PATTAYA, THAILAND — The culmination of the second day at ADFEST 2024 saw the first of two presentations of Lotus Awards to the elected winners in 13 categories, including Brand Experience, Commerce, Digital & Social, Direct, Digital Craft, Media, Mobile, PR, Print & Outdoor Craft, Entertainment, Design Lotus, New Director (Inc. Fabulous Five), and Film Craft Lotus. The awards were presented at PEACH, Royal Cliff Hotels Group in Pattaya, Thailand. The second ceremony will take place on March 23, the final day of ADFEST 2024.
A total of 1,587 entries were received for the Lotus Awards, and 63 jury members from 23 cities were organized into seven groups, chaired by Malcolm Poynton, Global Chief Creative Officer at Cheil Worldwide, London, to decide the winners of the ADFEST 2024 Lotus Awards.
JURY INSIGHTS: DIGITAL & SOCIAL LOTUS / DIGITAL CRAFT LOTUS / MOBILE LOTUS
Jury President for Digital & Social, Digital Craft, and Mobile Lotus was Rei Inamoto, Founding Partner for I&CO APAC. “I came into the jury room hoping that I would discover a new kind of work and inspiration. After having spent a few weeks online with the jury and then in person in Pattaya, I’m glad to say that we’ve uncovered some amazing gems,” he said. “‘Is the work raising the standard of creativity in Asia and beyond?’ That was one key criterion I had going in and during the judging session. I wanted the work awarded at ADFEST to be something that those of us in Asia would be proud of presenting to the rest of the world.
“As Vinit said at the beginning of the judging session, the creative standard used to be a little poor in Asia when he started the show. Is Asia leading the industry worldwide? Maybe not. I’d like ADFEST to change that and be a place for Asian creativity to be an inspiration to the rest of the world.”
DIGITAL & SOCIAL LOTUS AWARD
For the Digital and Social Lotus category, 122 pieces of work were entered, a notable 13% increase compared to the previous year. Juries awarded four Bronze and two Silver. No Gold award was given out.
DIGITAL CRAFT LOTUS
This year, 44 entries were received in the Digital Craft Lotus category. The jury awarded two Bronze, three Silver, and one Grande.
The Grande was awarded to Dentsu for Japan Railway’s 150th Anniversary campaign. “My Japan Railway.”
Rei commented, “My Japan Railway takes a traditional piece of culture, modernized it, and elevates the romance of the brand. It’s one of the few pieces of work that can only come from Asia and be an inspiration to the rest of the world.”
MOBILE LOTUS AWARD
Out of 24 entries for Mobile Lotus this year, the juries awarded two Bronze, one Silver, and one Gold. The Gold award was presented to Dentsu “My Japan Railway.”
JURY INSIGHTS: DESIGN LOTUS / PRINT & OUTDOOR CRAFT LOTUS
Ashwini Deshpande, Co-founder and Director of Elephant Design, was Jury President of the Design Lotus and Print & Outdoor Craft. “While judging Design, it is not just important to see the idea and craft of the aesthetic, but it is very important to see the impact of design and whether it aligns with the intent,” she said. “I am always very excited to see audacious ideas that come out of genuine intent to solve challenges perceived from authentic insights. ADFEST awards are a platform with rich cultural context from the region. That’s what makes them so important and relevant.”
She added, “In each category that I judged along with a very accomplished jury panel, we made sure we selected works that drew admiration for everything: the idea, the craft, and most importantly, the impact it would leave on the communities.”
DESIGN LOTUS AWARD
One hundred nine entries were received for the Design Lotus award, and the jury awarded five Bronze, one Silver, two Gold, and one Grande.
One Gold Award was presented to TBWA\Hakuhodo for “Shellmet.”
Meanwhile, Dentsu was elected the winner of a Gold and Grande award for work on “My Japan Railway.”
