This past weekend, South Africa’s advertising agencies headed to Durban for the annual Loerie awards.

I’m sure most of those in attendance partied late into the night, as is customary, but there would have been an extra pep in the step of the agencies that saw their television adverts take home top awards.

The next morning is usually the opposite, but such is life.

Before we look at the television adverts themselves, here are some details via Business Insider SA:

The Loerie awards celebrate the best of advertising in Africa and the Middle East the past year in 14 categories including print media, television, and digital.

Out of roughly 100 video entries submitted, four received gold awards and one won a Grand Prix – the highest award at the Loeries.

One entry that received gold was a 7-minute short film VUKA by agency Joe Public for South African Breweries, which tried to highlight the effect of underage drinking. The rest were all television adverts.

Let’s look at the four television adverts, starting with Nando’s, obviously…

Agency – M&C Saatchi Abel

This advert was made after campaigns from Absolut Vodka and Absa’s Africanacity series, which it pretty clearly makes fun of. It was the only television advert to receive a Grand Prix award.

Rumour has it there was enough shade thrown here to prevent the Vaalies from getting sunburn on Clifton Fourth beach this past December.

We should also congratulate Nando’s on the ‘You People’ advert, although overplaying it on TV eventually killed any enjoyment.

Next up is MTN South Africa:

Agency – TBWA\Hunt Lascaris Johannesburg

The advert features an apparently inebriated man, with heavy smoke hanging in the apartment, who calls someone twice to say happy birthday. The tagline is: “We won’t judge your reasons for needing double your data.”

The clock says 4:21, so he’s clearly just toked up at the iconic 4:20, for those who need further clarification.

Next up is a personal favourite, and one that we covered last year – Chicken Licken’s ‘Legend of Big John’:

Agency – Joe Public

This ad was banned in South Africa by the Advertising Regulatory Board because it “trivialises an issue that is triggering an upsetting for many South African people” – colonisation. It features the character “Big John” who travelled across the oceans and casually overcomes the many challenges of that journey to “discover” Europe.

I can understand those complaints, but clearly many people also enjoyed it.

The fourth and final advert is Philips Hair Clippers with ‘Shave To Remember ‘:

Agency – Ogilvy Johannesburg

The advert and campaign encouraged South Africans to shave their head in a similar fashion to young Nelson Mandela, to recommit themselves to the values of the liberation fighter.

Yup, a pretty solid effort.

Congrats to all of the winners, and may your sinuses livers recover in good time.

[source:businsidersa]