Johannesburg’s growing reputation as a creative centre has been further boosted by the city coming in at number 10 in the world’s Most Creative Cities ranking, in the inaugural Cannes Report 2009, which highlights the official rankings of agencies, regions, countries and cities based on their performance at the Cannes Lions 2009 International Advertising Festival.
The city, which achieved 17 Cannes Lions, is also home to TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris Johannesburg, the agency receiving the accolade of top spot in the Highest Ranked Agencies across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Jacques Stoltz, senior marketing manager of the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC) said it is gratifying to see how well Johannesburg agencies are faring, with two other Johannesburg agencies, Ogilvy Johannesburg and Net#work BBDO Johannesburg, also featuring in the top 20, at 13 and 17 respectively.
“We are one of the creative hot spots in the world,’ he says, adding that this is due to the quality and innovation of the creative industry locally, as well as “our ability to understand first world and third world markets and branding’.
While London continued to top the list for the fourth consecutive year and New York and Sao Paulo vying again for second and third spots, Johannesburg managed to come in above San Francisco, Amsterdam, Berlin and Buenos Aires, with Toronto at 20th place.
“When one also looks at the increasing popularity of Gauteng as a locations destination in the commercials production sector, having a 50,1% market-share, according to the 19 tracked companies in the 2009 Commercial Producers Industry Survey, it shows the City and Province are definitely becoming a force in the creative sector, not only in terms of creative work but also as a prime locations destination.’
