The first round of Adfest 2017 winners have been announced. And I can promise you that some of the judging processes, especially in Media and Effectiveness, Film and Film Craft were long and painstaking.
Fifty-six jurors from twenty cities in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, discussed and debated from early on Sunday March 19 to late on Wednesday March 22 – as well as one Grand Jury President from New York, Ted Royer, chief creative officer of Droga5.
Royer commented, “This year I’ve seen ideas that are going into unchartered territory in a great way, and innovations that I’m really happy exist in the world now. It’s been especially fun judging work that emerges from local insights, yet can be appreciated by people all over the world.”
INTERACTIVE LOTUS
Both Australia and New Zealand won 1 Gold each. Japan won the other 2.
Four Gold Awards were won by:
- Dentsu Inc., Tokyo, for Panasonic, Life is Electric, in VDO, Series & Webisode
- Dentsu Inc., Tokyo, for Suntory, DNA Glass, in Best Use of Technology Data
- Leo Burnett Melbourne, for Reword, Reword, in the Digital Design Application
- Clemenger BBDO Wellington for NZ Transport Agency, Hello, in the Viral VDO
There were 204 entries for Interactive Lotus. 15 awards were announced, including 4 Bronze, 8 Silver and 3 Gold. No Grande Lotus was given out for the Interactive category.
Interactive and Mobile Jury President, Yasuharu Sasaki, head of digital creative & executive creative director of Dentsu Inc., Tokyo commented, “Interactive is moving beyond advertising to provide useful experiences and services. This year, we judged educational tools for children, DNA glassware, and a lot of brand experiences that are not just about selling product. We did not award a Grande Lotus in this category, so I would still like to encourage more creatives including junior creative to enter their work next year.”
MOBILE LOTUS
New Zealand won 1 of the 3 Golds.
The Grande Lotus for Mobile was awarded to Dentsu Inc./Dentsu TEC Inc., for Google, Kibo Science 360 – A Space Experiment with Google, in Mobile Game.
Gold awards were won by:
- Colenso BBDO Auckland for Pedigree Dog Food, A Dog’s Story, in Mobile Application and Other Downloadable
- TBWA/Hakuhodo Inc., Tokyo for Lyrical School, Native Mobile Music Video, in Video, Viral VDO and Interactive VDO
- TBWA\Shanghai for China Association of the Deaf, Signemoji, in Best Use of Social for Mobile
Mobile Lotus received 89 entries. There were 17 awards given in the category, including 6 Bronze, 7 Silver, 3 Gold and 1 Grande Lotus awards.
“Mobile is also moving beyond advertising to create experiences that are very personal and private, to suit the medium,” stated Interactive and Mobile Jury President Yasuharu Sasaki, head of digital creative & executive creative director of Dentsu Inc., Tokyo.
“We awarded the Grande Lotus to Kibo Science 360, which is a VR experience using a cardboard helmet to give kids the experience of being on a space station. This idea is futuristic, inspirational and it can be extended to a lot of different realms – it may even inspire some children to become scientists or astronauts.”
PRINT CRAFT LOTUS
Bangkok dominated, winning both Golds.
The two Gold awards were won by:
- Hakuhodo Indonesia, Jakarta and Illusion Co., Ltd., Bangkok (2) for Vidisep Providone Iodine, Liquid Navy Seals, in the Computer Generated Imagery and Best Use of Computer Generated Imagery categories.
There were 165 entries in 2017. 21 awards were given out. 11 Bronze, 8 Silver and 2 Gold Lotus. There was no Grande award.
Jury President for Design Lotus and Print Craft is Pann Lim, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Kinetic, Singapore summarized by saying, “If we are talking about pushing boundaries in Print, we didn’t see much growth in that area. The craft was there, but as with everything dealing with art, it’s very subjective – everyone on the jury had their own favorites. What I would like to highlight is the diversity of the panel, and the diversity of the work we saw, which gave our discussions great breadth. Print will never be dead, and this year’s winners show there will always be room to express our ideas on paper.”
DESIGN LOTUS
Japan won all 4 Golds (China shared the fourth). In fact, Dentsu agencies won all 4 Golds.
The Grande Lotus was presented to CJ WORX, Bangkok, for AP (Thailand) Public Company Limited, The Unusual Football Field, in Exhibitions, Events & Public Environment. The project converts rooftops into unusually shaped football fields.
The 4 Gold winners were:
- Dentsu Inc., Tokyo, for Panasonic, Life is Electric, in Brand Collateral.
- Dentsu Inc., Tokyo, for Tohoku Shinkansen, Slow Train, Slow Life/Get Back Tohoku in Illustration.
- Dentsu Inc., Tokyo & Dentsu Meitetsu Communications, Nagoya for Kyoto Tango Railway, Mist-ery Train/Sea Train in Poster.
- Beijing Dentsu Advertising Co., Ltd., Beijing and Dentsu Inc., Tokyo for Instax, Picture Book without Pictures, in Books & Publications.
Design Lotus received 242 entries. 29 awards were given, including 4 Gold, 11 Silver 13 Bronze and 1 Grande.
