AdFest Lotus Awards

AP AdFest 2007 celebrates “Turning 10” after a decade of championing creativity in Asia Pacific.

Delegate numbers and award entries continue to increase for the tenth consecutive year.

AdFest is “Turning 10”. For four days from 14-17 March 2007, it will celebrate a decade of success from which has emerged the largest regional awards event in Asia Pacific.

A fifteen per cent increase in registration means the biggest contingent of over 1600 delegates from more than forty countries around the world will arrive at PEACH (Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall) at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort in Pattaya, Thailand. They will witness a festival of creativity that encompasses more media channels than ever and embraces the contribution of both advertising and production industries in Asia Pacific.

AdFest Lotus Awards

The Asia-Pacific Advertising Festival (AdFest) Working Committee has confirmed that 5,012 entries have been submitted this year, an increase of six per cent on the number of entries in 2006.

The coveted AdFest Lotus Awards will be even more sought after this year. AdFest is one of the founding partners of The Intercontinental Advertising Cup, in collaboration with I bero-American Advertising Festival (FIAP) and the Golden Drum Advertising Festival of New Europe . All Lotus Award finalists will be automatically entered into the Cup, which will take place in Spain in November 2007.

Over five hundred agencies in forty-nine cities around the region have entered. The top five cities by number of entries are Bangkok (807), Mumbai (732), Singapore (587), Tokyo (551) and Hong Kong (327).

Print Lotus entries have increased slightly on last year and TV and Outdoor have dropped slightly, perhaps reflecting the proliferation of different media channels in the advertising market. There have been significant increases in entries for DM, Cyber and Film Craft as well as entries in new award categories for Radio, 360 (Integrated Work) and Innovation Lotus, sponsored by Contagious.


AdFest Judging Panels

AP AdFest has invited fifty-one judges to join the judging panels, which are divided by category, in order to cope with the volume of work that needs to be assessed.

Jimmy Lam, chairman of the sub-committee of speakers and judges said, “I am immensely grateful for the commitment from our judges. As busy international and regional creatives, they apply themselves passionately with the highest standards of judging to ensure that the best work wins.”

Each advertising awards category has a panel of judges, headed by a judging chairman. Chairing the Film Panel is John Hunt, worldwide creative director for TBWA Johannesburg. Sitting as judging chairman for Print is Piyush Pandey, executive chairman and national creative director for Ogilvy & Mather India. For Outdoor awards, it is Linda Locke, Regional Executive Creative Director for Leo Burnett Asia Pacific. The judging chairman for Direct Marketing is Dave King, national creative director for M&C Saatchi in Sydney. For the Cyber Lotus, it is Benjamin Palmer, chief executive offiver and chief creative director for the Barbarian Group, based in Boston, USA.

There are three new categories for Lotus Awards this year. The chairman for Radio Lotus is Tony Hertz, managing director and creative director of Hertz:Radio and Other Clever Advertising. 360 Lotus for integrated and multi-media campaigns and Innovation Lotus (sponsored by Contagious) will be chaired by David Droga, creative chairman of droga5 in New York.

There are two categories open to production houses. The panel of judges for TV Craft is chaired by Nelson Ng, editor at Touches, Hong Kong. Steve Dunn, head of art for JWT, London is chairing the judging panel for Print Craft.

AdFest Speakers

To reflect the cultural diversity of channels that is evolving in the advertising world, AP AdFest has also organized an unprecedented fifteen speakers to stimulate and inspire delegates as they attend the festival.

Confirmed creative speakers at the event include Mr. David Droga speaking on how ‘The future isn't what it used to be', Mr. John Hunt talking about how ‘If it ain't got that swing, it don't mean a thing' and Mr. Benjamin Palmer giving advice on ‘Learning by doing'. Mr. Peter Souter valiantly tackles the unpredictable with ‘The future of advertising'.

This year, AdFest has invited speakers to throw some light on consumer insights. Mr. David McCaughan runs McCann-Erickson’s Pulse survey. His topic is ‘Don't call them consumers'. Ms. Daniela Krautsack's from Mediacom Vienna will talk about the influence of ambient media in ‘Cows in Jackets'.

This year, the successful panel discussions that are so popular at AdFest have been brought back and include Mr. Paul Kemp-Robertson from Contagious leading a panel discussion on “Brand Utility” with creative leaders from the Asia Pacific region. Mr. Lewis Blackwell advises delegates to ‘Look, don't read”, and will lead a panel discussion with some of AdFest judges.

Japan Advertising Agency Federation will share with delegates ‘The Practical Guide to Planet Japan’. Three speakers from Dentsu, Hakuhodo and ADK will be joined by moderator Mr. Chris Kyme.


Japan Association of Commercial Film will present its all time favourite ‘Remarkable Five’, introducing five young TVC directors from Japan, Philippines, New Zealand, Singapore and Bangladesh. Each budding director will present his or her short film based on the “Turning Ten” theme of AdFest 2007.

AdFest has invited festivals from other regions to showcase the best work. Mr. Daniel Marcet will present FIAP - the Latin American advertising festival with its winning ads. Mr. Jure Apih will present the award winners from Golden Drum – the New Europe Advertising Festival. Mr. Michael Conrad will talk about the mission of the first ever InterContinental Advertising Cup to be held in Spain in November 2007.

BBDO Asia will also present the results of the Young Lotus Workshop, which this year has been filmed from start to finish in a virtual reality test case.

AdFest Young Lotus Workshop

This year, the Young Lotus Workshop is being conducted for the fourth time. Inspiring the talent at the Young Lotus Workshop will be Chris Thomas - Chairman & CEO BBDO Asia Pacific, Peter Souter - Deputy Chairman and CCO, AMV BBDO London, Suthisak Sucharittanonta - Chairman & CCO, BBDO Bangkok, David Guerrero - Chairman & CCO, BBDO Guerrero/Ortega and Simon Bond - Regional Director, Proximity Asia.

Thirty young creatives are participating from fifteen cities participating in the first reality-based workshop of its kind, ever. Over two full days, as the creative development for the workshop takes place, the participants will be recorded and taped, leaving no part of the process out. The ‘reality’ of creating inspired thought and growing each idea will then be observed and judged.

The Asia Pacific Advertising Festival aims to provide a creative forum and stimulus for learning in a festival atmosphere for the advertising community in Asia Pacific. It is where the great cultural diversity of work from the region is showcased, rewarded and celebrated. It is for people to inspire, learn and absorb, teach and innovate, communicate, discuss and debate.

The 10 th Asia Pacific Advertising Festival 2007 is held from March 14-17 2007. The event takes place at its permanent home, the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall (PEACH), Royal Cliff Beach Resort Hotel in Pattaya, Thailand.