Metals happily went all around the Subic Exhibition and Convention Center at the Araw Awards last November 24, but BBDO Guerrero Ortega/Proximity Philippines ran away with the Araw Agency Award. Amassing 80 metals and finalists—nearly double the count of its closest rivals—it was clearly the Philippines’ most creative ad agency of the last two years.
The Araw Advertiser Award went to the Kapisanan ng Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) because of the unusually prolific campaign that BBDO GO created for its KBP Radio awards. Hit Productions was the Araw Production House, for being the music and audio-post house of more than 70 Araw Award winners and finalists.
These three awards were given to the agency, advertiser and production house that garnered the highest score based on a weighted point system, excluding the craft awards.
Meanwhile, the title Best of Medium was awarded in only three out of seven categories. Namely, Leo Burnett/blackpencil’s “Playtime” for Cinemalaya in Film; JWT’s “Traffic Therapy” for Lotus Spa in Radio; Ogilvy & Mather’s “Pore” for Pond’s Anti-bacterial Facial Wash in Outdoor. Only Gold winners (that aren’t craft awards) vied for Best of Medium.
More Gold Araw trophies went to Leo Burnett/blackpencil (for Cinemalaya “Playtime” and “Snapshot” TVCs), JWT (Lotus Spa “Corporitual” radio and “Serenity” campaign), BBDO GO (WWF “Thermometer” poster and KBP “Radio Kit” DM), Y&R (Soroptomist “Bullets” print), TBWASantiago Mangada Puno (ABC-5 “Delivery Room”) and JimenezBasic (Western Union “Location”).
The Araw Awards committee received 2,500 entries from advertisers, ad agencies and production houses within the AdBoard organization. Juries led by David Guerrero of BBDO GO (Film), Richard Irvine of Leo Burnett (Radio and Multimedia Campaign), Melvin Mangada of TBWASMP (Press and Outdoor), and Peachie Pacquing of JWT (Design/Direct Response) soon whittled that number to 105 Bronze, 51 Silver and 18 Gold winners. Judging was conducted over two days in the Makati Shangri La Hotel, a week before the 20th Philippine Advertising Congress.
Two other special awards were given that night. The Kodak Technical Excellence Award for Cinematography was given to Leslie Garchitorena for Kenny Rogers “Nourish.” The Nokia Cinemaiksi Competition awarded its top prize to the Cannes Young Creatives combo of JP Cuison and Mela Advincula from Leo Burnett, for their short film “Change How You Feel” that was shot with a Nokia N95.
Saturday’s festivity was a svelte and fast-paced version of its former self, devoid of celebrities, song-and-dance numbers and the agonizing taped-as-live TV production.
As AdBoard Chairman Andre Kahn said, “This time around, the stars are the entries.”
The only performers were DJ Brian Cua, who mixed and played music for the proceedings, and the participants in the traditional Parade of Agencies.
Thirteen ad agencies and one production house took part in the parade that opened the awards night. Following the theme “Survivors of the New Order,” they interpreted diverse subjects such as endangered animals and trees, snail mail, landline telephony, folk dances, indigenous tribes, traditional live entertainment, writing instruments, and radio soap operas. Costumes were as outrageous as ever, delighting the audience with grim reapers, pintados, geishas, towering aliens on platform shoes and even bare breasts (using prosthetics, of course). But it was McCann Worldgroup’s take on haute couture that vogued itself to the top of judges’ minds.
McCann Worldgroup’s Raul Castro and PC&V Communications’ Sockie Pitargue, who chaired the AdCon’s Creative Committee, welcomed the crowd of mostly ad agency people. Competition co-chairpersons Raoul Panes of Leo Burnett and Merlee Jayme of DM9 JaymeSyfu presented all the Araw winners.
JWT’s Tay Guan Hin (who now holds the distinction of being Araw’s first international judge to actually win his own Araw trophy) said, “The agency parade was a fantastic way to start the show…I can see that some of the agencies really spent lots of time and effort in developing concepts brought to life by beautiful costumes.”
Towards the end of the program, Overall AdCon Chairperson Yoly Villanueva-Ong ceremonially turned over the AdCon to its next host, the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA).
Of the whole show, Guan added, “I’m truly in awe with the size of the crowd, the spirit and mood of the night.”
He especially liked the energetic pace set by DJ Brian Cua. “It created energy for winners to come up on stage faster and I liked how metals were grouped together to speed up what could have been a boring presentation. I’ve never seen so much enthusiasm, cheers and passion during an advertising show.”
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