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GEMAS Effie MENA Awards 2012 attracts record number of entries

November 26, 2012 10:45 by Mediaquest Marketing

Dubai, UAE – November25, 2012 Marketers from across the region gathered last night to celebrate the annual GEMAS Effie MENA Awards.  Recognised as the region’s most prestigious awards ceremony, this year’s event attracted an unprecedented number of applications with more than 400 submissions, representing a 30 per cent increase on last year.

The awards are presented by the Mediaquest owned Gulf Marketing Review, the Middle East’s most respected publication and go-to guide for marketing professionals.  A judging panel of international marketing experts assembled to select just 55 winners across a diverse range of categories.  After a grueling selection process two of the most coveted awards of the night were also awarded: the Marketer of the Year award was awarded to Hala Badri, Executive Vice President for Brand and Communications at du, and recognising the best overall campaign, the Grand Prix was awarded to Interesting Times for their campaign for Gravity Brewing, ‘The Last Summer on Earth’.

Siobhan Adams, Group Managing Editor of Gulf Marketing Review, said:

“Congratulations to all the winners. This was one of the toughest years in our nine year history and proved that mediocre, average campaigns no longer resonate with today’s consumers. The GEMAS Effies 2012 winners are the companies that did not accept a one-size-fits-all strategy, but worked from deep consumer insight and knowledge to produce stunningly effective campaigns that chimed with their target audience’s wants, needs and beliefs.”

On the judging panel was Andy McClure, Chief Marketing Officer at Zurich Middle East:

“The judges were blown away by the creativity and passion of the entries.  When agencies combine innovation with creativity and technology, magic can happen for their clients.”

Three new categories have been introduced for 2012: Shopper Marketing, Personal Care and Best Use of Social Media.

Alexandre Hawari, Mediaquest Co-CEO and publisher of GMR, comments:

“The GEMAS Effies are becoming increasingly tougher year on year and competition is fierce.  Entries are marked against a strict set of selection criteria and only the very best take home a prize.  In response to the region’s growing marketing landscape, an additional three categories were introduced this year, applauding achievement in these growing sectors.

“The record number of applications is testament to the industry’s growth and development.  We are delighted to be able to showcase this talent from an international platform with the regional version of the industry’s most-talked-about awards ceremony.”

 

Winners of the 2012 GEMAS Effie MENA Awards are:

 

MARKETER OF THE YEAR Hala Badri, Executive Vice President, Brand and Communications, du

GRAND PRIX The Last Summer on Earth, Gravity Brewing, Interesting Times

JURY RECOMMENDATION Break the Silence, Himaya, Leo Burnett Beirut

 

AUTOMOTIVE

- Ford “Can a Car” Primary Brand Campaign, Ford Middle East, Team Detroit USA, Silver

- HouseHunter Test-Drive, Arabian Automobiles Co, TBWA\RAAD Dubai & OMD UAE, Silver

- Desert Nemesis, Nissan Middle East, TBWA\RAAD Dubai , Bronze

- Speed Personified, Nissan Middle East, Mindshare Dubai & TBWA Dubai, Bronze

 

BANKING, FINANCE AND INSURANCE

- The Billion Dirham SME Fund, HSBC Middle East Limited, Mindshare & JWT Dubai, Silver

- Pay Yourself First, Emirates NBD, FP7/DXB & Starcom MediaVest Group, Silver

 

RETAIL

- The ‘Headline News’ Cup Sleeve, Al Nisr Publishing. Gulf News, Y&R Dubai, Gold

- The Sticker Wall, Nike Middle East, JWT Dubai & Mindshare Dubai, Silver

- Loose Change Menu, McDonald’s Egypt, FP7/CAI, Silver

 

BEST USE OF CSR

- Break the Silence, Himaya, Leo Burnett Beirut, Gold

- Who Deserves the Pepsi?, PepsiCo Egypt, OMD and Impact BBDO Cairo, Silver

- BLOM Demining, BLOM BANK, IMPACT BBDO & OMD Lebanon, Silver

- Sprite Cricket Stars, Coca-Cola Middle East, Memac Ogilvy / Ogilvy Action, Bronze

