatives.
These include best data visualisation, best in audience engagement, best use of video, best digital subscription initiative, best newsletter and best use of AI in the newsroom.
For early submissions, an early bird registration fee of just 50 EUR is available until 10 February. Simply use the code Africa25 when submitting your application.
For more information, click here.
Prerna Mehra will lead the MEA Gerety Jury this year
Gerety opens for entries and announces the locations and jury presidents for the 2025 Gerety Awards.
There are 15 locations for the executive jury sessions this year: New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Düsseldorf, Madrid, Milan, LATAM, Melbourne, MEA, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and São Paulo.
As well as defining the shortlist, the executive jury sessions each select the agency and production company of the year from their country. Looking towards the judging, Grand Jury member Oriane (Abouattier) Canfrin, head of marketing and communications at Ecobank Côte d’Ivoire said “I am delighted to witness innovative and impactful work that challenges conventions and inspires change globally. The Gerety Awards, with its unique perspective from an exclusively female panel, play a crucial role in highlighting creativity that resonates on a deeper, more inclusive level. It is a privilege to embark on such an adventure”.
The jury presidents leading the executive jury sessions for the 2025 Gerety Awards include:
Prerna Mehra, Creative Director and Head of Design, MullenLowe MENA, UAE
Emma De La Fosse, Chief Creative Officer, Edelman, UK
Tomoko Kanezaki, Managing Director, Creative Planning, Dentsu Inc. Japan
Nicole Ellerton, Group Creative Director, Cossette, Canada
Marjorieth Sanmartin, Chief Creative Officer, Philipp und Keuntje and fischerAppelt, Germany
Joanne Theseira, CEO, Publicis Communications, Singapore
Stefanie DiGianvincenzo, Creative Lead, META, Australia
Virginia Mosquera, Creative Director Author & screenwriter, McCann Spain
Samantha Scaloni, ECD, DDB, Italy
Julia Dovlatova, ECD, WPP at CP EMEA, VML Prague, Czech Republic
Dani Ribeiro, CCO, WMcCann Brazil
Celeste Dalairac, ECD Isla, Argentina
Chrystel Jung, Creative Director, BETC France
Lauren Smith, ECD, 72andSunny, USA
Rosie Bardales, Chief Creative Officer, VML NYC, USA
CCID Communications scoops six awards at SA Publication Forum Awards
The Cape Town Central Improvement District (CCID) communications team scooped six awards at the recent SA Publication Forum awards, which acknowledge and reward excellence in corporate publishing.South African short film, The Last Ranger, shortlisted for Oscars
A groundbreaking achievement for the South African film industry, as The Last Ranger has been shortlisted for the 97th Academy Awards. The short film, directed by Cindy Lee, is among 15 entries contending for a nomination in the Best Live Action Short Film category at the 2025 Oscars, marking a historic moment for the local film industry.
The Last Ranger is produced by Six Feet Films and supported by Anele Mdoda, Executive Producer for Rose and Oaks Media. The film tells a captivating story about rhino poaching and the conservation efforts taking place in South Africa.
It follows a young Litha (Liyabona Mroqoza), who is taken on a wondrous journey through a game reserve by the last remaining ranger, Khuselwa (Avumile Qongqo). Their journey takes a tragic and unexpected turn when they are ambushed by poachers, leading to a battle to protect the rhinos and ultimately uncovering a devastating secret.
Director Cindy Lee expressed her excitement for the announcement: “To have an IsiXhosa film about rhino poaching in the running for an Oscar makes me so proud!” She adds, “this film is unique and deserves to go all the way.”
VML and Serviceplan Germany big winners in the Epica Awards
It was a great year for both VML and Serviceplan at the 2024 Epica Awards, as they won numerous awards including two Grand Prix for VML and one for Serviceplan Germany. No surprise that they became Network of the Year and Agency of the Year respectively.
Overall there were Grand Prix winners from Belgium, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, the UK and the United States. Here are the full details.
GRAND PRIX
• RESPONSIBILITY: Call Glenn, VML, Child Focus (Belgium)
Rights Against the Right, Jung von Matt AG, Laut gegen Nazis e.V. (Germany)
• PR: The Beko Inheritance, VML UK, Beko (UK)
• INNOVATION: Animal Alerts, Serviceplan Germany, PetPace (Germany)
• DESIGN: Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, Landor s.r.l. (Italy)
• MEDIA: The 100th Edition, Scholz & Friends Berlin, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany) The National Sport of Kazakhstan, GForce/Grey, Ruh Fighting (Kazakhstan)
• DIGITAL: The Co-Worker, Mother London, IKEA (UK)
• PRINT: Capa vs. War, Innocean Berlin, Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center (Germany)
• FILM: Museum Worthy, BBDO New York, AICP (US)
The Grand Prix debate took place in Paris. The President of the jury was Claire Atkinson, the author of “The Media Mix” newsletter and a prominent media journalist.
