Woolworths Taste took home gold awards for Best Video and Overall Art Direction in Content Marketing. Leading Architecture + Design won gold for best B2B Redesign, and most notably, long-standing New Media creative director, Mark Serra, trumped all international competition in the consumer category to win the special recognition Art Director of the Year award, for his work as creative director on Visi magazine.
Mark and Taste group account director Kelly Cloete were in New York to accept the trophies at the awards that have become known as the Eddies (editorial) and Ozzies (design). In his acceptance speech on stage at City Winery at Pier 57 on the Hudson River, Mark said: "Receiving this award is mindblowing. It's for all the hard work that I have put in, that my team has put in. It's the passion, the love for what we do – every day of our lives. It's for our readers, the most important people in the world."
New Media CEO Aileen Lamb says: "The Eddie and Ozzies are among the most prestigious recognition programmes in digital and print media. We're so proud that our storytelling stood out among the thousands of entries they received from around the globe.
"Mark has played a pivotal role in building New Media's reputation for exceptional design for well over a decade. Leading Architecture + Design is one of our flagship B2B brands, delivering incredible editorial value to buyers and sellers in architecture and related fields. As it's consumed in print and online, the magazine's redesign brought it into the digital age, with a more screen-friendly approach. And the Taste team are always at the top of the content marketing game, achieving incredible brand equity for Woolworths as a food authority."
Taste also received four honourable mentions, in the following categories:
- Full Issue > Custom/Content Marketing: The Italian Issue
- Series of Articles > Consumer: Abigail Donnelly
- Series of Articles > Consumer: Khanya Mzongwana
- Cover Design: The Italian Issue
"We are so incredibly proud of our Taste team – they are producing work that is literally among the best in the world!" says Hieba Solomon, marketing manager for Woolworths Foods. "The Taste team continues to push boundaries in exceptional food content and innovation."
Hannes de Wet, creative director for Food at Woolworths' WAgency, adds: "It's great to see Woolworths Taste – and print! – being recognised on an international stage for art direction that is not only compelling and inspirational in its own right, but perfectly aligned with the Woolworths brand."
New Media's nods at the Eddies & Ozzies follow a gold win at the 2022 Content Marketing Awards, also in New York, for Best Use of Technology as Part of a Content Marketing Programme. This was for the McCain Family Cookbook brought to you by Food24 and built by New Media's in-house digital solutions agency, Swipe iX.
Aileen concludes: "Huge congrats to our Story Station, Taste and B2B teams on these extraordinary wins. This is a real affirmation that New Media offers world-class editorial, design, human insights and tech, translating to the most powerful content marketing solutions in South Africa. I could not be prouder of our Purple People!"
