Naga DDB's ECD Ted Lim chaired a jury that comprised five international members including TBWA\Chiat\ Day's Ben Nott, Euro RSCG Thailand's Passapol Limpirisan and DDB Brasil's Marcos Medeiros as well as six local members including Saatchi & Saatchi's Edmund Choe, BBDO's Ronald Ng and JWT's Edwin Leong.
Judges reviewed 1,320 entries -- down from last year's 1,800 -- for fresh ideas, original execution and work that would travel. "The print work was world class with strong visuals still very much in vogue," said Lim. "Sadly the same can't be said for television this year."
He added that ideas were stronger in traditional media and executions of online work improved on last year.
Other big winners were Naga DDB, which swiped Agency of the Year. The award was based on an accumulation of points from the regional and local award shows including Cannes, AdFest, Media's Asian Advertising Awards and the Kancils. Naga also won one gold and five silver awards, while McCann received two golds and eight silvers. Saatchi & Saatchi took home two golds and six silvers, and Y&R, one gold and two silvers.
The inaugural Chairman's Award went to Adoi's Harmandar Singh.
"There is no denying the resources that Harmandar has brought to us," said Datuk Vincent Lee, 4As president.
McCann scoops Golden Kancil
McCann Erickson emerged as the big winner at this year's Kancil Awards receiving the coveted Golden Kancil for work on Sony PlayStation 2, a campaign using city bus shelter billboards coated in bubble wrap.