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.
No ad to show here.
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 |
| 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 |
