Namibia ad campaign wins the US’ Lucie Awards

Staff Reporter Windhoek-Namibian advertising agency, Advantage Y&R, was recognised with the 2017 Lucie Awards for Print Advertising Campaign of the Year at a gala ceremony that took place at Carnegie Hall in New York on Sunday. The Lucie Awards in New York is an annual event that honours achievements in photography. The photography community from around the globe pays tribute to the most outstanding people in the field. Namibian photographer Shawn van Eeden, of Creative Lab, won the coveted statuette for the African Trash Masks print campaign, which he photographed for the Advantage Y&R agency. The work was shortlisted into the ‘Print Advertising Campaign of the Year’, with four other nominees from Brazil, and the USA. Van Eeden photographed the African Trash Masks, which Advantage Y&R conceptualised and designed for Greenpeace Africa as the client. Talented Namibian artists Petrus Shiimi and Saima Iita created the masks. The campaign featured African Masks made from recycled trash and worn by young children to represent the continent’s future should trash usage continue unchecked. The campaign was aligned with Greenpeace as part of their on-going efforts to raise awareness on pollution and instigate positive change in this regard. “We are ecstatic with this win. It’s incredible that a small agency from Windhoek can win a prestigious award in the Big Apple. Anything is possible,” said Advantage Y&R’s creative director Toufic Beyhum, who accompanied Van Eeden to the awards. The African Trash Masks campaign was awarded the Silver Loerie in August this year. The Loeries are Africa and the Middle East’s premiere initiatives that recognize, reward, inspire and foster creative excellence in the brand communication industry. The African Trash Masks were also shortlisted in Cannes, but Beyhun says the Lucie nomination and subsequent award came out of the blue. “If you look at the list of previous winners, we can really be proud of this achievement, as we are in excellent company,” he said. Based in Windhoek, Advantage Y&R was founded more than 20 years ago, and services an extensive portfolio of Namibian brands. It is also affiliated to Y&R Global, which gives it the added benefit of having access to a broader network of resources and skills.
2017-11-01 09:04:05 10 months ago