Inspired by all the hoo-hah surrounding the 2010 FIFA World Cup, this year’s Loerie Awards, South African premier brand communication awards, are being touted as “The biggest event of the year’.
The 2010 Loeries campaign was conceived by Ogilvy Cape Town and plays on the buzz surrounding the World Cup. “We’re pretending that we are the only people on the planet who don’t know anything about the World Cup. Hence the campaign refers to the Loeries as the biggest event of the year and one that is set to shake up the nation,’ explained Loeries CEO Andrew Human at a press conference in Johannesburg on 18 March.
Creatives involved in the brand communication industry are being urged to “become part of history’ and enter their work into the competition. They have until 31 May to enter. Open to the rest of Africa and the Middle East, the Loeries encompass every area of brand communication including television, radio and print advertising, graphic design, architecture, direct marketing, non-broadcast video, live events and digital media.
For the second year running, the awards event will take place in Cape Town, at the Good Hope Centre. The Loeries Festival Weekend runs from 1 to 3 October.
The Loeries board and working committee have had to contend with the fact that Media 24 has withdrawn as a major sponsor and is now a category sponsor only. “It’s a sign of the economic times as the print industry has really taken a knock over the last year,’ commented Human.
Public broadcaster SABC, which initiated the Loeries some 31 years ago, remains a major sponsor for the 2010 event, along with Cape Town Tourism, the City of Cape Town and Gearhouse South Africa.
A big change in this year’s competition is that crafts for international work will be eligible, if the craftsperson involved is from the eligible region. For example – if a New York agency has conceived a television commercial for a US client, but the commercial has been shot by a local director, then the work can be entered for a directing craft. This element has been added so that the Loeries can recognise regional production skills.
Also for the first time, the Loeries will be judged according to six criteria instead of the traditional five (ie. innovation, quality, relevance to brand, target audience and chosen medium). Now, in order to be eligible for a coveted Gold Loerie, a client, independent from the agency must be involved in the entry. Self-promotional entries will be eligible for Silver and Bronze Loeries only.
“To give some idea of how difficult it is to win a Gold Loeries, last year only 1% of entries achieved Gold (ie. for every 200 entries only two won Golds),’ noted Human.
A new, Experiential In-Store category has been added this year. For more on the categories log onto www.theloerieawards.co.za.
Last year saw over 3,000 entries into the Loeries, which was a 9% drop from 2008. However, the Design category grew by 8%. It is possible that entry numbers for 2010 may drop slightly as they will reflect last year’s recession-affected economy.
In talking about how the Loeries recognise and award creative excellence, Human noted that this was often misunderstood. “Loerie Awards are not about what a brand communication looks like. The key thing that we’re looking for is innovation and whether concepts have been taken to a new level. So while you can have a successful ad that is based on common rules, it may not be innovative and thus will not be awarded.
“The Loeries are not just about advertising – they include all the ways in which a brand has touched a consumer. So we include aspects like architecture and package design, for instance. Ad agencies today don’t just work in above-the-line advertising.’
Loeries judging (headed by three international judges) takes place between 17 and 25 August.
