Chinese ads steal the limelight

Singapore - Chinese print ads made the top line-up of Gold medal winners at the third annual SPH Ink Awards 2007.

The Grand Prix-winning campaign from Bates Singapore for client Gill Divers - a scuba diving centre - was titled ‘Bag fish, Umbrella Fish and Bottle Fish' and was published in bilingual newspaper my paper, while the runner-up was the Chinese edition of SPH Ink Award's call-for-entries campaign.

This year's Grand Prix win marks the second consecutive win for Bates Singapore's ECD Robert Gaxiola - last year Gaxiola snagged the same award for Draft FCB in a campaign he helmed for client SC Johnson & Son. Apart from clinching the Grand Prix, Bates Singapore also won two golds both in the Print Individual Ad-Chinese category, the most of any other participating agency. Another big winner was DDB Worldwide which was the most awarded agency with eight medals.

This year, a total of 45 ad and media agencies participated in the SPH Ink Awards, submitting 287 entries of which 37 were shortlisted as finalists.

"There were 60% more entries and we've seen more participation for the Chinese and Special Buy categories. Special thanks to the judges, being top professionals in creative, media and marketing, they lend a holistic perspective when selecting the best work," James Heng, chairman of the Ink Awards said.

The SPH Ink Awards recognises creative print advertising developed in Singapore and published in SPH newspapers and magazines.

Best in Craft (BIC) Awards:

Best Illustration: Bates Singapore

Best Typography: SPH-PDB, Creative Services

Best Copywriting-English: DDB Worldwide

Best Copywriting-Chinese: SPH-PDB, Creative Services

Best Photography/Digital Imaging: Work

Best Art Direction: Work

Readers' Choice: Graphikate

Grand Prix: Bates Singapore

Medal Tally (top 5):

Agency                         Gold     Silver     Bronze     BIC     Finalist

Bates Singapore
(Grand Prix winner)            2         1             -         1         -

SPH Creative Svcs              1         2             3         2         -

DDB Worldwide                   -         1             3         1         3

Work                                 -         -             2         2         -

Ad Planet Gp-
Ace Daytons                       -         -              2         -         -