Zoo Republic Duo Beat Out Agency Creatives For Salmat Showdown Win
Amanda Jennings and Edbert Wahjudi from Zoo Republic won the inaugural Salmat Showdown with their innovative Letterbox Media concept for The Fred Hollows Foundation.
The duo competed against 30 teams from Australia’s best advertising agencies including BMF, Common Ventures, Droga5, Edelman, Havas, M&C Saatchi, McCann, Mercer Bell, OMD, RAPP and many others in the “I Wish I’d Thought of That” Salmat Showdown on Friday evening. In 90 minutes, the teams had to brainstorm and create a Letterbox Media concept that is original, inspired and demonstrates an ability to drive awareness and donations for The Fred Hollows Foundation.
The judging panel consisted of executive creative directors Ashadi Hopper from Lowe Profero and Brian Merrifield from Common Ventures; Salmat’s national head of agency sales, Luke Sullivan; Fred Hollows’ associate director, marketing and fundraising, Nicola Stewart; and B&T’s very own editor in chief, David Hovenden.
The winning Letterbox Media concept was selected for its creativity, ‘shareability’ and practicality of execution. The team wanted to show people how blindness can make the simplest of tasks difficult, but in a fun and social way. They created a Letterbox Media piece designed to go to a selection of the Australian population. It contained a mask, paper and pencil and asked the recipient to draw a loved one while blindfolded. It then asks that person to share their drawing on social media and ask their friends and family to try the same challenge, while also donating to The Fred Hollows Foundation. The concept will be refined and finalised with Zoo Republic and then turned into a national campaign by Salmat on behalf of The Fred Hollows Foundation.
One half of the winning team, Amanda Jennings said, “I’m really looking forward to working with Salmat and The Fred Hollows Foundation with my team at The Zoo Republic to bring this idea to life. It is fantastic to be able to work on a project that changes lives.”
Her teammate Edbert Wahjudi added, “The whole event was an amazing experience. The main reason I joined was to see other people’s ideas and to learn from them, and we certainly got to do that. The competition level was so high.”
Coming a very close second was the inspirational and decorated team from BMF – Simon Fowler and Nicole Hetherington – with their ‘Must See Movies’ pitch. They walked away with a pair of Beats speakers, and sneakily, the winner’s champagne.
Salmat’s Sullivan said, “It was amazing to see so many gifted creatives applying their talents to Letterbox Media. The final results spoke volumes about not only the level of talent in the room but also the potential for Letterbox Media to be used in innovative ways.”
Ed Pullen, Salmat’s head of marketing, added, “The quality of work from every participant showed not only thoughtful and robust preparation but a genuine respect for both the event and the Letterbox Media channel. We can’t be grateful enough for this effort and are thankful to have had such an inspirational group of creatives in the room.”
“The competition was very tight, but we chose Amanda and Edbert’s concept because it was the whole package – it was original, it was shareable, it was practical and most importantly, it harnessed the power of The Foundation’s current ambassadors,” said B&T’s Hovenden.
“I really enjoyed being part of tonight because I think awards like these, where young creatives are encouraged to have a go, are important in our industry. Everyone here that didn’t win is going to be thinking about what they need to do to win next year, and it’s that competitive spirit that makes this industry work.”
Judge and Fred Hollows representative Nicola Stewart said, “There were so many fantastic ideas presented that it was hard to pick just one winner. In the end though, we really felt that Amanda and Edbert presented a powerful campaign concept that will not only engage our audience but encourage them to act. We can’t wait to see the concept brought to life by Salmat and see the tangible results.”
As well as having their idea turned into a national campaign, the winning team received tickets, flights, accommodation and $2,000 spending money to attend Spikes Asia; a fine-dining experience at Rockpool Bar and Grill Sydney; and will have their wining concept entered into the Spikes Asia Awards and the ADMA Australian Creativity & Effectiveness Awards.
To see what actually went down on the night, check out #salmatshowdown on Twitter.
Please login with linkedin to comment
Advertising Standards Bureau meaningful brands survey OMD Australia WindowsLatest News
The Mars Agency Announces Latest Findings Of Retail Media Report Card
The Mars Agency has developed a scorecard that assesses the capabilities of leading platforms across key criteria required to optimally plan, execute, and measure effective retail media programs. The scorecard aims To help brands efficiently evaluate their spending options across retail media networks in Australia (and New Zealand). With spending on retail media advertising in […]
‘It’s The Lesser Of Two Evils’ – NRL Eyes US Betting Market As Aussie Regulators Circle
US betting firms will be delighted by the circa 50,000 Americans who could soon watch the NRL on their favourite app.
A-League In Deep Discussions With New Partner To Keep Games On TV After Production Company Enters Administration
The A-League's insatiable appetite for scoring own goals continues.
