Winners in eight Lotus categories announced at ADFEST 2011

ASIA-PACIFIC – PHUKET, THAILAND, MARCH 18, 2011 – The winners for the Cyber, Film Craft, Design, Direct, New Director, Outdoor, Print Craft and Promo Lotus categories were announced at the 14th ADFEST at Movenpick Resort & Spa in Phuket, Thailand.

ADFEST President Jimmy Lam commented that there were far fewer Lotuses awarded than could have been given in the different subcategories and noted that what would have won metal in previous years might only be shortlisted today. “The general feeling amongst each jury panel seemed to be that standards from year to year have evolved so quickly in this region,” said Lam.

CYBER LOTUS
Of the 274 entries for Cyber Lotus, 35 were presented, including 4 Golds, 7 Silvers, 6 Bronzes and One Best of Show.

Masashi & Qanta & Saqoosha & Hiroki Tokyo won Best of Show for its “Utsushi Kagami” (Mirror, above) promotion for the band SOUR. Other Gold winners were McCann Worldgroup Hong Kong’s “Real Life Betting” for Dim Sum Television, Bascule Inc. Tokyo’s Axe “Summer Daydream” and Taiyo Kikaku Co. Ltd. for Nike Music Shoe.

According to Cyber Lotus jury president Satoshi Takamatsu, two types of winners emerged: social network tie-ups and standalone digital works. He also said that the Best of Show winner was unanimous and the trend is for music to be a component of the digital campaigns. “Utsushi Kagami” (Mirror) is not just a music video but an interactive one through the viewers’ social networks and geolocation.

“It shows entertainment today can be customized to an ndividual and connected to a network. The creators also asked consumers to make web donations to finish their idea, which was a fundamentally new approach,” he said.

DESIGN LOTUS
Of the 184 entries in Design Lotus, 2 Golds, 8 Silvers and 16 Bronzes were awarded. Best of Show once again went to Masashi & Qanta & Saqoosha & Hiroki Tokyo’s “Utsushi Kagami” (Mirror). The two Gold winners were Creative Juice Bangkok for its Tamiya calendar and Dentsu Tokyo for “Japan Bullet – Zing! Thunk!” promotion for its London office opening exhibition.

Said jury president Andy Blood, Group ECD & Partner TBWA new Zealand, “I think Japanese ideas marry design and technology better than anyone else, which makes their designs amongst the best in the world. Good design is not just about decoration – it’s about creating a design experience.”

DIRECT LOTUS
Out of 158 entries for Direct Lotus, 16 Bronzes, 5 Silvers and 1 Gold were awarded. The sole Gold went to Hakuhodo Tokyo for “Smash: Born to be destroyed”.

Tan Kien Eng, Direct Lotus jury president and CEO of Leo Burnett Group Singapore and Malaysia said that the the best work did not feel like advertising and Smash is a prime example of this: “People were excited to engage with the piece and told their friends about it.”

FILM CRAFT LOTUS
From 136 entries, 5 Golds, 13 Silvers and 12 Bronzes were given in the Film Craft category. Film Craft Lotus jury president Ram Madhvani of EquinoxFilms Mumbai remarked that the winners all had heart, setting them apart from the others. He likewise said that Malaysia is finding its voice, something that Thailand did years ago.

Gold winners are: The Sweet Shop Auckland’ “Lucky Dog” for NZ Lotteries Commission; liquidstudios Auckland for “Leaf Blower/Ride On Mower” for Sky TV, Ogilvy & Mather Group Hong Kong’s “It’s in our nature” for Shangri-la Hotels and Resorts, The Feds Sydney for Optus FIFA World Cup “Secret Training Camp”, and Leo Burnett Sydney’s “Monkey” for WWF.

NEW DIRECTOR LOTUS
Only three entries were submitted to the New Director category, which were awarded Gold, Silver and Finalist. The Gold Lotus went to TYO Inc. Monster Division for “Dad’s Love”, Sunshine Sakae.

Jury president Ram Madhvani expressed his disappointment in the few entries for the category but applauded the work of the new directors. “We thought the quality of the New Director entries were better than ost of the directors in the Film Craft category,” he said.

OUTDOOR LOTUS
Of the 244 entries, 17 awards were presented, including 3 Gold, 7 Silvers, 6 Bronzes and a Best of Show, which went to DDB China Group, Shanghai’s “Green Pedestrian Crossing” for the China Environmental Protection Foundation. The other two Golds were awarded to DDB Singapore for “Coin Landscapes” for Rough Guide Budget Travel Guide and to Cheil Worldwide Seoul for “Express Train” Super Sticky Post-It.

Outdoor Lotus jury president Sheung Yan Lo, ECD North East Asia and Chairman of JWT China, said that even for outdoor, the most conventional category, it is becoming more difficult to draw the line between promo, outdoor and cyber as these have become more and more part of outdoor campaigns.

PRINT CRAFT LOTUS
From 136 entries, 3 Gold, 9 Silvers and 16 Bronzes were awarded in the Print Craft Lotus. The three Golds were given out to SpicyH Co., Ltd Bangkok’s “Fingerprint: House/Office/Laboratory” for TimeWORKS, SenseTeam Shenzhen’s “Social Energy_Typeface” and DDB Singapore for “Coin Landscapes:Mountain/Landmarks/Road” for Rough Guide Budget Travel Guide.

Speaking on behalf of jury president Andy Blood, Bates 141 Asia Regional ECD Sonal Dabral applauded the smaller agencies in smaller cities who have risen to the top in the category.

PROMO LOTUS
In the inaugural Promo category, 200 entries were submitted, of which 6 Bronzes, 5 Silvers and 4 Golds were awarded. Best of Show went to Dentsu Inc Tokyo’s “Uniqlo Lucky Line”. Two Golds were presented to The Marketing Store Sydney’s “Bundy Skycouch” for Bundaberg Rum in two categories. The two other Golds were given out to George Patterson Y&R Melbourne for “Cottee’s Beach Blaster” and Leo Burnett Hong Kong for “Supor Non-stick Pans”.

Winners for the Press, Poster, Radio, Film, 360, INNOVA and Lotus Roots categories, as well as the special awards, will be announced tomorrow night.