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    Creative giants TBWA and Ogilvy headline AdFocus Awards 2024 finalists

    The finalists for the AdFocus Awards 2024 have been announced. TBWA lead the pack with seven shortlisted categories with Ogilvy hot on its heels with six.
    Source: © Bizcommunity  The 2023 AdFcous Awards winners. The finalists for 2024 have been announced and the winners will be announced on 27 November
    Source: © Bizcommunity Bizcommunity The 2023 AdFcous Awards winners. The finalists for 2024 have been announced and the winners will be announced on 27 November

    M&C Saatchi Abel has three finalists and Joe Public has two.

    Retroviral, 2023’s Small Agency of the Year is back in the running for this category this year, as is last year's Medium agency winner, Grid Worldwide.

    TBWA \ South Africa is back as a finalist for Agency Group, which it won in 2023 and 2022.

    This year there are no finalists in the African Impact Award, a category TBWA / South Africa has won for the last two years. However, its PR agency, Magna Carta is back as a finalist in the PR Agency and makes its first finalist appearance in the ever-popular Partnership Award (sponsored by IAS).

    The AdFocus Awards chair, Luca Gallarelli, group CEO of TBWA, says, “The finalists represent the best of our industry, not only in evolving the industry but in placing the creative product first with an understanding that it is only through our work that we will have a meaningful impact on our clients’ brands as they engage with their consumers.”

    He also commented on the industry’s tough year saying, “As we look forward to a future where South Africa reclaims its place as a preeminent creative country within the broader adverting and marketing landscape, it is these agencies who have really proven themselves to be outstanding proponents of that and are leading us there.”

    “The finalist agencies and their clients represent the ones who despite all the challenges and complexities confronting the industry currently have navigated their way around it to deliver some of their very best work and year ever.”

    He adds that it was brilliant to see the number of entries given the tough year the industry has faced.

    “The finalists should feel proud as the competition was so tough but that the shortlist does represent the very best of who we are as an industry in South Africa.”

    The AdFocus 2024 Shortlist

    The finalists are (in alphabetical order)

    Small

    Halo
    Retroviral

    Medium

    Grid Worldwide Branding & Design Pty Ltd
    Ogilvy Cape Town
    The Odd Number

    Large

    Joe Public
    M&C Saatchi Abel
    TBWA\Hunt Lascaris - Johannesburg

    Public Relations

    Magna Carta
    Tribeca

    Specialised

    Levergy
    Playmakers
    Social Lab
    TBWA Coastal

    Media

    Juno Media
    Publicis
    The Media Shop

    Partnership of the Year (Sponsored by IAS)

    Magna Carta & MTN
    Ogilvy SA & KFC
    Ogilvy SA & VW
    TBWA Coastal & Spar

    Transformation

    Joe Public
    Ogilvy SA

    Group of the year

    M&C Saatchi Abel
    Ogilvy SA
    TBWA South Africa

    There are no finalists and no winners in the African Impact of the Year and Adaptability Award categories.

    Agency of the Year as well as the Shapeshifter of the Year, Industry Leader of the Year and Lifetime Achiever will be announced at the event.
    The student finalists will be announced in due course.

    The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 27 November, Wednesday.

    Best of the best

    Unique in the creative industry awards space, the AdFocus Awards reward agencies and how they are run, from their people to their systems and clients.

    Winning an AdFocus Award literally means your agency is the best within the period of the Awards.

    2024 Jury

    Gallarelli remarks that this year saw an excellent jury that covered all the significant disciplines across the entire industry.

    “It was some of the best and most senior representatives of our industry who poured over these entries, dissecting them and looking beneath the hood of every entry that came through.

    “No stone was left unturned to identify the agencies who are having a meaningful impact on our industries and pushing our industry forward through their work.”

    This year’s jury comprised:

    Luca Gallarelli - group CEO, TBWA
    Vicki Buys - MD, Ogilvy
    Sadika Fakir - group executive: digital marketing & media, Absa
    Pepe Marais - co-founder & group chief creative officer
    Dean Oelschig - managing partner & founder, Halo
    Katherine Madley - VP of marketing Massmart (Walmart)
    Sharleen James - MD Accenture Song
    Dustin Chick, partner & managing director, Razor PR
    Sbu Sitole - founder & CCO, The Odd Number
    Nkgabiseng Motau - founding partner and CCO, Think Creative
    Chris Botha - group MD, Park Advertising
    Yatish Narsi - chief marketing officer, MultiChoice Group

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