Bookmarks 2016: talking cars, a bearded magician, Gloogilvy comes into its own

The Bookmarks Awards, now in their eighth year, took place on Thursday night and,aside from some fancy tricks from night’s entertainment, there were few surprises.

In line with the shortlist, the big agencies took home most of the awards on the night. Native VML’s “BMW i3 Talking Car” was undoubtedly the campaign of the night, while Gloo — now safely ensconced in the Ogilvy group — showed that being part of a giant holding company hasn’t dampened its ability to win serious numbers of awards.

Ultimately however it would be Native VML that would take top honours for the night, with its total awards ranking ensuring that it walked away with the award for Best Digital Agency. It’s not the first time it’s won the award and, if it can keep delivering the results it has been, there’s every chance it won’t be the last.

Another agency with a good showing on the night was King James, largely on the back of work it did with New Balance around the Comrades Marathon, and this undeniably cute campaign it did with Dale Steyn.

A regular winner at The Loeries, King James’ success is probably the best evidence of what can happen with traditional agency creativity is combined with digital nous, progressively built up over a number of years.

Gloo@Ogilvy’s Pete Case walked away with Best Individual Contribution to Digital, the latest in a run of agency bosses to win the Bookmark’s most prestigious individual award. The handful of wins Primedia’s Eyewitness News (EWN) picked up on the night was meanwhile enough to land it “Best Digital Publisher” on the night.

In general, very few golds were given away on the night (nine in total). That’s in line with the trend over the past couple of years for The Bookmarks judging panel to hold entries to a higher standard, but it’s got to be a little disconcerting that more companies (among both agencies and publishers) aren’t meeting those standards.

As well as the golds, 43 silver, 47 bronze and six special awards were awarded on the evening.

One thing that those of a more cynical bent might consider a trick worthy of magician Ilan Smith — who served as the night’s entertainment — is the increasing presence of agencies and commercial brands in the publisher categories. While the rise of content marketing means that it’s understandable, it’s still a little disconcerting to see an ecommerce site’s content play going up against hard news sites.

It’s something that IAB SA may have to look at in the run up to next year’s awards. Conversation and consultation is a start, but if the night’s chatter was anything to go by, there may have to be clearer criteria in the publisher categories going forward.

The awards have already seen some serious evolution over the past few years, with a number of very necessary changes coming in the last two years. Turning a number of the individual award categories into craft awards, for instance, makes plenty of sense. It’s not difficult to imagine then that the organisation will be able to resolve any latent issues with publisher categories.

The full list of winners can be found below:

Gold

Category Brand Product Title Agency
Existing Social Communities City of Cape Town City of Cape Town City of Cape Town King James Group
Use of User Generated Content PASSOP (People Against Suffering Oppression and Poverty) PASSOP (People Against Suffering Oppression and Poverty) Give Refugees back their humanity NATIVE VML
Online Video Production Scouts South Africa Youth development Learn it young. NOT NORM
Editorial Superbalist The Way of Us The Way of Us Superbalist.com
Mobile Aps Superbalist.com The Superbalist Mobile App The Superbalist Mobile App Superbalist.com
Software BMW South Africa Talking Car BMW i3 NATIVE VML
Special Features EYEWITNESS NEWS Homo Naledi – Interactive Feature EYEWITNESS NEWS

Silver

Category Brand Product Title Agency
Research Burn Media Ventureburn The Ventureburn Startup Survey – Excellence in Research Burn Media
Organic Search Marketing Clicks Clicks.co.za – The Journey to E-commerce Clicks2Customers
News or Feature Writing eNCA.com Medupi graves investigation Medupi graves investigation eNCA.com
Publisher sites eNCA.com South African news website eNCA.com – Know more eNCA.com
Mobile Publication EYEWITNESS NEWS EWN WhatsApp Briefs EYEWITNESS NEWS
Digital Campaign KFC The Soundbite Table KFC Soundbite Gloo@Ogilvy
Coding & Tech. Innovation KFC KFC Flash & Win – Interactive Drive-Thru KFC Flash & Win Gloo@Ogilvy
Innovative use of Media Lucozade Lucozade Lucozade Give Me Strength (WeTransfer) Gloo@Ogilvy
Mobile Campaign Volkswagen The New Volkswagen up! The Uber Test Ride Gloo@Ogilvy
UX Design Pernod Ricard The Inner Circle The Inner Circle Phase 1 Hellocomputer
Websites

