Global AME Awards announces 2014 winners
Following on from yesterday’s story announcing that DDB DM9 JaymeSyfu Philippines picked up the best of show Grand award at the 20th annual global AME Awards for their already highly awarded Smart Txtbks campaign, the other regional Platinum winners were Saatchi & Saatchi LA/North America; Heimat Werbeagentur GmbH Germany/Europe; and Leo Burnett Tailor Made, Brazil/Latin America.
The 2014 AME GrandJury panel comprised of interactive and multidisciplinary marketers, planners, and creatives from all over the world, awarded 21 Gold AME Awards, 24 Silver, 25 Bronze and 28 Finalist Certificates to entries submitted from 22 countries around the globe for generating stellar creative and tangible results for their brand. Trends this year included campaigns for social benefit, social video and celebrities.
DDB DM9 JaymeSyfu, Philippines was in the spotlight this year, earning both the prestigious AME Grand Award and Regional Platinum Award/Asia Pacific for “Smart TXTBKS“. Smart TXTBKS eases Philippine elementary school students’ burden of learning using mobile phones as an alternative to heavy school books, with lessons condensed into 160-character messages. The results: School bags were 50% lighter, class attendance climbed to 95%, and average test performance hit of 90% during implementation. The campaign also earned two Gold AME Awards.
“It was an idea that did not use high technology and complicated innovation. So every day, it amazes us on how more and more people have recognized it as a powerful, world-changing idea. Today, we continue to help ‘lighten the load’ of children in schools and orphanages, not just here in the Philippines, but in other countries as well.” Merlee Cruz-Jayme, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, DDB DM9 JaymeSyfu, Philippines.
Another significant winner from Asia is BBH China who won the prestigious AME Green Award for the World Wildlife Federation (WWF) ‘Digital Earth Hour – Reaching Millions in One Hour’. The Green award celebrates the highest scoring, Gold-winning entry that emphasizes the importance of resource conservation and negative environment impact. The campaign reached over one million people in just an hour of the campaign that launched during Earth Hour in China in March 2013. BBH and WWF worked with several of China’s top social networking sites that collectively blacked out their websites for an hour to make a point that the world needs to conserve more energy.
The three international agencies who earned Regional Platinum Awards were:
North America: Saatchi & Saatchi LA USA for “Tundra Endeavor” for client Toyota. During a live event, a stock Toyota Tundra towed the 300,000lb Space Shuttle Endeavor and delivered the American icon to the California Science Center
Europe: Heimat Werbeagentur GmbH Germany for “All Eyes on S4” for client Swisscom. To launch the new Samsung Galaxy S4, a specially designed interactive billboard with an S4 installed inside was placed in busy hotspots challenging consumers to a 60 minute staring contest and the chance to win a new S4.
Latin America: Leo Burnett Tailor Made Brazil for 
“Bentley Burial” for client ABTO. The campaign, created to increase organ donation, enlisted the help of famous eccentric Brazilian millionaire, Count Chiquinho Scarpa. The Count posted on his Facebook page his intention, inspired by the Pharaohs who took their treasure with them upon death, to bury his US$500.000 Bentley in the yard of his mansion.
Leo Burnett Melbourne has picked up six awards at the 20th annual global AME Awards, and is the only Australian agency to have been recognised at this year’s show.
Leo Burnett Melbourne’s wins are as follows:
Gold – SEEK Volunteer to Promote Volunteering – Online
Gold – SEEK Volunteer to Promote Volunteering – Promotion of Health and Human Services
Gold – SEEK Volunteer to Promote Volunteering – Low-Budget
Silver – SEEK Volunteer to Promote Volunteering – Direct Response
Silver – SEEK Volunteer to Promote Volunteering – Integrated
Silver – SEEK Volunteer to Promote Volunteering – Interactive