[Updated story: Ace Saatchi & Saatchi Manila brought home five metals at Spikes Asia 2013, not three as earlier reported. Their awards were a Silver Spike for Film for "Re-Meet" for Cebuana Lhuillier, and two Silver Spikes each in the Media and PR categories for "Screen Age Love Story" for PLDT MyDSL.]
DM9JaymeSyfu brought home two Grand Prix awards at the 2013 Spikes Asia Awards, for its groundbreaking Smart TXTBKS initiative. The agency took home the Grand Prix in the Direct and Mobile categories for its “TXTBKS” campaign for Smart Communications.
DM9JaymeSyfu chairman and chief creative officer Merlee Jayme told adobo, “It’s the first time, I think, for the Philippines to win a Grand Prix here, and the team is so proud to have these!”
The decision to award the Grand Prix for Direct was unanimous, according to Direct and Promo & Activation jury president Jose Miguel Sokoloff (President, Lowe Global Creative Council & Co Chairman and CCO Lowe SSP3 Colombia). The campaign was chosen for its “perfect use of technology, not for technology itself, but for repurposing technology…to do good and be good,” said Sokoloff, adding that it had a resonance in society that was “brilliant and laudable”.
Mobile Jurist Budjette Tan, Deputy Executive Creative Director at MRM Manila said the jury were impressed by the life-changing low-tech solution. “We saw our share of AR-based and smartphone-based executions, but the simple fact that a low-tech phone and a sim you (might) throw away can change the life of a student impressed all the judges.”
The winners were revealed on Tuesday night at the awards ceremony, which marked the end of the 2013 Festival.

The Philippines was well-represented at this year’s awards, with BBDO Guerrero bagging a Gold Spike in Creative Effectiveness for the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign.
Ace Saatchi & Saatchi took home five metals, including a Silver Spike for Film for “Re-Meet” for Cebuana Lhuillier. The agency’s “Screen Age Love Story” for PLDT MyDSL also won two Silver Spikes each in the Media and PR categories.
Leo Burnett Manila won a Bronze Spike in the Print Category for its work for WWF, while Y&R Philippines also won a Bronze Spike for PR for its “Dengue Bottle” campaign for Maynilad Water Services.
TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno won a Bronze Spike in the Design category for Ayala Land Nuvali’s “Koi Fish Feed Invite.”
A jury of 77 members selected the winners from close to 4,900 entries from 20 countries.
The winners were among eight Philippine agencies whose entries made it to the shortlists.
Ace Saatchi & Saatchi Manila had the most number of entries (11) making the shortlists: the winning ‘Screen Age Love Story’ under six categories; Ariel’s ‘Olympic Shirt Flag’ under Branded Content & Entertainment; Cebuana Lhuillier’s ‘Sisters Re-meet’ and ‘Dad and Son Re-meet’ under Film.
Y&R Philippines bagged a total of six finalists: Gelattto Flip-Flops’ ‘Angela’, ‘Barack’, and ‘Mahmoud’ was shortlisted under the Print & Poster Craft category; Maynilad’s ‘Dengue Bottle’ campaign was shortlisted once under PR, once under Promo and Activation, and once under Direct.
DM9JaymeSyfu bagged five finalists: the winning ‘TXTBKS’ was shortlisted once under Mobile, twice under Direct, and once under Outdoor; Asia Brewery’s Tanduay Ice ‘Mixhibit’ was shortlisted under Design.
Leo Burnett Manila bagged four finalists: WWF Philippines’ ‘Nightlife’ under the Film Craft category; Cultural Center of the Philippines Virgin Labfest’s ‘Silent Room’ was shortlisted under Radio; WWF Philippines Earth Hour’s ‘Iceberg’ and ‘Tree’ were shortlisted under Print.
Meanwhile, BBDO Guerrero bagged a finalist for the Department of Tourism’s “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign under the Creative Effectiveness category.
TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno was shortlisted once under Design for Ayala Land Nuvali’s ‘Koi Fish Feed Invite’.
JWT Manila was shortlisted twice under Outdoor for Energizer Philippines’ Schick Exacta 2′s ‘Chaplin’ and ‘Salvador’.
McCann Worldgroup Philippines was also shortlisted twice under Outdoor for Pioneer Trucks’ Xenon High-Intensity Discharge Bulbs ‘Owls’ and ‘Angels’.