LONDON, UK: The 53rd D&AD Professional Awards presented 847 Pencils at the ceremony on 21 May in London. South African agencies took home 13 Wood Pencils, 4 Graphite Pencils and 1 Yellow Pencil.
The addition of two new Pencils (Wood and Graphite replacing 'In-Book' and 'Nomination' respectively) has facilitated a record number of entries into this year's annual, with 847 projects from 44 countries achieving D&AD's legendary standards.
While the pursuit of excellence has been well awarded by the 2015 jurors (207 entries received Graphite Pencils and a further 587 entries received Wood Pencils) two of D&AD's highest accolades, the Yellow and Black Pencils (the latter reserved only for creative perfection), have been more difficult than ever to win this year, with just 44 Yellow and 5 Black Pencil winners.
South African agency winners
Local agencies walked home with 18 Pencils in the Graphite, Wood and Yellow colours.
Wood Pencils
- Radio Advertising Campaigns - YouTube the Rainbow, DDB South Africa for Wrigley
- Sound Design & Use of Music for Radio Advertising - YouTube the Rainbow, DDB South Africa for Wrigley
- Press Advertising Campaigns - The Press Ads That Know What's Coming, Ogilvy Cape Town for Volkswagen South Africa
- Press Advertising Campaigns - Things Happen Fast, King James Group for Independent Newspapers
- Advertising & Marketing Communications - Not for Profit - The Street Store, M&C Saatchi Abel, Cape Town for The Haven Night Shelter on Napier
- Earned Media Campaigns - A Rainbow for the Rainbow Nation, FCB South Africa for Coca-Cola South Africa
- Ambient - A Rainbow for the Rainbow Nation, FCB South Africa for Coca-Cola South Africa
- Brand Experience & Environments - The Street Store, M&C Saatchi Abel, Cape Town for The Haven Night Shelter on Napier
- Direct Response/Digital - #Tough Decisions, TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris for Médecins Sans Frontières South Africa
- Direct Response/Ambient - The Street Store, M&C Saatchi Abel, Cape Town for The Haven Night Shelter on Napier
- Direct Mail - Bottle Cap, Young and Rubicam Cape Town for Land Rover South Africa
- Writing for Direct - Drunk History Whiskey, Ogilvy Johannesburg for Viacom South Africa
- Direct Integrated Campaigns - The Street Store M&C Saatchi Abel, Cape Town for The Haven Night Shelter on Napier
Graphite Pencils
- Radio Advertising Campaigns - Give Me Strength, Ogilvy Johannesburg for Suntory
- Radio Advertising over 30 seconds - Disney, DDB South Africa for Wrigley
- Innovative Media - A Rainbow for the Rainbow Nation, FCB South Africa for Coca-Cola South Africa
- Illustration for Design - Anti-Est., Grid Worldwide for Anti-Est.
Yellow Pencil
- Writing for Radio Advertising - Give Me Strength, Ogilvy Johannesburg for Suntory
Five of the prestigious Black Pencils and four White Pencils were awarded on the evening.
Black Pencil-awarded work:
• '#LikeAGirl' by Leo Burnett Toronto, London, Chicago, and Holler (Creativity for Good - White Pencil) - Canada, UK, US
• 'Film4 Idents' by 4creative (Channel Branding & Identity) - UK
• 'G F Smith' by Made Thought (Branding Schemes/Medium Organisation) - UK
• 'Inglorious Fruits & Vegetables' by Marcel Worldwide (Direct Integrated Campaigns) - France• 'K9FM' by Colenso BBDO (Radio Advertising Campaigns) - New Zealand
Following a greater than 50% increase in White Pencil category entries, a record four White Pencils were awarded by the White Pencil jury - the highest in the awards' history, doubling last year's figure of two and signalling a bumper year for creativity for social good.
White Pencils
Most awarded
On the night, R/GA was crowned Most Awarded Advertising Agency, with two Yellow Pencils and a string of Graphite and Wood Pencils for its work with clients including Beats By Dre, Google, Hammerhead Navigation and Equinox.
Design Bridge claimed Most Awarded Design Agency, Procter & Gamble was recognised as Most Awarded Client, and Somesuch & Co. walked away with Most Awarded Production Agency, winning a Yellow Pencil for 'The Otherside' for Honda, one of the year's most talked about campaigns.
Other awards presented
President's Award - Margaret Calvert, the celebrated co-designer of Britain's iconic motorway signs and RCA tutor. Selected by D&AD President, Mark Bonner, Calvert moved from South Africa to Britain in 1950 to study at the Chelsea College of Art. In 1957 she was hired by Jock Kinner to redesign the road sign system. She came up with simple, easy-to-understand pictograms, including the signs for 'men at work' (a man digging), which revolutionised public signage in the UK.- Next Photographer award - Created in partnership with Getty Images to find the best new photographers and promote them back to the creative industry, was won by Brooklyn-based photographer Jeff Brown.
- Next Director Award - Created in partnership with YouTube and MOFILM to unearth the best new directorial talent, was given to Vania Heymann for his music video Mayokero.
