Colenso BBDO leads Kiwi agency pack at shortlist stage of Ad Stars 2020 Awards with 19 finalists
Ad Stars has announced the finalists for Ad Stars 2020 Awards. Colenso BBDO leads the Kiwi agency pack with 19 finalists, followed by Clemenger BBDO Wellington with 16, DDB NZ with 10 finalists, whilst Special Group has three and RUN has one.
From 20,028 entries from 60 countries, there are 1,651 finalists. All shortlisted entries are now in the running to win two Grand Prix of the Year trophies and a cheque for US$10,000. Winners will be announced online on September 7.
The following countries received the highest number of finalists:
Australia – 203 finalists
Korea – 201 finalists
Japan – 169 finalists
United Arab Emirates – 153 finalists
Thailand – 104 finalists
Philippines – 85 finalists
Singapore – 71 finalists
New Zealand – 68 finalists
Malaysia – 64 finalists
China – 56 finalists
United States – 55 finalists
India – 55 finalists
Brazil – 51 finalists
Says Kim Ellison, creative director at Stanley St, New Zealand and a judge of Ad Stars 2020: “It was impressive to see the high standard of production in many of the film entries that have been produced remotely this year due to COVID-19. It just goes to show that a pandemic doesn’t get in the way of creativity.”
Says Frederico Roberto, executive creative director at Interweave in London, judged the Direct and PR categories: “Whether the projects were more or less commercial, more or less with a social cause at heart, the common thread is the burning desire to make an impact. And this is something that is not bound to just one country’s work or even a region. Ad Stars has a broad reach and significance: from Iran to Indonesia, I saw work that truly elevates the human spirit through the craft of stories and messages that will surely be part of everyone’s day to day. Inspirational, to say the least!”
The agency networks with the highest number of finalists are: BBDO Worldwide (155 finalists); Ogilvy (127 finalists); Dentsu Inc. (113 finalists); McCann Worldgroup (60 finalists) and Grey Group (55 finalists).
NEW ZEALAND (49 finalists)
Colenso BBDO – 19 finalists
Clemenger BBDO Wellington – 16 finalists
DDB Group New Zealand – 10 finalists
Special Group – 3 finalists
RUN – 1 finalist
By category, there are 349 finalists in Film and Video Stars; 185 finalists in Design and Print; 397 finalists in Diverse Insights, Outdoor, PSA, Pivot, Place Brand, Radio & Audio; 260 finalists in Interactive, Integrated, Innovation, Mobile, Data Insights, Social & Influencer; and 299 finalists in Brand Experience & Activation, Creative eCommerce, Direct, Media, PR. There are also 54 finalists in the Pivot category for work created in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ad Stars offers a category for Non-Professionals to encourage students and non-professionals with a passion for commercial creativity to further their careers. From 1,651 finalists, there are 161 finalists who are Non-Professionals.
All shortlisted entries are now in the running to win two Grand Prix of the Year trophies and a cheque for US$10,000. Winners will be announced online on September 7.