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."

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