Ashwini said, “Japan Railway 150th Anniversary Campaign ‘My Japan Railway’ was a mind-blowing piece in so many ways. It is deeply embedded in the Japanese culture, where the railway has been a part of life for over a century. Stations, trains, and journeys have stories of people, architecture, nature, and even the food culture of Japan. This campaign is a true celebration of all those stories. Each of the 900 stations has been given a beautiful, unique, and yet harmonious illustrated identity that represents the true spirit of the station. Travelers can scan and collect those identities as stamps through an app. The campaign embraces multimedia through maps, books, merchandise, and, of course, an app. Every illustration is a marvel, yet when it all comes together as a system, it never loses the warmth of a hand-crafted story.
“I loved the work for its idea, thoughtful curation, beautiful craft, audacious scale, and finally, the way it reached millions of hearts in a very simple way.”
PRINT & OUTDOOR CRAFT LOTUS AWARD
This year, there were 39 Print and Outdoor Craft Lotus entries in total. One Bronze, one Silver, and one Gold award were given.
The Gold award was given to Dentsu for “My Japan Railway.”
JURY INSIGHTS: BRAND EXPERIENCE LOTUS/ COMMERCE LOTUS / DIRECT LOTUS
Bill Yom, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Jung von Matt Hang, resided over the Brand Experience, Commerce, and Direct Lotus awards jury and described his experience.
“The diversity of the cultural insights and how the creatives developed outstanding ideas from scratch to the final details of craftsmanship. But mostly, I am happy to see so many countries submit their work,” he said. “A great idea needs persistency to get really the maximum out of a simple idea. The winner’s work also approached strong cultural insights into unexpected ideas and execution.”
BRAND EXPERIENCE LOTUS AWARD
There were 137 entries for the Brand Experience Lotus category. The jury for this category also awarded 10 Bronze, four Silver, one Gold, and one Grande award.
VML Thailand won a Gold award for its work, “KFC Bone Tie.”
Dentsu was elected as winner of the Grande award for “My Japan Railway.”
“In a stunning display of creativity and dedication, our craftsmanship and innovative ideas breathe new life into a traditional brand, presenting it from a fresh perspective that captivates audiences,” said Bill.
COMMERCE LOTUS AWARD
For the Commerce Lotus category, 13 pieces of work were entered, and the Jury awarded two Silver awards. No Gold award was given.
DIRECT LOTUS AWARD
Out of 93 entries for Direct Lotus this year, the juries awarded 9 Bronze, two Silver, two Gold, and one Grande.
Two Gold awards were presented to:
- Cheil Worldwide for Drama, “Strong Girl Nam-Soon Drug Test Poster”
- Dentsu for “My Japan Railway”
The Grande was awarded to VML Indonesia for “McDonald’s Wi-Fries.”
“In addressing a common challenge for the audience, this project showcases the commitment to meaningful solutions. The creative execution balances simplicity and playfulness, creating a direct and engaging experience for both the audience and the brand,” explained Bill.
JURY INSIGHTS: ENTERTAINMENT LOTUS / MEDIA LOTUS / PR LOTUS
Jury President of Entertainment, Media, and PR was Wendy Chan, Health Creative Lead, Asia Pacific for Edelman, Hong Kong. She said, “I find it incredibly inspiring to hear viewpoints and insights from diverse cultures and countries.”
“Unexpected ideas provoke change, whether in brand, product, or people’s lives, and also inspire and push the boundary of that category.”
ENTERTAINMENT LOTUS AWARD
This year, there were 84 entries in the Entertainment Lotus category, with three Bronze, two Silver, three Gold, and one Grande award.
Three Gold Awards were presented to:
- Six for Sotetsu’s “A Train of Memories”
- Finch for Modibodi’s “I’m Dying Inside”
- BBDO Bangkok for Five Star’s “My Parent is a Tiktoker”
Choojai and Friends was elected as winner of the Grande award for work on Sammakorn titled “Sammakorn Not Sanpakorn.”
Wendy expressed, “This work took the most boring business category and made it entertaining. By leveraging a problem creatively, it repeatedly calls out the brand name, lists every product, and displays the logo most amusingly. It is both entertaining and direct. We watched a few times and still laughed. Even I can remember a Thai brand name now!”
MEDIA LOTUS AWARD
The Media Lotus received 92 entries. Juries awarded six Bronze, three Silver, and one Grande.