- The Return of Dictator Ben Ali, Engagement Citoyen, Memac Ogilvy Label Tunisia , Bronze

 

BEST YOUTH MARKETING CAMPAIGN

- Alfa U-Chat, Alfa – Managed by Orascom Telecom, Leo Burnett Beirut, Bronze

- Coke Studio, The Coca-Cola Export Corporation, FP7/DXB & UM, Silver

- Barbican Hatha Filmi, Aujan, Mindshare Dubai & Face to Face, Silver

 

SPORTS MARKETING CAMPAIGN

- Unleash Deadly – adidas Predator Lethal Zones, adidas Emerging Markets, Starcom Mediavest Group, Silver

- Nike Middle East I Run Beirut, United Sports of Lebanon, Mindshare Lebanon SAL, Bronze

- Nike-The Sticker Wall, Nike Middle East, JWT Dubai / Mindshare Dubai, Bronze

 

ELECTRONICS/COMPUTERS

- LG Electronics – 6 Motion Washing Machine for men, LG, Mindshare Dubai, Silver

- IBM Integrated Services Campaign, IBM, OgilvyOne Dubai , Bronze

 

COSMETICS & FRAGRANCES

- Tough Men Choose Nivea Sensitive, Beiersdorf Middle East, Horizon Draftfcb & OMD Dubai, Bronze

 

PERSONAL CARE CATEGORY

- Dove Nourishing Oil Care, Unilever, Memac Ogilvy & Mather LLC, Silver

- Let’s get it on(line)…and talk about sex, Reckitt Benckiser (RB), Havas Digital Middle East Lebanon, Bronze

 

NON-FOOD FMCG

- Dove Nourishing Oil Care, Unilever, Memac Ogilvy & Mather LLC, Silver

- GLAD – Keeps Good Food, Good, The Clorox Company, DDB FZ LLC, Initiative & Socialize, Silver

- Dove Master Brand Campaign, Unilever Gulf, Memac Ogilvy / OgilvyAction, Bronze

- Bringing Double Doom to the Germ World and Competition, Unilever Gulf, Memac Ogilvy/OgilvyAction, Bronze

- Pif Paf Gas Mask, Reckit Benckiser Arabia FZE, Havas Worldwide Dubai, Bronze

 

BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

- Inches to Togertherness, Subway Middle East & Africa , Momentum Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Gold

- No Rights No Women, No Rights No Women, Leo Burnett Beirut, Silver

- The Last Summer on Earth, Gravity Brewing, Interesting Times, Bronze

- Coke Studio, The Coca-Cola Export Corporation, FP7/DXB and UM, Bronze

 

TELECOMMUNICATION/MOBILES & INTERNET

- Alfa U-Chat, Alfa – Managed by Orascom Telecom, Leo Burnett Lebanon, Silver

- Nokia N9 NFC Amazing Movie Experience Activation, Nokia, JWT Dubai, Bronze

- Tunisiana – The future can only be bright, Tunisiana, JWT Tunisia, Bronze

- Qtel – Arab and Proud, Qtel, Leo Burnett Qatar, Bronze

 

FMCG

- The Last Summer on Earth, Gravity Brewing, Interesting Times, Gold

- Sprite Cricket Stars, Coca-Cola Middle East, Memac Ogilvy / Ogilvy Action, Silver

- Coke Studio, The Coca-Cola Export Corporation, FP7/DXB and UM, Silver

- McDonald’s Quality, McDonald’s, Leo Burnett Dubai, Bronze

- Family Time Forever, McDonald’s, Leo Burnett Dubai, Bronze

 

MEDIA

- The ‘Headline News’ Cup Sleeve, Al Nisr Publishing. Gulf News, Y&R Dubai, Silver

- LBCi Drama Launch – Ward elkhal stunt, LBCi, Impact BBDO Lebanon, Silver

- Wild Cards, National Geographic Channel Abu Dhabi, Leo Burnett Dubai, Silver

 

