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Media Jury Chairman
Steve Hatch | Managing Director: Mediaedge:cia UK
Arguably the first step in the development of the modern media agency was the recognition of how much context affects consumer outtake. It became increasingly accepted that environment - the when, where and with whom - had an effect beyond the efficiency of a media buy.
In short, for the first time, media people began to view their task as one that was as much subjective as objective, as much qualitative as quantitative and as much of a creative challenge as one of engineering. How far this move into creativity has evolved was highlighted with the record number of excellent entries into this year's 2009 WPPED Cream Media awards.
There is no doubt that environment, or context, also played its part in how the jury (MediaCom's Matthew Mee, Mindshare's Norm Johnston, Mediaedge:cia's Charlotte Wright and Maxus' Nick Kelvin) considered this year's awards. Though in this case it is the economic environment that we're all too familiar with. How could it not? In a period that's seen such drastic change the frivolous appears wasteful whilst those ideas that continue to use imagination to create strong business results shine brighter than ever.
This is certainly true of all of our highly commended entries and of our winners: Morrisons' 'Let's Grow', 'Mobile Showroom' for Mercedes Benz and Galaxy's 'Reading'.
This tough environment also exposes our capacity to look at things differently and adapt, a skill that lies at the very heart of our 2009 Crème de la Crème and golden churn winner from Mindshare China.
By reintroducing the previously misunderstood Dove Campaign For Real Beauty to Chinese consumers through the unlikely fashion Icon, 'Ugly Betty', and fully weaving not only the product but the brand idea into the DNA of the programme, Mindshare created a different way of answering a marketing challenge and delivered a sales success.
Congratulations from all your peers go to Mateo Eaton, Karl Cluck, Anthea Foong, James Baginski and Qian Li from Mindshare China, worthy winners for this and any other year.
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