Nigeria’s advertising industry never experienced as much creative spark as it did in 2014, as its reward system, tagged Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF), raked in 18 gold, 50 silver, and 55 bronze medals from 710 entries.
Insight Communications based in Ikeja, which had topped the medal’s table for eight years, was dethroned by DDB based on Victoria Island.
The almost three-year-old X3M Ideas, managed by one of the country’s creative advertising eggheads, Steve Babaeko, improved on its medal hull but remained stuck in third, its position in the last two editions of the awards.
Lekan Fadolapo, Executive Secretary of AAAN, organisers of the awards, announced that DDB came first, Insight Communications second and X3M Ideas third.
The awards also recognised young creative persons, and 24 employees of Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) member agencies competed in the Young LAIFERS category this year.
The winners include gold – Segun Akeredolu and Jephah Nwabuisi (Insight Communications); silver – Uduak Akpan and Ebuka Anyasie (X3M Ideas); and bronze – Elemode Oladunni and Grillo Adebiyi (Noah’s Ark).
Past LAIF
Analysts had dismissed previous LAIF editions as uninspiring in an industry driven by creativity. Winning a gold medal was rare. There was an edition in which no entry merited a grand prix. LAIF was that bad.
But the ninth edition received kudos for both organisation and quality entries.
Ikechi Odigbo, LAIF board Chairman and DDB Managing Director, said it was rich in creativity and festivity, but “I see plenty of room for improvement, especially in terms of logistics, to ensure a seamless awards event.”
Creativity
The 2013 awards produced 18 gold medals but 124 were won in 2014. Insight Communications won 44, DDB 32, and X3M Ideas 13.
The grand prix was won by DDB, which also won seven gold followed by Insight with four and X3M with 2, and Noah’s Ark 141. Centrespread, Lintas and Yellow Bricks one gold medal each.
Odigbo noted that competition is helping to improve the quality of advertising. With new agencies giving established ones a run for their money at pitches and creative awards, no one can rely on past victories and reputation.
“I personally believe the creative quality of the entries for this year was superior to last year’s. Let’s hope the upward trend will continue with subsequent editions. Overall, there is still a lot of room for improvement, just not enough entries worthy of gold,” he stressed.
Winning international laurels
Advertising helps client build brand and improve the bottom line, and the excitement that comes when works pick honours is boundless.
Babaeko reiterated that “winning is good, and to consistently improve is exciting but building our clients’ businesses is the ultimate goal for us as an agency.”
Odigbo noted that “Saka Ports for MTN and Mouka Active Rest works by DDB Lagos, apart from clinching the grand prix and several gold medals at LAIF, have already won international awards at the Loeries and African Cristals.
“This is a huge first for Nigerian advertising and goes to show that Cannes is not such a long way off if we give priority to developing work that is not only original in creativity but authentic to our culture and context.”
Creative budget
Stakeholders believe that budget is not a factor to award winning advertising works, but it is a necessity. Small budget project, or shoestring budget project as it is called, often comes up tops in international awards because it compels deep thinking.
“Necessity, they say is the mother of invention. A limited budget should inspire us to develop disruptive creative advertising that can make an impact and break through the clutter without requiring a heavy media budget,” Odigbo explained.
This is not to say that big budget projects do not earn recognition, said Abimbola Koyi, a communication lecturer in Lagos.
LAIF abroad
Nigeria is the biggest Africa advertising market. But the continent does not have a known reward system, which makes some players to canvass the expansion of LAIF to other African markets.
Odigbo disclosed plans by the leaders of AAAN and LAIF to make the awards bigger in future, with richer seminar content and broader geographical reach and appeal.
“We plan having entries and participants from the West and Central African sub region for LAIF 2016. This has greater implications for funding and logistics but, hey, we need to keep breaking boundaries. That’s what makes live worth living.”
Inroads by X3M Ideas
X3M Ideas proved to be the most consistently improving agency in Nigeria with another sterling performance at LAIF for the third year running.
In 2012, it debuted with one gold, two silver, and one bronze, coming third on the medals table. It maintained the third position in 2013 with one gold, two Silver, and one bronze.
Its awards and winning entries in 2014 include
• Special gold award – best use of new media. Etisalat (Can you hear me; gold award – TVC banking and investment.
• Diamond (You need a new bank); special silver award – best use of media.
• Etisalat (Hold yourself); special silver award – radio petroleum Oando (Engine Music); special silver award – best use of communication radio.
• Etisalat (Easy Cliq Face off); silver award – TVC miscellaneous – Dangote Cement (Jealous) and bronze award – TVC banking and investment – Verve (Live, Love and Share).
But Babaeko insisted that “being third or whatever is not good enough for us, this is because the agency was set up with a mindset to be the number one agency.”
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