Design & Print Craft Jury President, Pann Lim, co-founder and creative director of Kinetic, Singapore, noed, “We saw a lot of diversity in the Design category, and a lot of good ideas in the Design Innovation category, although we weren’t just judging ideas but their execution, too.
“The jury unanimously honoured The Unusual Football Field because it not only pushes the boundaries of creativity but signals that a good idea can change society in a positive way, and it affected change in the community. I know not every project can solve real human issues, but this project is not only creative but creates spaces for the community to play together. It’s very fresh, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
DIRECT LOTUS
Australia won 3 of the eight Golds. New Zealand won another 2. Thailand the third 2. And South Korea won 1.
The Grande Direct Lotus was awarded to J. Walter Thompson, Bangkok for Thai Samsung Electronics/Thai Association for the Blind, Touchable Ink, in Best Use of Technology.
Eight Gold Lotus Awards were won by:
- Clemenger BBDO Wellington for NZ Transport Agency, Hello, in Film and Infomercials
- Cheil Worldwide, Seoul for Heat Tech, Heat Tech Window, in Print & Conventional Outdoor
- Colenso BBDO Auckland for Anchor, X-Ray Casts, in Direct Ambient: Small Scale
- Havas Group/Red Agency, Sydney for Steve Waugh Foundation, The Riderless Bike, in Direct Ambient: Large Scale
- Leo Burnett Sydney for Samsung, Pocket Patrol, in Best Use of Mobile Marketing
- McCann Melbourne for University of Melbourne, Made Possible by Melbourne, in Best Integrated Direct Campaign.
McCann: Melbourne CBD becomes an exhibition of tomorrow’s wonders by University of Melbourne
- BBDO Bangkok for LMG Insurance Road Safety Campaign, Safe & Sound Music Player, in Best Use of Audio
- BBDO Bangkok for Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Absorbplate, in Field Marketing.
Direct & Promo Lotus Jury President, chief creative officer for Hakuhodo Asia Pacific, Bangkok Woon Hoh commented, “The Grande Lotus winner demonstrated a very interesting use of technology that was used in a most refreshing way – and it’s coming from a big brand. This piece of work stands out, it’s ‘I-wish-that-I-had-done-it’ kind of work.
“I’ve been following ADFEST’s Direct and Promo categories for the past few years. Personally, I think the quality of this year’s entries is a lot higher compared to previous years. We had a hard time selecting winners. I was very excited when I stepped into the room on the first day, and I’m still excited now, after the judging.”
Direct Lotus received 256 entries. There were 34 awards given in this category, including 10 Bronze, 15 Silver and 8 Gold, plus a Grande Lotus award.
PROMO LOTUS
Australia won 3 of the 4 Golds in Promo. India won the other 1.
The Grande Promo Lotus was won by McCann Worldgroup India, Mumbai for Nescafe, The Dead Hour by Nescafe, in Best Use of Film & Radio.
McCann Melbourne picked up two of the six Gold Promo Lotus Awards for YMCA Victoria “YMCA Playnasium” in both the Experiential & Events and the Ambient Promotion: Large Scale categories.
The four Golds were Golds went to:
- Taproot Dentsu, Mumbai for Adidas, Adidas Odds, in Best New Product Launch/Re-Launch
- McCann Sydney/DEC PR Sydney for The Hunger Project Australia, A Table to End Hunger, in Sponsorship & Partnership Campaign
- Leo Burnett Melbourne for Reword, Reword, in Best Use of Social Media category
- McCann Melbourne for University of Melbourne, Made Possible by Melbourne, in Best Integrated Promo Campaign
Direct & Promo Lotus Jury President, chief creative officer for Hakuhodo Asia Pacific, Bangkok Woon Hoh commented, “The Grande Lotus winner in Promo used one of the oldest mediums in the industry and revived it in a most interesting way. Nescafe managed to get the audience to actively participate in the radio program at 5am, a “dead hour” of the day, to persuade young people to switch from tea to coffee.”
Promo Lotus received 248 entries. There were 33 awards given in this category, including 11 Bronze, 15 Silver and 6 Gold, plus a Grande Lotus award.
PRESS LOTUS
The two Gold winners were:
- Impact BBDO, Dubai for Snickers, Balloons Campaign, in Food
- Ogilvy Group Thailand, Bangkok for World Explorer, The Battle, in Travel and Entertainment
Outdoor & Press Jury President, Fadi Yaish, regional executive creative director of Impact BBDO, Dubai said, “Our criteria for judging Press Lotus wasn’t just about impressive art direction but also ideas that actually work for the product or brand. This category is still the most fun to judge and the most controversial – we all started out making press campaigns, and there is a lot of pressure on the category: is it moving forward? Overall, although we awarded no Grande Lotus winner, I’m very happy with the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners.”
There were 127 entries. Only eight Press Lotus trophies were awarded – four Bronze, two Silver and two Gold. There was no Grande Lotus given out.
OUTDOOR LOTUS
Australia won 1 of the 2 Golds awarded. Thailand won the other 1.