The Grande was awarded to Impact BBDO for An Nahar Newspaper‘s “The Newspapers Inside. The Newspaper Edition.”
“In today’s complex media landscape, this is one of the most traditional media, and it is declining in every country. Yet, this entry has shown that it is the best medium to unleash the people’s voice, giving hope and proving that the press will never be silenced,” said Wendy.
PR LOTUS AWARD
There were 77 entries for the PR Lotus category. The jury also awarded seven Bronze, four Silver, four Gold, and one Grande.
Three Gold Awards were presented to:
- TBWA\Hakuhodo for “Shellmet”
- Mullenlowe Treyna for “Right to Care”
- VML for Lux’s “Change the Angle”
Honda Office won Gold and Grande awards for work on Ajinomoto’s Gyoza titled, “Frying Pan Challenge.”
Wendy said, “The works in the PR category are strong, with many exciting entries. Sometimes, the topic of the challenge does not need to be huge. This work we picked solves a practical challenge. Turning crisis into opportunity through action results in creating trust in the brand and the product. This Grand Prix is a non-sticky decision for us.”
JURY INSIGHTS: FILM CRAFT LOTUS / NEW DIRECTOR LOTUS
The jury president of Film Craft and New Director Lotus was Emma Daines, who is CEO, Founder, and Executive Producer of Fin Design + Effects. “What excited us was the diversity, and in adverse conditions of the last 12 months, the excellence in creativity rang through. It was refreshing. We loved the different cultures and the essence and excellence it brought through.. It lead to respectful robust discussions and results i believe we all. as a jury. stand by and rings true to creativity and excellence,” she shared.
“Purely through excellence and monitored through keen and honest and informative discussion. It was measured and considered and fairly voted. We were very proud as Jurors!”
FILM CRAFT LOTUS AWARD
Film Craft saw the biggest number of entries, with a tally of 232 in total, representing a 7% increase compared to the previous year. The Jury awarded 21 Bronze, 10 Silver, 9 Gold, and one Grande.
Five Gold awards were presented to:
- Arcade Film Factory for TNT Telco’s “Mother”
- FINCH for Modibodi’s “I’m Dying Inside Campaign”
- Ogilvy Group Thailand for Thai Life Insurance’s “Under My Skin”
- Spoon for Pocari Sweat Returnable Bottle Project’s “Scuffing Song”
- VML India for Exide’s “The Moving Canvas”
Six won four Gold and one Grande for work on Sotetsu titled “A Train of Memories”
Emma said, “A Train of Memories was a clear winner in many categories, which catapulted it to a Grande, not just because of its Production technology achievement but also because of its adventurous spirit and undertaking on the approach of the Director and the support around — support including production/set design, technical choreography, casting, script, and original score. The original score was a combination of two meaningful cultural origins.
“It all delivered on screen and was delightful to watch, which we did many times as it was such a success in many categories. The approach was innovative, and the result was excellent.”
NEW DIRECTOR LOTUS AWARD (INC. FABULOUS FIVE)
From nine entries, there were two Gold awards in this category.
Two Gold awards were presented to:
- GRAPH STUDIO SDN BHD for The 2023 Kancil Awards & Festival Of Creativity’s “Push-Pull”
- FINCH for Modibodi’s “I’m Dying Inside”
FABULOUS FIVE
ADFEST’s Fabulous Five program is one of the world’s most respected platforms for kick-starting the careers of commercial directors. Five directors with less than two years’ experience were invited to direct five-minute short films inspired by the theme of ADFEST 2024, “Human Intelligence.”
Congratulations to Ryotaro Nishi, Director from FIELD MANAGEMENT EXPAND, who was awarded a Commendation for his short film, Upside-Down Genius.
The other finalists are:
- Fumiya Hara, Director from FIELD MANAGEMENT EXPAND
- Natsuki Urayama, Planner and Director from AOI Pro.
- Pak Hin Phileas Cheung, Director from WOWWOWTANK
- Tanjeel Sultan Khan Turja, Director from X-Integrated Marketing Agency
adobo Magazine is an official media partner of ADFEST 2024.
