The Assegai Integrated Marketing Awards recognise and honour outstanding achievements in the ever-evolving world of marketing.
The Nkosi Award, one of only three special awards, is given to an entry that has excelled above all others and has shown excellence across ROI, strategy and creativity, the highest-ranking entry of the year.
Ogilvy SA also won gold for the IAS Credentials Award: Ogilvy South Africa, together with Saatchi & Saatchi SA. Its client Volkswagen SA was named Brand of the Year, and the Direct Marketer of the Year went to Bridget Harpur of Volkswagen SA.
“What an amazing night for Ogilvy and our clients," says Pete Case, Ogilvy CEO & creative chairman.
"It was wonderful to see Bridget Harpur from Volkswagen SA announced as Marketer of the Year, after all the great work that she has partnered us on over the years."
"And of course, we’re also hugely proud for Ogilvy to be recognised as the overall best performing Agency at the event, with 42 wins, including 14 Golds and seven Special Honour awards."
He adds that Assegais is an important event for them to evaluate the effectiveness of their marketing work in specialist disciplines, against the industry.
"So it’s incredibly rewarding to have such a broad range of client work recognised and to be the overall winner at the event. Congratulations to all of our clients that shone through including; Volkswagen, Castle Lager, Carling Black Label, Castle Lite, Cadbury, KFC, Pep, Food Forward SA, Colgate and DStv.
"Thank you to all the people we partnered with to make this body of work. Success in marketing today relies on a collaborative mindset and I think these results demonstrate Ogilvy’s strength in combining different specialists' minds for the singular goal, of creating maximum business impact for our clients," says Case.
The other special awards are the Zinthatu Award and the Newcomer of the Year Award.
The Zinthatu Award, which recognises those more seasoned agencies who demonstrate continued and consistent excellence as evidenced by the quality of the work seen from them each year went to Triple Eight.
The Newcomer of the Year Award went to Fenix Marketing & Mindpool Productions. This award is eligible for all entries, irrespective of which category your work has been entered as long as it is the agency's first time entering the Assegai Awards.
For Triple Eight, the Zinthatu Agency Award is a special acknowledgement. “We are grateful to the judges for recognising our dedication. This accolade fuels our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of work, delivering great results consistently,” says Sarika Modi, CEO of Triple Eight.
She explains that the agency’s success is grounded in a profound sense of purpose that has only strengthened over time.
“We proudly identify as the 'Creative Force for Good Company,' committed to driving positive impact across people, the planet, and profits for our clients.
“Every project we undertake carries the mark of good, inspiring our teams, clients and target audiences. This shared sense of belief in our work fuels our accomplishments, in terms of creativity, business results and the lasting impact we create.”
She adds that it is all about collaboration. “Our achievements are a result of great collaboration with clients and agency partners. These are the secrets of why we don’t get tired of “work” – it’s because it’s not really work when you love what you do this much.”
For Triple Eight, the Assegai Awards are significant because they recognise outstanding campaigns, programmes, and results.
“They serve as a spotlight on the diverse forms that great work can take, inspiring individuals within and beyond our industry. Particularly in today's fast-paced world, it is crucial to pause and celebrate achievements,” says Modi.
She adds, “Importantly, these accolades offer inspiration to the younger generation involved in these campaigns, motivating them to aspire to greater heights. Amidst the busyness of our lives, these awards remind us to celebrate the good things happening around us.”
Flow Communications was a standout on the night, winning 20 Assegais, including 10 gold.
Says Flow’s CEO, Tara Turkington, “It’s an honour to sit in a room alongside the best marketers in the country and represent our clients in such a spectacular way. We are thrilled with our Assegai Awards, among the most prestigious South African marketing industry!
“We have had an extremely good awards year, taking home trophies from the Prism Awards for public relations, the New Generation Awards for digital marketing and now the Assegais for marketing. Our integrated approach and the fact that we can choose the best solution for our clients’ businesses and communication challenges, without being wedded to a channel or a speciality, means we can claim multi-disciplinary excellence.
"To our innovative team, thank you; a massive shout-out goes to you, too. And without our amazing clients, we wouldn’t be able to do the work we do. These 20 awards showcase our combined dedication, creativity and passion.”
