Financial Times

This year’s advertising awards took a hot new look with the Chillies advertising awards – a week-long event that culminated last night with the presentation of the awards for ‘the best’ in the business.

The awards ceremony was not merely a single event but festival of advertising which ran for a week. As the organizers call “it is a celebration of advertising that endeavours to reward and encourage excellence in creativity in advertising.

The Chillies Ad Week started off last week at the Trans Asia Hotel on May 13 with the Spice Sessions, workshops and seminars on advertising. The sessions were conducted by internationally recognized panel of professionals for art directors and creative people in the ad industry.

The radio workshops for Art Directors titled “Radio for Art Directors” were conducted by Tony Hertz, whose passion for radio spanned 30 years with an award winning career as an international agency Creative Director.

Mr. Hertz is the proprietor of Radio Creative/Production companies namely Hertz Radio & Other Clever Advertising Ltd., launched in 2001 after his tenure of 14 years at McCann-Erickson as a Creative Director. Under his direction, McCann creative departments in Tokyo, Brussels and Birmingham won Eurobest, Cresta, London International, Clio and British Television Awards and a Cannes Lion.

The first Gold Lion in Thai history Ms. Jureeporn Thaidumrong, Founder/Executive Creative Director of JEH United Limited, Bangkok, Thailand and Mr. Birger Linke, Integrated Art Director of Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore conducted another seminar for the Creatives in the industry.

The panel of judges included five international judges - Tony Hertz, Ms. Jureeporn Thaidumrong, Birger Linke, Alex Lim and Ms. Preetivathi Viyas Gannett. The local judges were chosen from the nominations of the agencies themselves.

An exhibition of the total collection of the entries that were received for the Chillies was being displayed at Trans Asia Beira Terrace till today with the winning entries also on exhibition after yesterday’s the awards night.

“Judges on the hot seat”, judges forum happened on the 18th which was conducted by Jimmy Lam of Ad fest fame. The celebrations topped up with the awards ceremony and the after party at Kings Court,Trans Asia Hotel.
(CD)