Spikes Asia 2015

  Carrying the Lankan flag to Spikes Asia 2015 are seven budding names in the local advertising industry. Creative concepts under the media, integrated and digital categories secured a win for the seven in domestic rounds of competition and the teams are in Singapore from September 9-11 to vie for honours at the Spikes Asia Festival 2015. Sahil Gunesekera and Tara Weerasinghe of Grant McCann Erickson won in the Integrated category for their creative take on the theme “Say No to Drugs” with a project paradoxically titled, “Say Yes to Drugs.” Oshadi Paranavitane and Sagar Hiranand from Lowe LDB took out the Digital category with their work creating awareness for a children’s charity. Kumarini Rajakaruna and Achala Ramanayake of Grant McCann Erickson won in the Media category for their work on the human-elephant conflict. In a first for Sri Lanka, students Umme Salama Shabar Hussain of Raffles Design Institute and Lahesh Kavinda Samarapperuma of the University of Moratuwa will attend the Young Creative Academy, which is a series of seminars to be held during the Festival. Sarath Perera of Triad Advertising will represent the country, also for the first time, in the Young Account Executive Academy. The talent springing from the traditional advertising firms, speaks volumes for the strong foundations these agencies have inculcated according to Ransley Burrows who was a part of the judging panel of the local competition. We were looking for a strong core-idea which ran through each of the proposed campaigns tabled to the judges. Simply because an idea is the fuelling factor of the entire industry, he said. Scheduled to return next week, after selling their concepts to an international jury, Banding together to keep Sri Lanka’s dynamic industry up to speed, The Metal Factor which is a collaboration of prominent names in the country’s advertising scene has made participation in international competitions possible for the past 7 years. Participation in reputed competitions like the Spikes is a means of keeping the edge in the Sri Lankan industry according to Sri Lankan representative of the Spikes Asia Festival 2015, Ranil de Silva. It isn’t just medals which he hopes the teams will return with but “bring back some of the learning they do in Singapore.” There are only 15 places in the Young Creative Academy programme. Two students chosen for their portfolios by an internationally acclaimed panel to fill 15 slots allotted to the entire region of hopefuls is “an achievement in itself,” said de Silva. Two prominent personalities in the advertising sector have also been invited to sit as members of the Spikes Asia jury. Vice President of Grant McCann Laila Gunasekere-Martenstyn is to adjudicate under the Outdoor and Radio category. “I’ve started looking through some of the work” she shares, and “Sri Lankan entries are just as good.” Firzan Mulafer of Publicis Sri Lanka will also serve on the international panel of judges. Hoping for the best possible outcome he says contestants will have to keep in mind that they will represent not just themselves but also the country. “We’ve got recognition before, it can be done again.” By Vinusha Paulraj and Shenali Perera