The Grande Lotus went to TBWA\Hakuhodo, Tokyo for Australia, Giga Selfie, in Ambient: Large Scale.
The two Golds were awarded to:
- Saatchi & Saatchi, Sydney, Australia for Toyota, Landcruiser Emergency Network, in Ambient: Large Scale
- CJ WORX, Bangkok for AP (Thailand) Public Company Limited, The Unusual Football Field, in Guerilla Marketing
Outdoor & Press Jury President, Fadi Yaish, regional executive creative director of Impact BBDO, Dubai, noted, “It was overwhelming judging Outdoor as we saw a lot of great work across a cross-section of categories from ambient to guerilla campaigns. As a jury, we had amazing, transparent debates and a clear agenda to make sure the best work rose to the top. I’m very proud of the outcome.
“We loved the scale of Giga Selfie – it’s a very mobile idea because it can move anywhere around Australia. It’s sustainable, simple, fresh and impactful. It was a big decision awarding the Grande Lotus because we are sending a message to the industry that this idea raises the bar for the category.”
258 entries were judged in the Outdoor category at ADFEST 2017. There were 20 Outdoor Lotus trophies awarded including 8 Bronze, 9 Silver, 2 Gold and 1 Grande.
NEW DIRECTOR LOTUS
There were 13 entries received for New Director Lotus including Fabulous Four this year.
1 Silver and 3 Bronze New Director Lotus Awards were given out.
The Silver award went to:
- Leo Burnett Malaysia/Reservoir World Sdn Bhd., Kuala Lumpur for Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas), Rubber Boy, in Internet Film.
Jury President of Film Craft Lotus & New Director Lotus, Corey Esse, managing director and executive producer of FINCH, Melbourne, Sydney & Auckland said, “There weren’t a lot of entries [for New Director Lotus] this year and I think moving forward it would be beneficial for production companies to think about what work they could enter. I think there’s an opportunity to showcase young directors’ work to this entire region. The exposure for the New Directors who are awarded at ADFEST this year is going to be great,”
FILM CRAFT LOTUS
Australia won 1 of the 3 Golds handed out.
The four Gold Lotus Awards went to:
- Clemenger BBDO Melbourne/Finch Sydney for Transport Accident Commission, Consequences, in Special Effects: In-Camera
- Hakuhodo Kettle Inc./Hakuhodo Inc., Tokyo for JMS, Hot Drive, in Production Design
- Dentsu Inc./Dash Co.,Ltd. for Netflix Movie (Sword of Destiny) A Quarrel
- Taproot Dentsu, Mumbai for Adidas, Adidas A Tale of Two, in Script
There were 287 entries, with 37 winners in the category, including 15 Bronze, 18 Silver and 4 Gold Lotus Awards. No Grande Lotus was awarded.
Film Craft & New Director Jury President, Corey Esse, managing director and executive producer of Finch, Melbourne, Sydney & Auckland stated, “I think ADFEST is a very special show in that the regional flavour of the work really comes into play. I think the jury members had good conversations about why something may be relevant in their market, as a judge you have to listen and take on those cultural sensitivities so you then look at the work differently.”
FABULOUS FOUR
All of the Fabulous Four came from Japan.
Script entries to Fabulous Four must be from directors or assistant directors with less than two years’ experience based in Asia and the Pacific, including Australia, New Zealand, and Middle East and their submission must be one of their first seven pieces of work.
The Fabulous Four finalists were selected from submitted scripts.
Naoya Yamaguchi from Hat Inc., Tokyo was awarded a Commendation for The Dolls with Attitude.
The other three finalists were Kai Oe, Director from Geek Pictures, Tokyo; Yoshikaze Kenezawa, Assistant Director from Dentsu Creative X Inc., Tokyo and Miyuki Akimoto, Director from AOi Pro Inc., Tokyo.
Once scripts are judged the four winning short films go into production and made their debut at ADFEST 2017 in front of its delegate audience. This year reflected the theme for ADFEST 2017, 20 Years of Diversity.
FIRST OUTING FOR NEW LOTUS AWARDS DESIGN
The new Lotus Awards trophy was unveiled at the 2017 Awards presentation. It was designed by DDB Philippines’ Jovert O. Bantilan (Art Director), Mark Ngo (Creative Director) and Jimmo Garcia (Executive Creative Director), to commemorate the festival’s 20th anniversary.
Conceptually, the team took inspiration from the lotus flower, which begins life as a humble seed but blossoms into something very special. Eight trophies form a full circle of petals, and the circles can be layered to create a complete flower.
The design was selected from 40 different entries submitted to ADFEST in a competition held last year.
Vinit Suraphongchai, chairman of ADFEST, commented, “The trophy’s symbolism is ideal for ADFEST. Not only is the lotus our logo identity, but the lotus flower is so deeply rooted in this region’s culture.”
Silver and Bronze winners here.
Adfest: Who made the shortlists in Effective, Interactive, Mobile & Radio
Adfest: Australia tops the Film finalists. Finalists in Film Craft & New Director announced
Adfest: Japan dominates its 3rd shortlist, Design. Finalists in Outdoor, Print Craft, Press & Media
