The latest Creative Rankings of Campaign Brief Asia is filled with surprises, upsets and dark horses.
A day after Campaign Brief Asia’s website announced that for the first time ever, a Japanese agency, Dentsu Tokyo, was ranked the no. 1 agency in Asia, as well as Regional Agency of the Year, publisher Kim Shaw let adobo know that the Philippines rankings had an even bigger upset.
For the first time, DM9 JaymeSyfu occupies the pole position in the Philippine league table. Not only that, it beat both last year’s leader, BBDO Guerrero/Proximity, and this year’s favored agency, TBWASantiago Mangada Puno. The latter two took no. 2 and no. 3 spots, respectively.
Previously ranked no. 4, DM9 JaymeSyfu’s press releases indicate that it had expected to be in the top three, but not necessarily at the very top. One factor may be that the Campaign Brief Asia Rankings covers a period of two years–a fact that is often overlooked. Thus, when the agency’s wins in 2008 (which included the Philippines’ first Cannes Media Lion) are combined with its metals in ADFEST, Media Spikes, LIAA, MEDIA Outdoor, New York Festivals and recognition in ‘The Work’ for 2009, it received that much needed boost.
An even more stunning upset occurred in the individual rankings for the Philippines. Ace Saatchi & Saatchi’s new ECD Andrew Petch took the no. 1 spot, while the perennial leader, David Guerrero of BBDO Guerrero/Proximity, went down to no. 10. Guerrero’s outgoing ECD Simon Welsh moved up a notch, from no. 3 last year, to no.2; DM9 JaymeSyfu’s Louie Sotto, from no. 11 to no. 3, and Welsh’s former partner Joel Limchoc went from 2nd place to 5th.
Riding on the crest of its wins for Boysen "Flower Power" and UPAA "Riles", TBWASantiago Mangada Puno’s dream team (Melvin Mangada, Denise Tee, Manuel Villafania, and Brian Siy) occupied several slots in the top ten. They dislodged JWT’s Dave Ferrer, former Y&R creatives Leigh Reyes and Trisha Uy, BBDO Guerrero/Proximity’s Brandie Tan and O&M’s Lito Gemora.
Petch’s entry into the Philippine rankings is not entirely unexpected. Even though he has only been in Ace Saatchi & Saatchi for a little over a year, he spent part of 2007 and most of 2008 with Saatchi Singapore, where he worked on a number of award-winning ads.
The Creative Rankings chart the performances of the 161 agencies that have won creative awards over the past two years. It also ranks the 1493 individual copywriters and art directors that have won awards over the past two years.The Campaign Brief Asia Rankings issue is being released this week and is expected to arrive in Manila next week.
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