Creative giants TBWA and Ogilvy headline AdFocus Awards 2024 finalists
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