Pernod Ricard The Inner Circle The Inner Circle Phase 1 Hellocomputer
Specialist Publisher sites Design Indaba Design Indaba Design Indaba Interactive Africa (Pty) Ltd
Content Strategy City of Cape Town City of Cape Town Anti-Drugs programme Someone in Cape Town King James Group
Social Media Campaigns City of Cape Town City of Cape Town Anti-Drugs programme Someone in Cape Town King James Group
Social Media Community Management City of Cape Town City of Cape Town Social channels King James Group
Interface Design Johnnie Walker Johnnie Walker Whiskey Walker Wager King James Group
Social Media Campaigns New Balance New Balance Comrades King James Group
Digital Strategy Pioneer Foods Marmite Battle of the Spreads Liquorice Africa Advertising (Pty)
Ad Ops Mini, McDonalds, Telkom Mini, McDonalds, Telkom Excellence In Adops Mark 1
Web Applications Bilingo iCAPTCHA NATIVE VML
Digital Campaign BMW South Africa BMW i3 Talking Car NATIVE VML
Coding & Tech. Innovation BMW South Africa BMW i3 Talking Car NATIVE VML
Client Service Gia Berger Gia Berger NATIVE VML
Editorial Jameson Jameson INDIE Channel Jameson INDIE Channel NATIVE VML
Research Momentum Multiply School tool NATIVE VML
Existing Social Communities Pernod Ricard South Africa Jameson Irish Whiskey Jameson Facebook Page NATIVE VML
Branded Content Red Bull The Red Bull X-Fighters Semi-Finals Event The Red Bull X-Fighters Tricktionary Tapes NATIVE VML
UX Design The Foschini Group TFG eCommerce NATIVE VML
E-Commerce Sites The Foschini Group TFG eCommerce NATIVE VML
Existing Social Communities Nando’s Fast Food/Restaurant The big bird on Twitter Publicis Machine
Social Media Community Management

Nando’s Fast Food/Restaurant The big bird on Twitter Publicis Machine
Organic Search Marketing McDonald’s OK Google Quirk Agency
Microsites Three Ships Whisky Three Ships 10 Year Old Single Malt Single Cask PX Finish The Master’s Collection Quirk Cape Town (Pty) Ltd & 140BBDO
Paid Search Marketing Saatchi & Saatchi Paid Search Marketing Excellence in Paid Search Marketing Saatchi & Saatchi Synergize
Paid Search Marketing Sage One South Africa Online Accounting Software Sage One Paid Search Marketing Saatchi & Saatchi Synergize
Social Paid Advertising Sage One South Africa Online Accounting Software Sage One Paid Search Marketing Saatchi & Saatchi Synergize
News or Feature Writing Superbalist The Way of Us The Way of Us Superbalist
Interface Design Superbalist Superbalist.com site Superbalist.com Superbalist.com
Specialist Publisher sites Superbalist The Way of Us The Way of Us Superbalist
Data-driven Campaign Tafel Lager Tafel Lager Let’s Celebrate Namibia Techsys Digital
Social Media Campaigns BirdLife South Africa International Vulture Awareness Day Tuluver Utopia
Online PR BirdLife South Africa International Vulture Awareness Day Tuluver Utopia
Best Digital Youngster
Saatchi & Saatchi Synergize

Bronze

Category Brand Product Title Agency
Mobile Apps News24 Gridwatch GridWatch – SA’s most reliable load shedding app News24
Native Advertising Nando’s Nando’s Art Initiative Between 10and5
Web Applications Fives Futbol Fives Futbol Sports Management Platform Fives Futbol Sports Management Platform Bluegrass Digital
Special Features eNCA.com The story of a young MMA fighter’s rise to glory Hope To Glory – The Journey of Themba Gorimbo eNCA.com
Social Paid Advertising BMW BMW 1 Series BMW 1 Series LCI Launch Campaign EOH Digital
News or Feature Writing EYEWITNESS NEWS Aletta Harrison – Prison Yoga EYEWITNESS NEWS
Coding & Tech. Innovation KFC The Soundbite Table KFC Soundbite Gloo@Ogilvy
Digital Installations and Activations KFC The Soundbite Table KFC Soundbite Gloo@Ogilvy
Display Advertising Volkswagen The new range of Polo Vivos Polo Vivo – Anything is possible Gloo@Ogilvy
Social Paid Advertising Unilever Shield Deodorant and Antiperspirant Shield – First in Africa Gorilla Creative Media
Interface Design Meyerton Engineering

