Out of Home media owners, advertising agencies and corporates gathered to honour the out-of-home industry’s best creative talent at the annual OHMSA Awards staged at the Indaba Hotel & Conference Centre, Johannesburg, on Thursday evening, 25 February.

TBWA Hunt Lascaris advertising agency, proved that its creative execution for outdoor media space was impactful in its message. The Trillion Dollar billboard campaign, developed for its client, The Zimbabwean Newspaper , satisfied every criteria set by the judges.

Highlighting the plight of the excommunicated newspaper by drawing attention to the oppression of the Mugabe regime and its affect on the Zimbabwean nation, TBWA Hunt Lascaris created a billboard made out of the potent symbol of Mugabe’s ruinous policies, its own worthless currency. The agency patched together actual Zimbabwean Dollars using 100 to 100 trillion Zim Dollar bills and the stabbing copy line ‘Thanks to Mugabe, this money is wallpaper’ to form the billboard.

Gordon Muller, judge and founder of GSM Quadrant stated ‘By using real money, the agency has successfully made the emotional connection with the audience. The timing and unique execution of the campaign was very well done.’
In reward, TBWA Hunt Lascaris received a trip for both of the creatives to attend the annual OBIE Awards in Scottsdale, Arizona, where their winning artwork will be entered into the international competition as well. In addition, the winning agency received R200 000 worth of unsold inventory space, courtesy of POP Outdoor, to be granted to The Zimbabwean Newspaper.

Coca-Cola’s ‘Open Happiness’ campaign created by The Royal Metropole, stood head and shoulders above all entrants in the Airport Advertising category. ‘From the minute you walk into the arrivals hall at Oliver R Tambo International airport, you are greeted with this explosion of colour,’ says judge of the OHMSA awards Sandra Gordon of Wag the Dog Publishers. ‘On the pillars, suspended from the ceiling and on the doors, one cannot help but feel excited. This campaign has certainly contributed to a real sense of World Cup fever.’

Leading the pack in the Retail/Street Furniture section was Ogilvy Mather (Johannesburg) with its street pole advert for DSTV’s programme CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The application used eye-catching yellow and black artwork and crime scene tape wrapped around street poles. Judges were impressed by the agency’s use of the medium. ‘What makes this campaign an award winner, is the fact that the agency made full use of the medium,’ remarks Muller. ‘Instead of simply placing creative on the format given, the agency took it one step further.’

Black River FC made a moving appeal with their winning creative in the Mobile Media category for South African Breweries. Placed on a bus, the copy reads ‘Bus fare is cheaper than bail’ and according to OHMSA judge Chris Primos, business director of Blast, it says exactly what it means. ‘The copy is highly effective on this medium, and the message is clear, don’t drink and drive, rather spare the money and take the bus.’

Winner of the Ambient Media category was the Durex campaign, Play-O Broken Bed stand at Sexpo, designed by agency MorrisJones & co. Featuring a bedroom in disarray, complete with a broken bed and smashed mirror, this entry brought a few wry smiles to the faces of the judges. ‘This is definitely very relevant to its setting,’ remarks Primos. ‘It certainly involves the audience.’

This year the OHMSA Awards extended its categories to include the Rest of Africa category. Brand-Line Africa beat the competition with its campaign for First National Bank’s cellphone banking service. ‘African entries are a different animal when compared to the creative we get in South Africa,’ says Gordon. ‘In terms of technology and exposure to different creative work they are a bit behind. That does not take away from the fact that we have been pleasantly surprised by the calibre of entrants in the category.’ ‘What this campaign shows is an intelligent sell of the service offered,’ says judge Dave East, owner of E-Pro Trading ‘the copy is simple, easily visible and the die-cut of the man on top of the billboard using his cellphone sums up the core message.’

Student entries were vastly improved this year. Four submissions were made by AAA School of Advertising student, Clayton Swartz, showing creative executions for taxi’s, street poles and wall art. One campaign won hands down, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in the ambient medium. ‘If this campaign was entered into the professional Ambient category, it would certainly make a worthy winner,’ says judge Tony Koenderman, and editor of AdReview. Primos added, ‘Without a doubt, this was the clear winner. It was intelligent, well thought out and very relevant to the medium.’

Rewarding the up and coming talent, Les Holley presented to Swartz and copywriter, Confidence Seleme, a R10 000 bursary each.

Although commendable and finalist submissions were judged for Electronic and Internally Illuminated Billboard categories, judges felt that the creative entries did not provide any winners this year.

The full list of 2009 OHMSA Award winners:

CATEGORY: BILLBOARDS
Campaign: Trillion Dollar Billboard
Agency: TBWA Hunt Lascaris
Client: Zimbabwean Newspaper

CATEGORY: AIRPORT ADVERTISING
Campaign: Open Happiness
Agency: The Royal Metropole
Client: Coca Cola

CATEGORY: RETAIL / STREET FURNITURE
Campaign: Crime Scene – Do Not Enter
Agency: Ogilvy Mather Johannesburg
Client: DSTV

CATEGORY: MOBILE MEDIA
Campaign: Bus Fare is Cheaper than Bail
Agency: Black River FC
Client: South African Breweries

CATEGORY: AMBIENT MEDIA
Campaign: Play-O Broken Bed
Agency: MorrisJones & co
Client: Durex – Play O
 
CATEGORY: REST OF AFRICA
Campaign: Cellphone Banking from FNB
Agency: Brand-Line Africa        
Client: First National Bank

CATEGORY: STUDENT ENTRIES
Students: Clayton Swartz and Confidence Seleme
Institution: AAA School of Advertising         
Concept: CSI Evidence