Agencies and production companies
come home winners at 2009 AdFest

Phenomena Co. Ltd, Bangkok notched its second straight Production Company of the Year award while JWT Shanghai was named Agency of the Year and JWT Network of the Year at the 12th Asia Pacific Advertising Festival (ADFEST), which just wrapped at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort in Pattaya, Thailand.  The competition, dubbed “Made in Asia” this year to celebrate work conceived and produced by Asian agencies, presented winners in the categories of Film, Film Craft, Radio, Outdoor, 360, INNOVA, and Lotus Roots, along with a bevy of special award winners.  For a full list of winners, click here.

From a total of 443 entries, 37 Film Lotus Awards were presented, including one Best of Show, six Gold, 16 Silver and 14 Bronze awards. ADK Tokyo collected Best of Show for its ‘LaLa Reports’ campaign for LaLa Girls Comic Magazine. It also picked up two Silver Lotus Awards.

The following six agencies won Gold: JWT Bangkok for 'Eraser' Chiclets Stick; Ogilvy & Mather Japan for 'Great Supporting Role' for Shiro Sake; George Patterson Y&R Melbourne's  'Burst' for Schweppes; Lowe Indonesia Jakarta's 'Dojo' for Lifebuoy Shampoo; Ogilvy & Mather Bangkok's 'Melody of Life' Thai Life Insurance; and Ogilvy & Mather Taipei's 'Soap' for Wego, which also won a Silver and Bronze for entries from the same campaign.

In the Film Craft Lotus competition, there were 131 entries, out of which 4 Gold, 5 Silvers and 10 Bronze Lotus Awards were presented. 

The four Gold Film Craft Lotuses were awarded to: IF WORKS Inc Tokyo, JWT Shanghai, George Patterson Y&R Melbourne, and Goodboy’Z House Bangkok, which also walked away with one Silver Lotus. Other top performing production companies include Goodoil Films from Sydney, which won one Silver and one Bronze, and Song Zu, Sydney, which won one Silver and one Bronze.  Overall, production companies from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in Australia and Auckland in New Zealand picked up the most awards, with one Gold, two Silvers and five Bronzes between them.

This year, there were only 11 entries for the New Director category. As a result, only one Bronze was awarded in this category to Cherub Pictures in Sydney for its "Soccer Can" spot for Ballantine’s & Cola. It was directed by Ben Briand. Two other production companies were also shortlisted as finalists: The Sweet Shop, Auckland; and HAT, Inc. in Tokyo.

This year, out of 305 entries, there were 5 Golds, 10 Silvers and 16 Bronze Lotus Awards in the Cyber category, in addition to one Best of Show. The Best of Show was awarded to GT Inc, Tokyo, which in addition won a Gold, Silver and Bronze Lotus Award. The remaining Gold Lotus Awards were won by Dentsu Inc. Tokyo, Bascule Inc. Tokyo, JWT Beijing and BBDO Proximity Malaysia.

Japanese agencies continue to excel in the Cyber category, with an impressive 20 Lotus Awards in addition to one Best of Show. Of the five Gold Cyber Lotus Awards, three were awarded to Japan, which also won six of the 10 total Silver Lotuses.  Other top performing regions included JWT Beijing, with one Gold and one Silver; while Singapore, Sydney and Seoul also walked away with a Silver Lotus Cyber Award each.

AdFest received 52 entries to the 360 Lotus Awards, presented to integrated work, but only three finalists were shortlisted. The 360 Lotus category was judged by the seven jury presidents, including Sir John Hegarty, Chairman & Worldwide Creative Director at BBH, London; Mark Tutssel, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett Worldwide, Chicago; Prasoon Pandey, Director at Corcoise Films, Mumbai; Selina Ang, Executive Director at OgilvyOne Worldwide Malaysia; Suthisak Sucharittanonta, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer BBDO Bangkok; Koshi Uchiyama, Creative Director at GT Inc./(suit) men entertainment, Tokyo; and Vince Frost, Creative Director and CEO of Frost*Design in Sydney. The jury presidents were disappointed with the quality of entries this year, but three agencies successfully made the Finalists: Dentsu Tec Inc for the SoftBank Mobile White Family Project; WBA\Tequila\New Zealand for 'This is Not a Jersey' for adidas; and McCann Erickson Tokyo for 'Mushi Battle Project'  Tokyo Hands.

AdFest’s INNOVA Lotus Award is given for outstanding innovation ideas for communication. It was judged by the jury presidents listed above.  Out of 48 entries received, the Grande INNOVA Lotus went to Dentsu Razorfish Tokyo for its 'Melody Road' safety awareness campaign.  Two INNOVA Lotus Awards were also presented to TBWA\Tequila\New Zealand for 'adiThread' for adidas and McCann Worldgroup Hong Kong for 'Flirting with Sound' for Elements shopping mall.

The Festivals Special Awards aim to recognize outstanding contributions at AdFest from agencies, production companies and advertisers. Advertiser of the Year was presented to China Environment Protection Foundation. Awards were given to Dentsu Inc. Tokyo as Interactive Agency of the Year and Clemenger BBDO Melbourne as Direct Agency of the Year.

 Chapter 1: Mood & Motion       Chapter 2: ADFEST       Chapter 3: News and Views from ADFEST       Chapter 4: The Reel