TRAVEL, TOURISM & TRANSPORTATION

- Hello Tomorrow, Emirates Airline, Starcom MediaVest Group, Gold

- The family friendly Airline, Sky Nanny, Gulf Air, Mindshare Bahrain, Silver

- Vote for Jeita Grotto, Ministry of Tourism, Impact BBDO Lebanon, Silver

 

NEW PRODUCT CATEGORY

- Molto Cheese – News Bigger Than Any Other, Edita Food Industries, FP7/CAI, Gold

- Maxibon Egypt Launch 2012, Nestle Middle East FZE, JWT Cairo, Silver

 

SHOPPER MARKETING

- The Sticker Wall, Nike Middle East, JWT Dubai / Mindshare Dubai, Silver

- Simple Touches…Better Life, Lifescan, Initiative Dubai, Bronze

 

The GEMAS Effie Mena Awards 2012 is sponsored by Choueiri Group (main sponsor) and Cadillac (strategic sponsor.)  Sponsoring award categories are Yahoo, Al Aan TV, Creative Edge, Sky News Arabia, Zee Aflam, Ipsos,  Sephora ,Eurosport ,DMTV, Group Plus and Dubai Media City,With the support of UPP as Event partner.

 

Gulf Marketing Review has been the region’s most trusted guide for marketing professionals for the past 19 years.  Gulf Marketing Review adds to its issues-led editorial offering with a programme of marketing-specific seminars and conferences, as well as the Gulf Marketing Review Effectiveness in Marketing Awards (GEMAS), which first launched in 2004.

 

-ends-

 

About Mediaquest: partner in media, partner in digital, partner in events… partner in success

www.mediaquestcorp.com

 

For more than 20 years, Mediaquest has provided unique insights into the Arab world through its diverse range of media. It operates in Algiers, Beirut, Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh and Paris and publishes in three languages.

 

With more than 20 consumer and trade titles covering business, marketing, communications, women’s interests, lifestyle, entertainment and automotive, Mediaquest is one of the leading media companies in the Middle East and North Africa.

 

Mediaquest’s mission is to inform, educate and entertain audiences in the Mena region, providing a bridge between the Arab world and the West. It prides itself in providing unbiased analysis of the issues that matter most to the region.

 

Partner in publishing

Mediaquest Publishing – Business, corporate and consumer magazines. Celebrated titles include Arabies, Saneou Al Hadath, Trends, Gulf Marketing Review, Communicate, Haya, Raceweek, Kippreport.com, Autocar Middle East with F1 Racing Middle East and Policy.

 

Partner in digital

dotmena – dotmena is fast becoming the premium network of choice for advertisers and publishers to expand their reach in the region. dotmena represents more than 2,000 websites in the fields of business, marketing, communications, sports, women’s interest, lifestyle and entertainment, allowing us to match the right ad to the right audience at the right time. www.dotmena.com

 

Partner in events

Mediaquest  creates, project manages and delivers successful events, including:

• GMR Marketing to Women Conference: deconstructs conventional marketing wisdom to help unearth fresh insights, new attitudes and research to help marketers connect more deeply with one of the region’s most influential consumer bases.
• GEMAS Effie Mena Awards: the regional version of the world’s premier awards for marketing excellence, the Effie. It is one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the Middle East’s business calendar. www.gemaseffie.com
• Insurex: A Meeting of Minds from the Middle East Insurance Industry, bringing together insurers, reinsurers, brokers, regulators, risk managers, lawyers and consultants from across the region and international markets to discuss key trends and share best practice, creating an open platform for discussion, sharing information and networking. www.insurex.me
• SPIA: The Sports Industry Awards is a joint venture between 360 Sport and Mediaquest, designed to showcase the relationship of sporting excellence and business. The inaugural event will take place in March 2013. www.spia.ae

 

For more information please contact:

Christina Gregory

Four Communications

+971 (0)55 985 378

[email protected]