MAKATI, PHILIPPINES — Last September 13, at The Fifth at Rockwell, the 4As Philippines hosted the biggest night in Philippine advertising with “The Award That Matters,” the 26th Agency of the Year Awards. Gathering the Philippine advertising industry’s brightest teams in an evening of recognition and celebration, the show once again emphasized the caliber of creative excellence in the local scene and how it competes with the rest of the world. This year, scheduled on Friday the 13th, the show saw industry professionals dressed to the nines with the “black with metallic flair” theme, free-flowing drinks, and a beautifully designed space to enjoy.
Melvin Mangada, Chairperson and Chief Creative Officer of TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno and 4As Philippines Chairperson, opened the evening with a little off-script moment, reflecting on the very first AOYs 26 years ago: “I was the first panel head for Creative. The Chairman at the time said that we needed a trophy design, and they all looked at me because I was the only creative in the room. Thankfully, after 26 years, it is still the trophy design [we use] today.”
Melvin then asked the evening’s winners to raise their plate with pride when they, as the designer (“aka, me,” he quipped) intended it to be. True enough, all the winners held their metal plates proudly above their heads to commemorate their winning moment throughout the show.
The 4As Philippines Chairperson furthered, “It’s known as The Award That Matters. After all, it’s the only show that recognizes excellence across various disciplines of our business. We have production, digital, brand experience, media, creative, management of business, market performance, industry leadership, and community service. Tonight, we celebrate those who have set the standard and push the boundaries of the possible and impossible.”
“Self-regulation is self-awareness. It is about recognizing that no one knows our industry better than we do. As 4As, we safeguard not just the interests of our members but the integrity and reputation of our entire industry. We thrive because we hold ourselves accountable. In today’s multi-platform, multi-screen landscape, when nearly every space between brand and audience becomes media, creativity flourishes. But the need for self-regulation has never been more crucial. And your 4As Board of Trustees take this to heart,” he promised.
Furthermore, Francine Gonzales, Chief Executive Officer of BBDO Guerrero and Overall Chair of the 26th AOYs, shared these sentiments by emphasizing the collaborative energy and meticulous systems that continue to forge creative excellence in the industry: “Collectively, we are shaping the standard of excellence for our industry as we challenge ourselves to think bigger, create bolder, and become better leaders and organizations.”
“The AOYs is represented by the iconic metal plate. Just as these trophies are created by metals, forged under immense heat and pressure, great work is shaped through a process of refinement and resilience, molded and polished to brilliance,” she stressed. “I’d like to recognize all participating creative agencies and production partners for all your achievements. It’s an impressive display of work, and that alone is worth celebrating.”
26th AOY winners:
Here are some notable insights from this year’s winners:
- TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno won its 12th Network Agency of the Year Award
- Propel Manila dominated the Independent Agency of the Year awards with all six metals
- Ogilvy Manila won a grand total of six metals, including a sweep of of the Digital Agency of the Year awards
- The Huddle Room swept the Media Agency of the Year awards, bringing home a total of four metals
- Elesi Studios won the inaugural Production Excellence in Digital & Tech award
- Young creatives at Publicis JimenezBasic won big at The NextGen Awards for Account Management and Strategic Planning
- Hit Productions was honored with its 21st Audio Production House of the Year Award
- FilmPabrika also bagged its 10th Best in Film Production Excellence Award
Network Agency of the Year Award
Best in Creative: Ogilvy Manila
- Finalists:
- VML Manila
- BBDO Guerrero
- Leo Burnett Group Manila
- TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno
Best in Market Performance: Ogilvy Manila
- Finalists:
- TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Pino
- Leo Burnett Group Manila
- Ace Saatchi & Saatchi
- VML Manila
Best in Management of Business: Publicis JimenezBasic
- Finalists:
- Beginnings Communications, Inc.
- TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno
- IdeasXMachina Hakuhodo
- Leo Burnett Group Manila
Best in Industry Leadership and Community Service: TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno
- Finalists:
- MullenLowe TREYNA
- Dentsu Creative Philippines
- BBDO Guerrero
- Leo Burnett Group Manila
Agency of the Year: TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno
- Finalists:
- BBDO Guerrero
- Publicis JimenezBasic
- IdeasXMachina Hakuhodo
- Leo Burnett Group Manila
Independent Agency of the Year Award
Best in Creative: Propel Manila
- Finalists:
- Seven A.D.
Best in Market Performance: Propel Manila
- Finalists:
- Seven A.D.
Best in Management of Business: Propel Manila
- Finalists:
- Seven A.D.
Best in Industry Leadership and Community Service: Propel Manila
- Finalists:
- The Huddle Room
- Seven A.D.
Agency of the Year: Propel Manila
- Finalists:
- Seven A.D.
Media Agency of the Year Award:
Best in Media Creativity: The Huddle Room
- Finalists:
- Initiative Philippines
- UM Philippines
Best in Management of Business: The Huddle Room
- Finalists:
- Initiative Philippines
- UM Philippines
Best in Industry Leadership and Community Service: The Huddle Room
- Finalists:
- Initiative Philippines
- UM Philippines
Agency of the Year: The Huddle Room
- Finalists:
- Initiative Philippines
- UM Philippines
Digital Agency of the Year Award
Digital Excellence in Creativity and Effectiveness: Ogilvy Manila
- Finalists:
- Leo Burnett Group Manila
- TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno
- VML Manila
- MullenLowe TREYNA
Digital Excellence in Innovation: Ogilvy Manila
- Finalists:
- Leo Burnett Group Manila
- TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno
- VML Manila
- MullenLowe TREYNA
Agency of the Year: Ogilvy Manila
- Finalists:
- Leo Burnett Group Manila
- TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno
- VML Manila
- MullenLowe TREYNA
Production Excellence Awards
Production Excellence in Film: Film Pabrika
- Finalists:
- Elesi Studios
- Arcade Film Factory
- TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno
Production Excellence in Audio: Hit Productions
- Finalists:
- SounDesign
- Wonder Collab Studios
- LoudBox Studios
Production Excellence in Post: EOPlus, Inc.
- Finalists:
- Elesi Studios
Production Excellence in Digital & Tech: Elesi Studios
Brand Experience Excellence Awards
Best in Creativity and Innovation: MullenLowe TREYNA
- Finalists:
- Leo Burnett Group Manila
- TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno
- Publicis JimenezBasic
- Ogilvy Manila
Best in Creativity and Effectiveness: Ogilvy Manila
- Finalists:
- TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno
- MullenLowe TREYNA
- Dentsu Creative Philippines
- Leo Burnett Group Manila
The NextGen Awards
Account Management: Paulo Marquez, Publicis JimenezBasic
- Finalists:
- Anjo Pacumio, Seven A.D.
- Ish Abat-Valdez, Propel Manila
- Ina Villegas, Dentsu Creative Philippines
- Rusty Orga, Ogilvy Manila
Strategic Planning: Gabrielle Carmen Server, Publicis JimenezBasic
- Finalists:
- Jhazel Mendoza, Propel Manila
- Patrick Antonio, DDB MNL
- Oliver Loyola, TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno
- Maria Tolentino, IdeasXMachina Hakuhodo
Creative: Nikki Golez, Propel Manila
- Finalists:
- Renzo Valmonte, TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno
- Carlos Quimpo, Publicis JimenezBasic
- Troy Jose, IdeasXMachina Hakuhodo
- Tricia Salonga, Dentsu Creative Philippines
Follow the 4As Philippines for more information on future events and competitions: https://www.facebook.com/4AsPhilippines/
adobo Magazine is an official media partner of the 26th Agency of the Year Awards.
