Media awards honour those who dare to be different

With the rapidly changing media landscape and consumers’ increasing adoption of digital behaviour, especially on mobile devices, agencies and vendors have had to adjust to this evolution – hence the motto “To survive and thrive, we must be different.”
It was almost as if the Media Agency Association of Thailand had designed the event to indoctrinate agency executives to sharpen up or get out. Having been there to witness both the event and many remarkable case studies first hand, one could say it was a lesson well learned.
A record 200 entries were received in this highly competitive biennial event, after it was postponed from last year because of the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
There were 20 categories this year, two more than at the inaugural event in 2013, representing an increasingly diverse set of advertising platforms available in the market.
Sixty-seven shortlisted entries were announced prior to the glamorous event held at the Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit on February 22, with the pool of nominations dominated by submissions from the usual suspects GroupM and IPG Mediabrands, two of the media industry’s powerhouses.
Of the 67 shortlisted entries, only 35 were won awards. Among the awards, nine were gold, 11 were silver and 15 were bronze.
In 10 categories, no golds were awarded. That’s how tough this year’s event was.
The jury was made up of distinguished marketing industry veterans, media vendors and business academics. Agency executives were conspicuously left out this year.
The key to this year’s judging criteria was creativity, and its effectiveness in satisfying category objectives. Having been on the cusp of transitioning from traditional planning to a more hybrid role, embracing the digital era, marketers and planners alike have had to work much harder to get noticed in the age of multi-screening behaviour. The force behind that transition is creativity; hence the reason for this emphasis this year.
Mindshare Thailand went home with the coveted Agency of the Year Award.
IPG Mediabrands Thailand took home 10 awards, with Initiative raking in six accolades (including one gold) and four split between UM and BPN equally.
The manner in which the IPG network won was a testament to the breadth and depth of the company’s diverse capabilities and expertise.
Initiative’s work on the Johnson’s Baby campaign, “The Magic of Bubbles”, mesmerised the jury with the country’s first 4D outdoor experience. The media execution involved releasing thousands of Johnson’s Baby Top-to-Toe scented bubbles every time the ads appeared on the digital outdoor screen at SQ1, in the centre of Bangkok. It won a gold for the “Best Use of OOH & Transit Media” award (OOH standing for out-of-home media).
The clever use of Michelle Yim (aged in her 60s but still retaining her youthful looks) as Brand’s Bird’s Nest ambassador – with her communicating the benefit of ageless beauty – helped Initiative win two silvers, for “Best Communications Strategy” and the “Effectiveness Award”. These are two very hard categories to conquer.
If you are still not excited, how about Doi Kham’s apologetic admission that the taste of its tomato juice does not satisfy the palate of the common Thai, simply because the brand refuses to compromise on the purity of its products in order to impart the full health benefits.
Being a sincere brand evidently does sell and brings about uniqueness to the brand’s equity, as in the case of this royally bestowed trademark. Doi Kham won two bronzes for “Best Use of Social Media” and “Best Engagement Strategy”.
All in all, we can safely claim that great content is continually being delivered to consumers, in a more integrative way, as opposed to being intrusive. The ultimate goal for these awards is not only to help agencies elevate their profiles but to prepare consistently for the evolving challenges ahead and to deliver great work continually.
With the “Festival of Media Asia” looming, and the winners to be announced on March 22 in Singapore, expect fierce competition from these two local giants in the attempt to bring fame back to Thailand and for their teams. 

PRADON SIRAKOVIT is associate director for corporate communications at IPG Mediabrands Thailand, and can be reached at [email protected].