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