FOCUS: AGENCY OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2000 - The New Leaf Award - Contamination message wins for DDB duo

DDB Singapore has beaten more than 200 advertising agencies from

around the region to win the New Leaf Award, organised by Discovery

Channel and Animal Planet.

Specifically, the honours went to writer Craig Rosenthal and art

director Goh Wee Kim, who produced the winning public service

announcement (PSA).

This is the second year that Discovery Planet and Animal Planet have

given away the New Leaf Award.

The award was launched in July 1999 to challenge agencies in

Asia-Pacific to create a conservation-themed PSA for television.

This year's award recognises the agency with the most compelling entry

that draws attention to the growing threat of global water contamination

in the region.

The winning PSA entry, entitled "Nature's Call" features a powerful last

frame conveying the message that the "Earth needs fresh thinking on

water".

The PSA addresses the growing threat of global water contamination

regionally and highlights the extent of the problem.

"The concept behind the public service announcement makes you sit up and

realise that global water contamination is a serious problem," said Ms

Lesley Anne Campbell, vice-president, marketing and communications,

Discovery Networks Asia.

"This is the kind of message that will help raise public awareness of

environmental issues, in line with our mission at Discovery

Channel."

Unanimously described as a "simple yet compelling idea" by the judges,

'Nature's Call' was a clear winner.

Those on the judging panel included MEDIA magazine's Ken McKenzie, Ms

Jessica See from the World Wide Fund for Nature, Mr Eugene Cheong from

Ogilvy & Mather, Mr Trefor Scott Thomas from Saatchi & Saatchi, and Ms

Campbell and Mr Philip Kitcher from Discovery Networks Asia.

Presiding as chairman for the panel of judges was Mr Juggi Ramakrishnan

from Saatchi & Saatchi.

The DDB Singapore duo walks away with USdollars 25,000 to produce the

PSA, and USdollars 100,000 worth of airtime on Discovery Channel and

Animal Planet.

The winners were intrigued by the brief and conducted extensive research

on global water contamination.

"We were hit by the fact that over 12,000 people die daily from drinking

contaminated water," said Mr Rosenthal.

"We wanted to do our part to increase public awareness of this

issue.

We are pleased to be able to use some footage shot in Africa, courtesy

of Giant Firms.

"We will bring the issue of global water contamination to life for the

viewers."

Ms Campbell commented: "We are greatly encouraged by the responses from

the advertising agencies. We had entries not just from Southeast Asian

countries, but also from China, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong and

even Pakistan.

"Clearly the advertising agencies around the region share our vision for

the campaign."