South Africa's Promise Agency strikes Gold at LIA for The Vluit Project

Promise won Gold at the 2024 LIA Awards.

The Vluit Project is an innovative solution to address communication barriers faced by foreign national labourers who speak minority languages. These workers, who make up 21% of the country’s blue-collar workforce, often struggle to secure jobs due to language challenges on sites where teamwork and safety are vital.

The Vluit Project uses a learnable system of unique whistles—based on a cultural phenomenon within Black South African communities—to help foreign labourers communicate effectively on worksites. This initiative, which has already impacted over 2,800 labourers and increased AfriSam’s brand affinity by 13%, aims to create more inclusive work environments and reduce unemployment among minority language speakers.

Ogilvy Kenya won two Bronze awards for its First Boda campaign for MyDawa and Kenya Red Cross in the Health Care and Pharmaceuticals category.

While the Middle East did well overall with Gold going to Havas Middle East, Dubai for Spatial Design for Adidas' The Female Field and SMG Labs, Riyadh for Package Design, Special Editions for Billboard Arabia's Sounds of the Land.

What made 2024 such an outstanding year

Terry Savage, LIA chairman commented, “As you approach the end of the awards, you reflect on what made 2024 such an outstanding year: The quality of the jurors, ensured rigorous debate was held but in an atmosphere that was totally collaborative and creatively focused. The quality of the Creative LIAisons program was inspiring not just to those who attended but also to world-leading speakers who spoke to the delegates.

Last LIA categories winners announced

10 Oct 2024

"It is so refreshing to see our industry leaders taking so much time and giving so much energy to help develop the next generation, whether in the Creative LIAisons program, during the Statue discussions, in the hallways, or at the social functions. And that sums up the essence of LIA, where the focus is on improving the industry, we work in.”

This year, the LIA presented 935 Statues across 45 countries, recognising exceptional global talent.

The winners included 29 Grand LIA awards, along with 274 Gold, 300 Silver, and 332 Bronze Statues.

Additionally, 270 Finalists were acknowledged for their outstanding work across various categories, highlighting the global creative industry’s excellence.

See all the winners here.