Local agency PR Powerhouse wins big at international Davos Digital PR Awards
By winning two golds at the esteemed Davos PR Digital Awards 2024, PR Powerhouse has solidified its position as a digital marketing and public relations pioneer. The agency was the sole agency to receive two gold awards due to its exceptional work on the OPPO Find N2 Flip campaign.
The awards, hosted by the World Communication Forum Association (WCFA), celebrate the most innovative and effective PR campaigns worldwide. PR Powerhouse’s wins in the ‘Best Use of Digital Media’ and ‘Integrated Campaign Excellence’ categories underscore its creative vision and strategic approach to PR and digital marketing.
Lebo Madiba, founder and managing director of PR Powerhouse, expressed her pride in the achievement.
“These awards are a testament to the ingenuity and dedication of our team, as well as the strength of our collaboration with OPPO South Africa. The Find N2 Flip campaign was designed to showcase a product and a story of innovation and design that resonates deeply with South African consumers. To have this work recognised globally is both humbling and inspiring.”
Launched between March and November 2023, the OPPO Find N2 Flip campaign won multiple awards and used a 360-degree strategy that included influencer partnerships, digital marketing, public relations, and experiential activations.
Nchabeleng keeps the groove on
Award winning advertising and media guru, Groovin Nchabeleng, has kept the awards stacking up in his cabinet when he received the AAA Luminary Award 2024, at their graduation ceremony on 28 November, in Johannesburg.
Nchabeleng, an alumni of AAA, having studied there more than 25 years ago, was recognised by the institution for showcasing positive change and influence and, over a career spanning over 20 years, shown excellence and leadership.
“I am extremely humbled by this recognition, moreover because it comes from a top institution and also because this is where I learnt the tools of the trade.”
“Yes, I have had the honour of receiving many awards, but this one feels extra special because it comes from my teachers,” says a beeming Nchabeleng.
Nchabeleng is a former Group CEO of multinational advertising agency, Leo Burnett, and current founder and chairperson of Blueprint South Africa, a 100% black-owned advertising agency in Johannesburg.
He has served on several boards, including the Marketing, Advertising and Communications (MAC) Sector Code, as a council member.
Nchabeleng believes that the advertising industry in South Africa is very late in bringing about true transformation and opportunities for black owned advertising agencies.
Simply Black wins media agency of the year at Festipub 2024
Simply Black Media has been recognised as Media Agency of the Year at Festipub 2024, Africa’s premier advertising and marketing festival for Portuguese-speaking countries. The agency also took home two bronze awards for its innovative campaigns with GOtv Mozambique, further cementing its reputation for delivering impactful, creative, and results-driven solutions across the region.
Festipub, held annually, is the leading event celebrating advertising and marketing excellence in Angola, Cape Verde and Mozambique. It’s a platform for agencies, brands, and creative professionals to showcase outstanding work and encourage collaboration within the industry.
“The title of Media Agency of the Year is awarded based on the cumulative points earned across submitted campaigns, reflecting a combination of creativity, execution, and effectiveness,” said Janaína Carneiro, regional lead, Simply Black Media. “This recognition reaffirms our leadership in the African Lusophone markets and our ability to deliver high calibre work that drives success for our clients.”
The agency also earned bronze awards for two of its campaigns with GOtv Mozambique:
- OOH innovation: Recognising the creative use of out-of-home media to captivate and engage audiences with dynamic messaging tailored to local cultural and social contexts.
- Media planning and strategy: Honouring the strategic execution of the GOtv Festive 2023 campaign, which successfully combined audience insights with creative storytelling to drive measurable results and achieve client objectives.
“These awards demonstrate Simply Black’s granular understanding of the unique challenges of local markets, and its ability to deliver creative campaigns that resonate with diverse audiences,” Carneiro says. “We have a deep understanding of local market dynamics and cultural nuances. We like to push boundaries, using new technologies, data insights, and creative strategies to engage different audiences.
In addition to these wins, five of the agency’s campaigns were shortlisted for awards, including:
- Coca-Cola: Coke Studio Influencer Campaign Angola 2023
- Coca-Cola: Angola Independence Day Digital and Social Media Post 2023
- Nestlé Moça: Influencer Campaign Angola 2023
