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Cape Town - One thing is overwhelmingly clear from the Loerie advertising awards this past weekend: you can no longer accuse South African advertising of being Eurocentric.
More than any other kind, TV advertising by its nature reflects the attitudes, mores and popular culture of the nation. And this year's crop of TV winners of Loerie awards shows overwhelmingly the growth of a South African voice in advertising.
Whether it's Vodacom's Player 23 (agency: Draftfcb) or the child whose head is used as a napkin by his elders after a meal, ad after ad has a uniquely local flavour. (The greasy-headed child gets a touch teed-off until he gives his father a KFC chicken dish for lunch. It's so tasty that dad would rather lick his fingers than waste the residue. It's an Ogilvy Johannesburg ad.)
In the past, white Sandton-towered creatives were accused of producing ideas that only they understood, and that they believed would have a better chance of winning an award overseas.
Interestingly, however, greater localisation doesn't seem to have harmed our chances of winning international awards. We've been enjoying a golden period of international success while also being more true to our national roots.
Why is this? One explanation is that judging panels at awards like Cannes are more balanced than before. They recognise and reward regional advertising styles more than they used to, and are willing to make the mental adjustment to understand something that is foreign to their culture.
Another is that South Africa is becoming culturally more fashionable. Our film industry is achieving global successes, and being the 2010 World Cup host helps to generate positive awareness.
Finally, of course, we're better at producing advertising in a familiar local style than pseudo-British or American work.
The judges were not in a generous mood when judging the TV work. No Grand Prix was awarded in the category, and several ads seemed worthy of better reward than they received. But Ogilvy Johannesburg's "young, gifted and black" mixed-media campaign for Channel O that won a Grand Prix, had a strong TV element. It was a brilliant piece of work, and its win was rapturously received.
Overall, the judges set high standards. The total number of Loeries handed out (excluding ordinary craft certificates) was 13% fewer than last year, while the total entry was down only 7%.
- Fin24.com