RIYADH, 8 June — Satchi & Satchi won this year’s Golden Sword Award for the best innovative advertisement. The agency grabbed the prestigious award for its advertisement for Procter & Gamble (Pampers).
The annual Sword Awards are instituted by the Saudi Research & Publishing Company — publishers of Arab News, Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Eqtisadiah, Sayyidaty, Al-Majalla and a number of other daily newspapers and magazines — to promote creativity and competitive spirit in the advertising industry.
Besides the golden award, Satchi & Satchi won free advertising space worth SR130,000 in SRPC publications. The awards, which were given for the 10th consecutive year, were presented at a ceremony held at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday.
The function was attended by Dr. Fahd Al-Tayash, director general of SRPC, and Muhammad Al-Amin Fal, chief executive, Arab Media Company.
The awards are given in eight categories: Press, Television, Radio, Interactive Media, Outdoor Advertising, Print/Packaging/Direct Mail, Multimedia Campaigns and Public Service.
The jury which selected this year’s winners included advertising experts, publishers, businessmen, advertising and public relations officials at major companies and advertising consultants.
Top names in the jury included Saleh Al-Jasir, director general of marketing at Saudi Telecom, Abdul Kareem Abunnasr, deputy director general of National Commercial Bank, and Abdullah Suleiman Al-Johani, Saudia’s vice president for advertising and marketing.
The function was attended by prominent personalities including Talal Dhulaimi, chairman of the Gulf Advertising Association, and Abdul Rahman Al-Hosaini, chairman of Al-Hosaini Trading Company.
SRPC established the prize in 1993 to raise the standard of advertisements in the print media in the Kingdom. It was later expanded to cover all sections of the media in the Gulf Cooperation Council states.
Addressing the ceremony, Al-Tayash emphasized the need for strengthening cooperation between media and advertising industries.
“People and professionals in the world of press, publication and advertising are looking forward to innovators in advertising to develop an industry that will meet their hopes and aspirations,” he added.
“By presenting this award for the 10th consecutive year, the Saudi Research & Publishing Company affirms the importance of honoring innovative advertisers in order to promote an advertising industry that goes hand in hand with modern requirements,” he added.
“In modern times, the role of advertising agencies are not limited to advertising but they also represent the core of a comprehensive communication system,” Al-Tayash said. “This is the trend in international advertising.”
He said the European Association for Advertising Agencies changed its name on Oct. 27, 2000, to European Association for Communication Agencies after 40 years of successful performance. “By doing so the organization intended to make greater success and provide innovative services.”
He said many international advertising companies, keeping their names unchanged, now offer comprehensive communication services.
The SRPC director general commended members of the jury as well as the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry for making this year’s Sword Awards ceremony a big success.
