The African Cristals are the premier awards programme for the Pan-African marketing and communications community, and recognise the best creative work across the continent. In addition to Ogilvy Africa’s wins, the latest African Cristal Festival rankings include: Initiative Morocco as Digital Media Agency of the Year; WPP is Holding of the Year; and OL Pejeta Conservancy is Advertiser of the Year.
The Nairobi-headquartered Ogilvy Africa won seven out of a possible 12 Grand Prix awards, including the Festival Grand Prix, the Leadership Grand Prix, the Media Grand Prix, Digital Grand Prix and the Mobile Grand Prix. It also bagged 21 Gold, eight silver and three bronze awards, to emerge top of the table in the continental showcase.
“The Most Eligible Bachelor”, a global campaign to raise funds for the conservation of the Northern White rhino species, was the most remarkable win, with 30 awards during the festival that rewards the best advertising campaigns created and broadcasted over the African continent, on any media. The Northern White rhino is critically endangered, with only three of its kind left in the world, living at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
“Madaraka Day”, a campaign for Airtel networks won seven awards including three Gold, while King Condoms won two silver awards.
“This is a very proud occasion for Ogilvy Africa. The awards are testament that with deep insights, persistence and quality collaborative work, we have what it takes to produce some of the most remarkable work in the continent,” said Nadja Bellan-White, chief executive officer, Ogilvy Africa.
BBDO Cape Town also scooped an impressive haul at the African Cristals. The agency was awarded the coveted Grand Cristal, which is best of show in Promo & Direct, for the launch of Dunkin’ Donuts as well as three Cristal awards (Gold) and three Sapphire awards (Silver) for the Dunkin’ Donuts campaign and a provocative press freedom campaign for media house, Times Media.
BBDO Cape Town managing director Adrian Varkel said that being recognised at the African Cristals with a Grand Prix win is testament to the agency’s goal of innovative, integrated and relevant African work.
“When it came to Dunkin’ Donuts, we knew it would be tough to launch an American brand in a saturated and proudly South African market,” says BBDO Cape Town ECD Alexis Beckett. “This challenge sparked the idea of giving the brand to the South African people who then influenced when the launch happened through social channels, to spur on engagement. Each successful interaction made the store launch move sooner.”
According to BBDO group CEO, Boniswa Pezisa, the Dunkin’ Donuts work highlights the need for strategically insightful and relevant work in a tough market. “This means small budgets, limited above-the-line, quick turn-around and reliance on social media and activations. Testament to the success of this approach was the longest queue in Dunkin’ history and unprecedented demand, leading to our client running out of donuts on launch day.”
BBDO Cape Town’s Media Freedom campaign picked up two Sapphires in the outdoor category. “We’re very proud of this work which is in direct response to current scepticism about everything we see in the media,” says Beckett. “This campaign relied on various contributors and collaborators and in keeping with the theme we gave designers an open brief to express their freedom of speech.”
Liquorice, a DigitasLBi company and digital agency, won nine awards at the prestigious Cristals. The agency’s varied expertise was awarded accolades across multiple categories, including website, integrated campaign, viral film, mobile and digital innovation.
Liquorice’s Dinner on Demand campaign for Knorr, South Africa’s first recipe chat bot, won two silver awards for both digital innovation and within the food and drink digital category. The campaign is yet another award winning element of Liquorice’s groundbreaking Whatsfordinner? programme that the agency has been running for nine years across Africa for Unilever’s largest food brand, Knorr.
The agency also picked up silver Cristals for OMO Fast Kids and Unilever’s Perfect Sishebo iFlava, while scooping bronze Cristals for SA Home Loans House Rules, Hellmann’s #RockYourBurger and the Nederburg wine website.
Miles Murphy, founder and CEO of Liquorice, commented, “As the African Cristal Awards continue to grow in scale, they are becoming the landmark awards for the growth of creativity in Africa. We are honoured to be the agency that is driving digital innovation for brands across the continent.”
Commenting further, Mathieu Plassard, Ogilvy Africa managing director, said, “It is humbling that this recognition comes just weeks after Ogilvy Africa won the Africa Sabre for its Public Relations work on Coke Studio, adding to an already colourful cabinet of medals won over the last two years. We are indeed telling Africa’s brands story, the African way”.
