Creative Ideas in Integrated, Interactive and Direct Bring Trophies To Gold Dubai Lynx Winners (Pictures) March 21, 2007
Posted by Farrukh Naeem at copywriterjournalist.com in : Adobe, Advertising, Advertising Awards, Advertising in Dubai, Advertising in the UAE, Axe Advertising, BBDO Holdings, Brandcom Middle East, Dubai Media City, Fred Koblinger, Lowe MENA, PKP Proximity, Radio Advertising, TBWA/RAAD, Tonic Communications, Wunderman Dubai , trackbackPresenting the Dubai Lynx Awards Gold winners in the Integrated, Interactive, and Direct categories. Not presenting the Dubai Lynx Gold Winners in the Radio category. Why? Scroll on to find out…
Dubai Lynx Awards - Integrated
Integrated is one category in which the jury did not find a single entry worthy of winning a Dubai Lynx Grand Prix award - the best we have in Integrated is the Gold winner. What’s sad is that to be judged for creative excellence in Integrated advertising, the entire Middle East North Africa (MENA) region could come up with only 22 entries out of a total of 1,679 submitted in all categories.
Makes one think - are we all looking for quick-fixes and short bursts of creative brilliance in the region rather than communication ideas that build integrated campaigns with ‘legs’ and keep running long after we are forgotten? Or is agency specialisation the culprit here? Feel free to agree or disagree in the comment section of this post.
Brandcom Middle East UAE team won a Gold Dubai Lynx for the cheeky Axe Deodorant’s Integrated campaign.
Dubai Lynx Awards - Interactive
Many of the interactive agencies that I was expecting to see winning in this category were missing in action. In my earlier blog posts, I had written about the sentiment of the local interactive players that the judging of interactive entries should not be clubbed with above-the-line, traditional ads. Well, Dubai Lynx had a dedicated jury for Interactive and guess how many countries in the Middle East sent in their entries from the Middle East… just three.
The UAE submitted 61 entries, Lebanon sent three, and Egypt, one. Considering the internet penetration in most of the Gulf countries, it is surprising that only UAE is seeing action on the interactive advertising front, and I am aware, with the help of only a handful of clients. Sad, when one knows that the internet remains one of the strongest channels to measure ROI, by the click.
Tonic Communications UAE wins a Gold Dubai Lynx for its creative ‘Microvault Loading’ Interactive entry of Sony Microvault USB Drive
Dubai Lynx Awards - Direct
Expectations were high in the Direct category, specially from Wunderman Dubai which has not just been sweeping the local awards in DM but also has the honour of bringing the first ever Gold Lion for Direct in the region, a fact not lost to the global advertising fraternity.
“Farrukh, you know there are no guarantees,” Nassib Boueri, the Regional Manager Director of Wunderman had told me prior to the event when I had asked him what his gut feel for sweeping the Direct category was. While Wunderman picked up a lot of awards at the function, including a Gold, the Grand Prix was won by TBWA/RAAD Dubai for its ‘Quick Account’ entry for Standard Chartered which used microwave ovens to put their point across.
Fred Koblinger, CEO PKP Proximity & BBDO Holding Austria, and the President of the Direct and Interactive Jury panel told me he was amazed at the production values in the region, which he felt were at par if not higher than Europe.
Personally, I loved the non-Gold Direct entries too. Direct is the one category to watch out for in this region - mail box clutter is not too much and clients are willing to pay for those dream production values Fred was referring to. Of course, I am very much of a direct person myself so you can spot my passion for this branch of advertising clearly.
Wunderman UAE took home a Gold Dubai Lynx for its wunderful ‘Ouch It Hurts!’ of Adobe Computer Software.
TBWA\RAAD UAE’s Gold Dubai Lynx for its touching ‘Tears In Lebanon’ Direct entry for Trillion for Lebanon Charity
Lowe MENA UAE grabs a Gold Dubai Lynx for its naughty ‘Axe Towels’ Direct entry of Axe Shower Gel
Dubai Lynx Awards - Radio
Where’s the picture for this one? Guess what? None. Maafee! Why? Find out in my earlier post - What’s Wrong with Radio Advertising in the UAE?
UPDATE - Check out other posts on this topic:
1. Dubai Lynx Winners (with pictures) Part 4 - Gold Winners in Print and TV/Cinema
2. Dubai Lynx Awards winners Part 2 (with pictures) - Gold Dubai Lynx for Outdoor advertising
3. Dubai Lynx Awards Winners Part 1 (with pictures and download links of Dubai Lynx winners): Global jury selects 111 top ads in the Middle East
4. More about the author of these posts: Farrukh Naeem – copywriter, journalist and advertising blogger in Dubai, UAE
Comments»
Amazing coverage dude
Looking forward for the ads.
Welcome Samer,
Thanks for your feedback. You blog well too.
The ads are comingggg…
farrukh