Creative agency Poke picked up the top honour at the annual Creative Showcase awards last night (February 5) for its work on the Orange Balloonacy campaign, described by the judging panel as “the most original idea of the year”.
Presenting the award at a packed Shoreditch House, Kieron Matthews, marketing director at the IAB, explained that 2008 had been an outstanding year for creative work with Creative Showcase featuring campaigns tackling a wide range of subjects from drug smuggling dogs to zombie massacres. The Balloonacy campaign, however, was singled out because it “makes its point in a simple, tongue-in-cheek way” and “reminds creatives why they got into this business in the first place”.
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Picking up the prestigious agency of the year award was AKQA. Presenting the award, David Pugh-Jones, brand strategist, creative solutions at Microsoft Advertising, explained that AKQA “had an exceptional string of luck this year, boasting some really excellent, often groundbreaking work”.
It was a good night for AKQA who also picked up Most Contagious Award for its work on Fiat’s eco:drive campaign. Presenting the award, Paul Kemp-Robertson, co-founder of Contagious Magazine, explained that the campaign “has a practical application for the real world that can genuinely improve the lives of the people that use it”. |
Also singled out for praise was CHI & Partners who picked up the IAB Unthink your Brand Award for its work with Talk Talk and charity Treehouse. The agency was praised for taking risks and coming up with a creative solution that was “truly inspiring”.
Commenting on the awards, Kieron Matthews argued: “The turn out at the Grand Prix was a strong indication of how passionately this industry believes creativity is at the heart of brand communication. This year's winners were responsible for work of the highest standard and absolutely deserved their awards.”
The lavish surroundings of Shoreditch House did not mask attendees’ awareness of this year’s difficult economic conditions. However, the cream of Britain’s creative talent was in optimistic mood about the months ahead.
Chris Maples, UK sales director at Microsoft Advertising, described the coming “challenging landscape” as a “potential car crash” before going on to argue: “I genuinely believe the way to deliver ROI is the same now as it was over 40 years ago. That is to deliver creativity that genuinely engages your audience. Creativity continues to be the lifeblood of the industry. Without great creativity, media is just an empty vessel.” The strength of the entries in this year’s Creative Showcase was, for Maples, “proof positive of the fact that the creative industry continues to thrive.”
For David Pugh-Jones, the difficult economic conditions have created an opportunity for creatives as strong, original work is now more important than ever before. “During difficult times the cream always rises to the top, so this is the best year for you to be creating the best possible creative work.”
Visit the creative showcase for more info: http://www.creativeshowcase.net/
