Friday 14 November 2008

New York Festivals 2009 International Advertising Awards Call for Entries Opens October 29th.


New York, NY - October 29, 2008: New York Festivals 2009 International Advertising Awards officially opens its Call for Entries on Wednesday, October 29th. Now in its 51st year, the NYF International Advertising Award competition recognizes work in all media from 71 countries around the world: television, cinema, print, outdoor, interactive, design, mixed media, collateral, radio and student advertising. This creative competition celebrated unprecedented growth in 2008, with a 23% increase in entries submitted over the previous year.

The winning entries of the New York Festivals International Advertising Awards continue to gain recognition long after the awards gala ends. Michael O’Rourke, NYF’s President, recognizes the universal appreciation for innovative work and how important it is to create alternative opportunities for showcasing all NYF winners. Mr. O’Rourke has developed a variety of strategic content partners around the world in an effort to provide those winners with international exposure. With partnerships ranging from China’s iPTV to Qantas Airways, winners are showcased in front of millions of people every day. NYF’s award winning work is also screened at ad clubs, industry events and universities around the world. Our comprehensive NYF Annual of Advertising acts a permanent record for creativity throughout the year. “Our role as an awards company is to not only award great work, but to ensure our winners are truly recognized on an international level. Whether it’s a screening in Sao Paulo or a seminar in Seoul, people will get a chance to view and appreciate our winners’ creative efforts” says O’Rourke.

New York Festivals evolutionary online judging system ensures that each entry receives the proper amount of time and attention, in an environment that is free from outside distractions and unsolicited opinions. “For me, it’s better to have judging online because there are too many factors that can influence human beings when they gather to decide on something. The dynamics are too complex, and the risk is to lose track of the pure value of an idea. I strongly believe it is better when you are judging on your own computer, dealing with your own judgment, and without any influence. This is an important quality an award show should have”, said Marco Cremona, Creative Director of Young & Rubicam in Milan, and President of the Art Club of Italy.

Last year, the International Advertising Awards received entries from 71 countries. All NYF award winners were selected by an international panel of 246 Senior Creative Directors, representing the most innovative and creative minds from 48 countries worldwide carefully selected by Michael Demetriades, NYF’s Vice President and Executive Director of the International Advertising Awards. In addition, our peer recommendation program allows industry experts from around the globe the opportunity to pass the torch and keep each competition fresh with new perspectives. Demetriades commented “The quality of the judges is exceptionally high; all are award wining Creative Directors and Executive Creative Directors chosen by their peers, whereby current judges nominate the judges that will participate in the following year’s panels.”

The 2008 New York Festivals Advertising Agency of the Year Award for exceptional work was awarded to BBDO, NY, led by Dave Lubars, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer/North America. In addition to winning the Grand Trophy for the HBO “Voyeur Integrated Campaign”, BBDO took home an impressive 11 Gold, 9 Silver and 10 Bronze medals, along with a staggering 42 Finalists certificates.

The distinguished members of the New York Festivals International Board of Judges select Grand Award recipients from among the highest scoring Gold Medalists in the competition. 2008 Grand Trophy winners included: Nordpol + Hamburg, Germany, bringing home a Grand Award for Television for their intriguing TV spot “Power of Wind”, created for the German power company Epuron; Abbott Mead Vickers/BBDO, London, was honored with a Grand Award for Art & Technique for client Diageo, Draught Guinness for their epic spot, “Tipping Point”; Projector Inc., Tokyo, Japan, was this year’s Grand winner for Interactive for UNIQLO “UNIQLOCK”. Grand Trophies were also awarded to BBDO, NY for the HBO “Voyeur Integrated Campaign” and Ogilvy, Frankfort, Germany, was also presented a Grand for Print for the inventive graphic montage “Typo Crash Campaign” for Malteser Ambulance Service.

All winning entries of the New York Festivals International Advertising Competition are featured in the Showcase section of our website www.newyorkfestivals.com, and are promoted by our network of representatives in 62 countries around the world.

All inquiries are welcome and should be directed to Gayle Mandel: gmandel@newyorkfestivals.com.
Ph: 1 212 643 4800


About the New York Festivals:
The New York Festivals (NYF) oversees six international awards competitions: Television and Radio Advertising; Design, Print and Outdoor Advertising; Film & Video; Television Programming and Promotion; Radio Broadcasting; and Innovative Advertising. Entries to each of the competitions are judged around the world by panels of peers in their respective industries. In addition, NYF also oversees three stand-alone international competitions: The Midas Awards for financial services communications, the Global Awards for healthcare communications and the AME Awards for advertising and marketing effectiveness. Founded in 1957, NYF now has representation in 62 countries. For more information, go to http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/