Ogilvy & Mather South Africa makes history at Cannes Lions 2016

Grand Prix - Team Cannes

Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) South Africa, the integrated agency for the digital age, enjoyed a star-studded week at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which concluded this past weekend. The agency group walked away with 11 Cannes Lions, including a coveted Grand Prix in Radio.

Cannes Lions is the world’s premier annual gathering of advertising, marketing and communications professionals and largest creative award show. With over 45,000 entries into this year’s festival, the odds of winning is averaged at below 3%.

Of the seven agencies awarded in South Africa – which was ranked as the 8th country at the Festival – O&M claimed 44% of the country’s statues, with 38 of its entries short listed across various categories including Print, Radio, Entertainment, Outdoor, Design, Media, and Promo and Activations. This demonstrates the group’s integrated and specialist capabilities and delivering on its Twin Peaks philosophy of highly creative and effective work for clients.

KFC’s ‘The Everyman Meal’, which scooped up a D&AD Yellow Pencil in May, made history for KFC by receiving its first Cannes Lions Grand Prix. The radio work was praised by the jury president Tom Eymundson as being ‘the piece of work that struck a chord with everyone in the room’.

O&M Johannesburg racked up seven additional Radio Lions – two Gold for ‘The Everyman Meal’, three Silver for Vodacom ‘You Should Have Called’, and two Bronze for Philips ‘Close Shave’. O&M Cape Town also garnered two Bronze Lions in Print as well as Outdoor for Volkswagen ‘Technically’.

Finally, retail and shopper marketing business, Geometry Global – in collaboration with O&M Johannesburg – received a Bronze in Promo and Activations for SAB’s Spike Detector.

“Cannes Lions is a collective overview of where we stand in the creative world across the globe,” said Pete Case, chief creative officer of Ogilvy & Mather South Africa. ”I’m filled with gratitude that our work is part of the high calibre seen on stage this year. Thank you to our clients, our people, and to the judges and Cannes Lions for this recognition.”

Abey Mokgwatsane, chief executive officer of Ogilvy & Mather South Africa, added, “These results are simply incredible. My thanks to Pete for his creative leadership, our people for their remarkable contributions to these wins and to our clients for entrusting us with their brands.”

To finish off the week, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide received the highest honour at Cannes Lions – Agency Network of the Year. This is the fifth consecutive time the global network has obtained the title.

South Africa’s winning agencies at Cannes Lions 2016:

To catch up on all O&M’s updates from the festival, search #OgilvyCannes on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.