The FM AdFocus Awards 2020 Agency of the Year is Triple Eight. Walking away with the prestigious title for the second time, the agency also took the title in 2019.

Although not the first agency in AdFocus history to have won the award consecutively, Triple Eight has achieved this feat in a year that no-one could have predicted with COVID-19, leading to countries, including South Africa, going into lockdown impacting on businesses including agencies and their clients.
Despite a loss of three-quarters of their campaigns in March this year, Triple Eight still grew their business and added new clients and team members to their business.
 
No surprise that the agency also won the inaugural Adaptability Award, that recognises an agency that has adapted successfully to 2020’s new paradigm by embracing flexibility, manoeuvrability and has risen above the panic and disruption of an unusual year.
The agency was also named Specialist Agency of the Year and took home the Transformation and African Impact Awards – categories the agency also won in 2019.

FM AdFocus Awards 2020/21 Chairperson, Tumi Rabanye said in the Specialist Category, Triple Eight stood out for its leadership in the areas of purpose and development.

“In the Transformation Award, the agency demonstrated that transformation is a lived experience which transcends race and CSI.”

 
Rabanye added that this was especially compelling given that the Transformation Award elicited robust discussion by the jury.

“The industry needs to urgently move past the BEE scorecard and live transformation where critical business decisions are made,” expanded Rabanye.

Triple Eight’s entry stood out head and shoulders in the African Impact category, demonstrating both their purpose and the extent to which they are developmentally led on the continent.

“There is no question that their time has come,” said Rabanye.

Student Award
All three finalists were strong contenders for this award and good examples of the resilience displayed by the class of 2020. The winner Dominic Hobbs, of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) presented an incredible portfolio. The student jury called his approach to media, and the ease with which he mixed medias and disciplines, “extremely exciting”.
Lifetime Achievement Award  
This year’s Lifetime Achiever and Industry Leader Awards were both unanimous decisions by the jury.
Lifetime Achiever, Bernice Samuels, currently MTN chief marketing officer, boasts a career that spans large multinationals within the telecoms, broadcasting, information technology, financial services and brewing sectors and iconic and impactful campaigns.

“Bernice is an individual for whom every jury member has the utmost respect and admiration,” stated the jury.

Industry Leader
AdFocus Industry Leader 2020, Peter Khoury, chief creative officer of TBWA Hunt Lascaris, is described by the jury as “a man without airs and graces, he is universally admired in the industry and as such, a worthy recipient of the title Industry Leader of the Year”.
Shapeshifter
2020 Shapeshifter, Melusi Mlu Mhlungu, based in Miami, is remarkable for his bravery. While he could have settled for success locally, he has had the courage to move to new shores where he is continuing to create superb work.

“The industry should be proud of him given the inspiration that he provides,” said the jury.

The winners of all the FM AdFocus Awards 2020 were crowned at a small gathering at The Empire Conference and Events venue in Parktown. Financial Mail would like to thank this year’s sponsors IAS, Scopen, The MediaShop and Ornico.

ADFOCUS AWARDS 2020 WINNERS
AGENCY OF THE YEAR
Triple Eight
SMALL AGENCY OF THE YEAR
Rogerwilco
MEDIUM AGENCY OF THE YEAR
DUKE
LARGE AGENCY OF THE YEAR
Joe Public (Pty) Ltd
PR AGENCY OF THE YEAR
Eclipse Communications
SPECIALISED AGENCY OF THE YEAR
Triple Eight
IAS PARTNERSHIP OF THE YEAR
M&C Saatchi Abel & Takealot
TRANSFORMATION AWARD
Triple Eight
AFRICAN IMPACT AWARD
Triple Eight
ADAPTABILITY AWARD
Triple Eight
NETWORK MEDIA AGENCY
The MediaShop
STUDENT AWARD
Dominic Hobbs – University of Johannesburg (UJ)
LIFETIME ACHIEVER
Bernice Samuels
INDUSTRY LEADER 
Peter Gabriel Khoury
SHAPESHIFTER
Melusi Mlu Mhlungu
FM Creative Challenge Award
Also announced on the evening was the winner of the FM Creative Challenge. This year the Award went to King James for their ad ‘Black lives don’t matter’ for Blackboard Organisation.
King James and The Brave Group were  finalists for their client ads for Durex and Rose’s Cordial “SBWL Hawaii” respectively.
The creative Challenge features run of paper adverts that publish in the Financial Mail during September and October.
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