Meyerton Engineering Meyerton Mobile INJOZI
Email Publication Pick n Pay Supper Sorted Pick n Pay Food Pick n Pay – Supper Sorted John Brown Media
Marketing Copywriting City of Cape Town City of Cape Town City of Cape Town King James Advertising Cape Town Pty (Ltd)
Branded Content New Balance New Balance Comrades King James
Branded Content New Balance New Balance Baby vs Dale Steyn King James
Branded Content Sanlam Sanlam One Rand Family King James
Existing Social Communities Steri Stumpie Steri Stumpie Steri Stumpie social channels King James Group
Online Video Production Johnnie Walker Johnnie Walker Whiskey Walker Wager King James Group
Innovative Use of Social Media Unilever Knorr whatsfordinner? Instant Inspiration King James Group
Display Advertising Q20 Q20 Q20 Squeaky Browzer M&C Saatchi Abel
Use of User Generated Content Brandhouse Heineken Open Your City Mobile Experience M&C Saatchi Abel
E-Commerce Sites Spree.co.za Spree.co.za Spree.co.za Online Fashion Store Media24 Ecommerce
Innovative use of Media PASSOP (People Against Suffering Oppression and Poverty) Give Refugees back their humanity NATIVE VML
Innovative use of Media PASSOP (People Against Suffering Oppression and Poverty) Give Refugees back their humanity NATIVE VML
Use of User Generated Content DARG Animal Rescue DARG Facebook Photobomb NATIVE VML
Social Media Campaigns PASSOP (People Against Suffering Oppression and Poverty) Give Refugees back their humanity NATIVE VML
Social Media Campaigns Nedbank Card, Nedbank Greenbacks Rewards Nedbank’s @LoveGreenbacks Twitter Bot NATIVE VML
Interface Design BMW BMW i3 Talking Car NATIVE VML
Strategy The Foschini Group TFG eCommerce NATIVE VML
Microsites BMW BMW i3 Talking Car NATIVE VML
Specialist Publisher Sites VISI VISI VISI.co.za New Media Publishing
Organic Search Marketing Makro Makro SEO Quirk Agency
Digital Campaign Three Ships Whisky Three Ships 10 Year Old Single Malt Single Cask PX Finish The Master’s Collection Quirk Cape Town (Pty) Ltd & 140BBDO
Coding & Tech. Innovation Three Ships Whisky Three Ships 10 Year Old Single Malt Single Cask PX Finish The Master’s Collection Quirk Cape Town (Pty) Ltd & 140BBDO
Customer Experience Design

Three Ships Whisky Three Ships 10 Year Old Single Malt Single Cask PX Finish The Master’s Collection Quirk Cape Town (Pty) Ltd & 140BBDO
Organic Search Marketing Rogerwilco Rogerwilco SEO team Rogerwilco SEO team Rogerwilco
Specilist Publisher Sites SA Creatives SA Creatives Online Publication SA Creatives SA Creatives
Organic Search Marketing Saatchi & Saatchi Search Marketing Andre Wilkinson Excellence in Organic Search Marketing Saatchi & Saatchi Synergize
Websites Superbalist Superbalist.com site Superbalist.com Superbalist
Paid Search Marketing Coral The Media Image Making Every Click Count
Software SmartRand (Pty) Ltd SmartRand SmartRand: Automated Investment Advice Twisted Toast Digital (Pty) Ltd
Email Col’Cacchio Col’Cacchio Banting Menu Col’Cacchio Slim down mailer TWO.AM Agency
Digital Campaign BirdLife South Africa International Vulture Awareness Day Tuluver Utopia
Ad Network & Programmatic Technology Distance Window www.vicinity-media.com
Mobile Apps crowdCaster crowdCaster crowdCaster Z

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