The three agencies that submitted the most entries were SC Matchbox, Ogilvy & Mather and Saatchi & Saatchi. Leo Burnett, J. Walter Thompson, BBDO, Lowe, TBWA and Creative Juice/G1 have chosen not to compete. The agencies are backing the Advertising Association of Thailand's (AAT) initiative, the Adman Awards, the first of which was held recently.
Said Phil McDonald, deputy MD, Burnett Thailand: "We supported Adman because it is run along the lines of many other world class award shows around the globe. Its categories included awarding excellence in integrated communication and new media, something that we are putting more emphasis on in the campaigns we develop for our clients."
The chairman of TACT's organising committee, Watanapan Krutasen, however, remains optimistic about its future. The judging criteria will maintain the same principles as before, with points for marketing strength, creativity and production.
TACT sees sharp entry fall on Adman's debut
The 28th Top Advertising Contest of Thailand (TACT) has seen a sharp drop in entries caused by a "boycott" by leading advertising agencies, which are refusing to participate due to a disagreement over judging criteria. A total of 502 entries were received from 41 agencies, down from 1,427 a year earlier.