PHUKET, THAILAND, MARCH 18, 2011 – The sprawling garden complex of Mövenpick Resort and Spa Karon Beach welcomed 1,000 delegates and VIPs yesterday for the start of the Asia Pacific Advertising Festival (ADFEST) in sunny Phuket.
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Karon Beach
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Japanese delegates on the way to ADFEST
"The fact that ADFEST always chooses seaside venues is no accident," says Vinit Suraphongchai, chairman of the ADFEST Steering Committee. "ADFEST is a wonderful opportunity to refresh and rejuvenate and take a break from routine. And what better place than Phuket?"
This is ADFEST’s first time in Phuket and the response from the delegates has been overwhelmingly positive. True to its theme "JUMP START" this year’s festival is a fresh beginning for ADFEST after last year’s cancellation, following the turbulence in Bangkok. Mövenpick is a luxurious change of venue, and the laidback and young spirit of the festival is invigorating even for the respected jury members, led by WMcCann Brazil’s Washington Olivetto, Grand Jury President for the year.
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Donald Gunn presents Ace Saatchi’s "Our Ride" campaign for Vespa
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John Merrifield speaks passionately about the Young Lotus teams
Donald Gunn officially opened the seminar program by presenting the top ads in the Gunn Report 2010 with Emma Wilkie. John Merrifield introduced the Pepsi Refresh project as well as the four finalists of the Young Lotus competition who responded to the Pepsi Refresh brief with short films conceptualized and shot over a 24-hour period.
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DDB Philippines contingent
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Mövenpick musicians
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Publicis JimenezBasic’s RJ Ferrer and Jess Villaruel with Noel San Juan of Dentsu
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ADFEST jury presidents
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The lunch crowd
Delegates feasted on Thai cuisine under large tents at lunch hour. And despite some wind-related problems with the shortlist exhibitions, the finalists were open for viewing by mid-day.
The program resumed with Hakuhodo’s Usagi Ishii speaking about creativity in the non-advertising realm and how admen can drive social change. Contagious’ Paul Kemp-Robinson presented “Projects, Not Campaigns” and showed strong examples that show how to truly engage audiences in innovative ways. Closing the seminar program for Day One was Ravi Deshpande showing the winners of the Intercontinental Advertising Cup 2010, pitting the awardees from regional festivals.
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Paul Kemp-Robinson
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The winning entry and Pakistan’s Young Lotus team
Honored at the end of the day were the Gunn Report 2010’s top guns from Asia, as well as the 11 Asian winners of The Cup 2010, including Grand Cup winner Yubari City Project 2009 by Tokyo’s Beacon Communications. In a remarkable triumph, the Pakistani Young Lotus team of Maheen Meenai of Karachi and Umair Anwar of Lahore won the competition with a spontaneous cola painting film.
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Welcome Party
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Cultural presentation
In the evening, crowds gathered around the Mövenpick terrace and poolside for the Welcome Party which lasted well into the night.
The turnout of attendees has been remarkable considering that 70% of the Japanese delegation, traditionally a large chunk of ADFEST delegates, were unable to come to Phuket because of the recent catastrophic events in Japan. Despite this, Japan has remained a strong contender for metals, with China also performing very well, according to jury members who have spoken to adobo.
Day Two seminars are centered on production, starting with the Fabulous Four 2010 young directors, who missed their chance in the spotlight last year and have been given the stage and screen this year. Some delegates took the chance to go island-hopping and sightseeing the James Bond way.
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ADFEST President Jimmy Lam flanked by Bates 141’s Sonal Dabral and Tan Kien Eng at the press conference
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Press lunch with the jury presidents
ADFEST President Jimmy Lam moderated the morning’s press conference and spoke to adobo about the learnings and limitations of the new venue, which is notches up from Pattaya in terms of expense but lacks the critical mass of the previous ADFESTs because of the size of the seminar hall. Sonal Dabral spoke of the work in Print Craft and Design in the absence of jury president Andy Blood.
At the press lunch today with the jury presidents at the South Sea Hotel, Washington Olivetto remarked that the Asian experience is new to him and the culture is what amazes him the most. JWT ECD for North East Asia and chairman for China Sheung Yan Lo, jury president of Outdoor Lotus, mentioned the blurring of categories, while Tan Kien Eng, CEO of Leo Burnett Singapore & Kuala Lumpur and jury president of Direct Lotus & Promo Lotus, noted that “the best advertising does not feel like advertising” and that some campaigns should have been entered in other categories or were not suitable for the categories in which they were entered.
The awards for Promo, Direct, Print Craft, Outdoor, Cyber, New Director and Film Craft will be handed out tonight.
