For the fourth year in a row, ad agency Ogilvy dominated the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) APEX Awards on 2 June in Johannesburg, winning almost half of the awards. The agency submitted 18 entries, some 26% of the total.
The APEX Awards reward excellent creative work that has a proven track record of effectiveness and are regarded as one of the toughest local industry awards to win.
Ogilvy won a Silver Award for its long-standing client Castle Lager, which has seen the fortunes of the brand reverse over the last two years thanks to a simple, back to basics integrated strategy that relied heavily on the close work between Ogilvy’s multitude of disciplines, including public relations, design and retail specialisation from the likes of Ogilvy PR, Coley Porter Bell and Brand Activation.
The second Silver was awarded to the campaign for the VW Polo Vivo launch, which resulted in the replacement of the much-loved Citi Golf being rated as the dominant vehicle in the passenger car market by the end of 2010.
A further Silver went to the much-lauded Selinah campaign for HIV/Aids relief organisation, the Topsy Foundation, which also picked up a special award for the best entry for a non-profit or charity organisation. The campaign has crossed borders and transcended cultures and continents, winning a Gold Lion at Cannes, the top spot at the 2011 TED Ads Worth Spreading Challenge, and, most recently, a One Show Gold.
Along with the Silvers, Ogilvy also picked up two bronze awards for the VW Amarok and Cadbury Stimorol Infinity campaigns. Coley Porter Bell – now Brand Union – was also awarded a bronze for the Fairview Trust “La Capra’ campaign.
No Gold or Grand Prix APEX Awards were awarded.
“We are thrilled by the results of this year’s APEX Awards, which demonstrate how seriously we, as a group, take communication effectiveness and brand liberation,’ said Rob Hill, Group Managing Partner, of Ogilvy South Africa after the awards. “Not only are we exceptionally proud to be the leading agency for the fourth year running, we’re also proud that the creative, effective work that won last night was the result of an integrated effort across the Group’s various platforms and disciplines.
“Ogilvy’s philosophy has always been about great work that works for the brands in our care, and we’d like to thank our clients that worked so closely with us on these entries. We are so very pleased that the TWIN PEAKS culture of effectiveness and creativity that we have cultivated at Ogilvy consistently delivers results that combine these two most basic pillars of good advertising. We will continue to give our all to ensuring that David Ogilvy’s mantra of “we sell, or else’, is realised.’
