NMH creative challenge winners announced

Advertising agency Snowball Design Studio was yesterday announced the overall winner in Namibia Media Holdings’ (NMH) inaugural ‘creative challenge’, which for the past three months pitted local creative professionals against one another for a chance to score free promotion and bragging rights for themselves and their clients. Snowball Design Studio won the Namibian Sun Editor’s Choice award for its full-page advertisement for client W Meyer Optometrists. The first runner-up was Ogilvy Namibia for its entry representing client SABMiller Namibia. In terms of the competition rules, local design studios, corporate in-house studios and advertising agencies were asked to produce print advertisements for their clients, which had to relate to a news article featured in Namibian Sun during the competition period (July to September). Competing entries were featured in the newspaper weekly, with Namibian Sun readers making up the initial panel of judges, and editor Festus Nakatana responsible for the final decision. The overall winning advertisement won its creators a free advertising campaign in the newspaper, worth over N$103 000, while the runner-up won a similar campaign worth just over N$51 000. In addition, three lucky Namibian Sun readers each won N$1 000 for picking their favourite advertisements via SMS and social networks. “I think it’s great from an agency perspective, in rewarding and acknowledging the creative minds behind the advertisements, those who normally would go unaccredited,” SABMiller Namibia’s marketing manager Linda Buckingham said about the initiative. “The essence of a campaign like this,” added Ogilvy Namibia digital designer Marcelle van der Walt, “is that the challenge doesn’t end here. This (concept of) ‘piggy-backing’ off current news goes a long way towards keeping a brand current.” From a client perspective, W Meyer Optometrist co-owner Klaus Hübner said it was refreshing that agencies were required to proactively represent their clients. “I was pretty surprised when they (Snowball Design Studios) approached and invited us. We truly appreciate that, and to get a bit of publicity on the side,” Hübner said. The three winning readers are Salitel Mutilifa, Frieda Reed and John Liao. Our weblink: http://www.ogilvy.com.na/ WINDHOEK DENVER ISAACS