Shanghai – On the third leg of its world tour, the New York Festival International Advertising Awards gave a lifetime achievement award to Neil French, the legendary adman behind the creative revolution in the Asian advertising industry. The ceremony was held July 25 at the Jiading SINO ADI Creative Zone outside Shanghai,
After receiving the award, Neil French, whose uncensored views on suits, clients, award shows and scam ads have delighted and scandalized the industry since the Seventies, served more of the same to an audience of 500 hundred advertising practitioners and students.
While he was grateful to the organizers of the NYF International Awards, he also took to task the agencies whose winning print ads were exhibited at the event. He bemoaned the dominance of visual ads that pleased award show juries but often failed to persuade consumers to buy the products. He also expounded on the power of persuasive copy, in any language.
Earlier in the day, Michael O’Rourke, president of the New York Festivals International Awards, also presented the Creative Achievement Awards to several chief executives of creative agencies that won in the recently concluded competition. This special award is given to an individual not a company, in recognition to the person’s contribution in raising the creative standards in the local and the international ad industry. The criteria for nominations are: at least ECD level, have judged and won in international awards, and have given support to NYF in the past years.
Among those present were representatives from Cumminsnitro Brisbane (the agency behind “The Best Job in the World” campaign), McCann Worldgroup Causeway Bay (Nike “Paper Battlefield”), JWT Singapore, BBDO/Proximity Malaysia, BBDO Guerrero, DDB DM9 JaymeSyfu, Bates Taiwan, Euro RSCG Singapore, Leo Burnett Mumbai, Y&R Singapore and Chiel Worldwide Korea.
From Shanghai, the NYF World Tour moves to Santiago, Chile where it celebrates the region’s winners on September 7.
Creative Achievement Awards recipients (FULL LIST):
Ms. Park Sun-Mi
Daehong Communications, Korea.
Mr. An Hae-Ik
Hakuhodo Cheil, Korea.
Mr. Kim Ho-Chul
Innocean Worldwide, Korea.
Mr. Choi Mun-Kyu
MBC Adcom, Korea.
Mr. Liu Nam-Kil
Nongshim Communications, Korea.
Mr. YooJe-Sang
Welcomm Publicis Worldwide, Korea.
Mr. Tham Khai Meng
Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide
Mr. CC Tang
Euro RSCG, China.
Mr. Spencer Wong
MCCann Worldgroup Hong Kong.
Mr. Richard Yu
Bates141 Taiwan.
Mr. David Guerrero
BBDO Guerrero / Proximity Philippines
Mr. Thirasak Tanapatanakul
Creative Juice
Mr. Josy Paul
BBDO India
Mr. K V Sridhar
Leo Burnett India
Ms. Merlee Jayme
DDB DM9 JaymeSyfu Philippines
Mr. Tomaz Mok
SGM Works / McCann Worldgroup China
Mr. Piyush Pandey
Ogilvy & Mather India
Mr. Marcus Rebeschini
Y&R
Mr. Rowan Chanen
M&C Saatchi
Mr. Sonal Dabral
Bates 141 Asia
Mr.Tan Shen Guan
Y&R Asia
Mr. Steve Elrick
BBH Asia
Mr. Prasoon Joshi
McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific
Mr. Tay Guan Hin
JWT South Asia
Mr. Victor Ng
Euro RSCG Singapore
Ms. Kitty Lun
Lowe China
Mr. Peter Soh
Shanghai, China
Mr. Tony Liu
AEIOU China
Ms. Jennifer Tan
SapientNitro
Mr. David Nobay
Droga5 Australia
Mr. Ronald Ng
BBDO / Proximity Malaysia
