The prestigious Financial Mail AdFocus to open entries for 2023 later this month.
According to the publication the theme for this year’s awards are “The alchemy of AI, data and DNA: ones and zeros, AI, the rise of machines — is the advertising industry really needed, and what is its role?”
Speaking about the upcoming event, the AdFocus Awards chair Luca Gallarelli, group CEO of TBWA\SA, said: “The advertising and communications industry was once all about the space between observed facts and human intuition; it had a mystery and an allure associated with it. Then it became all about science, moving away from the magic.”
“Its current challenge, and greatest opportunity, is how it redefines the role of the human element amid all this radical change. The 2023 AdFocus Awards celebrate the melding of the human element and science to fortify the advertising industry’s place in the client’s world.”
This year’s awards welcome the new jury members that includes:
- Pepe Marais, co-founder and group chief creative officer, Joe Public;
- Thabang Skwambane, group CEO, Nahana Group;
- Dean Oelschig, MD and founder, Halo;
- Vicki Buys, MD, Ogilvy CT; and
- Sadika Fakir, integrated media and digital director.
Gallarelli says: “It’s my intention to ensure that we continue to elevate the stature of the jury, and by virtue of that, the awards [themselves]. With this in mind, I’ve reached out to new jurors who I believe will do just that — jurors that stand out as some of our industry’s most senior and most respected individuals and who I know will add richness and diversity to the conversation; jurors who represent the industry across agency size, discipline and client eco-system.”
Since 1990, the awards have become a landmark on the South African marketing and communications landscape.
Industry peers make up the jury to judge the awards and the judging process and results are audited by Deloitte.
