Have
you ever wondered what goes into making a brilliant advert or an effective
marketing message? Who wrote and composed the jingles your kids love dancing
to? Who is behind those catchy artworks on billboards that grab your attention
while driving to work?
Who
wrote the stories and messages that made you laugh, cry or angry enough to make
a purchase decision?
Who
really are these ‘mad men’?
Events
such as the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF) Awards were created to
celebrate and reward the creators of these creative advertisements in Nigeria.
Since
inception, a few agencies have been fortunate enough to win multiple gold,
silver or bronze medals at the annual LAIF Awards. However, some managed to
stand out as the biggest winners who top the medals table each year.
In
2009, DDB won 14 awards including 2 gold, 7 silver and 5 bronze medals.
Insight
Communications, DDB Lagos and Lowe Lintas emerged the top three winners at the
2010 LAIF awards with Insight taking home 22 awards including 2 grand prix
while DDB Lagos and Lowe Lintas won 12 and 5 awards respectively.
2012
was a good year for Rosabel Leo Burnettt, Centre Spread, and especially Insight
who deliberately boycotted LAIF awards in 2011 to re-strategize its operations
and brand positioning. Rosabel Leo Burnett, known for popular campaigns such as
late MKO Abiola’s 1993 presidential campaign ad MKO is our Man o, Cadbury’s
TomTom - The Big Black Sweet amongst others, came in at second place while
Centre Spread followed in third place.
2013
marked the 8th edition of LAIF awards, hence the tag “It’s a Gr8 LAIF”. It also happened to be the 40th anniversary
of the Advertising Association Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN). Insight, this time,
outshone others by taking home 26 medals. In second and third positions emerged
new and younger winners – Noah’s Ark and X3M Ideas respectively.
Last
year, 2014, Insight and DDB Lagos took first and second place while X3M Ideas
came in at 3rd again. Mouka Foam’s sleeping on the job, MTN’s I don Port and
Heineken’s code of friendship were among the ads rated top class.
Out
of over 100 advertising agencies in Nigeria, only about 20% of the industry
competes for gold, silver and bronze of the four main categories - press,
outdoor, radio and television – every year.
Asides
celebrating creativity, Vice Chairman, LAIF Management Board, Steve Babaeko,
believes that events like LAIF Awards create room for those in the industry to
interact, build relationships and foster camaraderie.
LAIF
is the brain child of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN)
and was first held in 2006 with the aim of recognizing creative excellence,
improving the quality of creative craft and promoting the spirit of healthy
competition among Nigerian creative agencies.
With
the newfound awakening observed in related disciplines, marked by conversations
seen in campaigns such as ‘PR is Dead’, championed by Black House Media, a
Lagos based PR agency and PRCAN, it is clear that bodies like APCON, AAAN, LAIF
in advertising, are blazing the trail for excellence, while inspiring others in
Nigeria’s marketing communications ecosystem.
The
10th edition of LAIF awards holds this week from November 18 to November 21,
2015. The LAIF Management Board will be organizing four major events namely the
LAIF Awards Seminar/Exhibition, Young LAIFERS Awards, Pre-Awards Party and LAIF
Awards Dinner holding at Civic Centre in Lagos.
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