TV Ratings (27/03/2024): Jungle Members At War Over Concealed Lipstick
A heated argument between two jungle members did the numbers for Ten last night, with I’m A Celeb obtaining a total national reach of 1,282,000. Fans were delighted as Candice Warner and influencer Skye Wheatley got into it over a stick of lipstick, leading Warner to dub the Instagram star “selfish.” Wheatley, best known for […]
Is The Australian Music Industry In Trouble? Inquiry Launched Following Splendour Cancellation
Earlier this week, an inquiry was launched into the challenges and opportunities currently facing the Australian live music industry in the wake of multiple festival cancellations. On 25 March 2024, the Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Tony Burke MP, asked the Committee on Communications and the Arts to inquire into and report on the […]
Liana Dubois, Leandro Perez, Aimee Buchanan & More Gather For Inaugural Compadres Leadership Event
Didn't get the invite? Perhaps you're not as important as you thought.
Cathay Captures The Unforgettable Thrill Of Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, Via Publicis
Nobody does rugby like Hong Kong, apparently. Certainly nobody does it as badly as Australia.
Cocogun Nabs Christine Watts, Kirsty Reynolds & Shev Tan Bolstering Management & Creative Teams
Cocogun bolsters its team with new hires. Committed to purchasing a bigger sofa, too.
The Media Store’s Jacquie Alley & Sam Cousins Take The Plunge With Pro-Bono Work For Cure Cancer
B&T chats with The Media Store bosses about their great pro-bono work and sponsored swim.
Hawke’s Brewing Co. Taps Rocket Comms For PR Agency Following Competitive Pitch
We're expecting Rocket Comms productivity to crash in spectacular fashion following this win.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Patties Serves Up A Taste Of Home For Olympians & South Sydney Rabbitohs Recommit To Gambling Reform
While the Rabbitohs commits to gambling reform, B&T reckons the team should commit to a decent auto sponsor.
Google: “Inevitable” That Bad Actors Will Abuse Ads Platform As Advertiser Account Suspensions Double
Google maintains it's simply impossible for it to entirely stop bad people placing & paying for ads using its service.
Quantcast Expands APAC Sales Team With Appointment Of News Corp Account Manager
No pressure at all when you are appointed as a client success manager.
Publicis Sapient Tests Microsoft-Powered Gen AI Search Tool With Homes & Villas By Marriott Bonvoy
Given Gen AI's record for mangling stuff, B&T cannot see the problem with letting it decide your next holiday digs.
Volkswagen & DDB Group’s “Roo Badge” To Reduce Kangaroo Related Road Collisions
Watch out for RooBadge as Cannes Lions' most debated campaign this year.
Twilio Launches Unified Profiles & Agent Copilot Features To Boost Productivity & Engagement
Agent Copilot sounds like James Bond's less interesting cousin.
Reebok & Honda Among New Clients For onetwo agency
OneTwo finally lives up to its name with this double billing.
Ogilvy Report: Throw Out The Social Strategy Rule Book, The Rules Of The Past No Longer Apply
B&T was puzzled that all 'influencers' aren't, effectively, 'virtual', but here we are.
WhiteGREY & AKQA Merge In Australia, Lee Simpson Departs
Fortunately, the combined agencies aren't opting for a trite portmanteau for the new name.
Splendour In The Grass 2024 Music Festival Cancelled!
Music fans all over the country reportedly relieved they can pack away their rain coats and gumboots for another year.
TV Ratings (26/03/2024): “Fairy Bread, F***ing Disgusting”: Gordon Ramsay Slams Aussie Food In Food Stars Launch
Ramsay not one for mincing his words, even when it comes to minced meat pies.
Paramount+ International Boss Doubles Down On Aussie Content, Says Ad-Tier will Grow Audiences And Revenue
Good news as Paramount will not be binning I’m A Celebrity for re-runs of Frasier.
Brent Smart: Telstra Pushing For 50-50 Brand-Performance Split But Warns Numbers ‘Won’t Look Great’ Initially
The old brand vs performance debate continues. But here, Brent is firmly sitting on the fence.
Crowded House, Tones And I & Dom Dolla Win Big At The Shure Rolling Stone Music Awards
B&T staffer reports back with humdinger of a hangover & feeling seriously uncool after mixing with music types.
Opinion: Dyslexia “A Hidden Gem” For Brands & Agencies
Dyslexics offer underappreciated benefits in the corporate field, according to this op-ed.
David Jones Taps Criteo To Power Online Retail Media Arm
Want to see ads for things you probably can't afford? David Jones has got you covered with new retail media play.
oOh!media Sets Up Team To Target Business Audiences Across Airports & Offices
oOh! wants brands to harass you every minute of your next business trip.
QMS Launches Australian First DOOH & TV Partnership With Samba TV
Samba TV, of course, is not a channel dedicated to dancing. Much to our dismany.
Slew Of New Hires At Amplify
Four new faces join the Amplify offices. Team say desk scarcity becoming "acute".
Adobe Announces Content Authenticity Initiative Expansions To Counter Deep Fakes
Try as they might to enlighten them, we suspect Trump supporters will continue to watch and believe Fox News.
The PR Group Appoints TechCrunch Senior Reporter Catherine Shu As Director Of Content & Media
Catherine Shu makes the bold leap from journalism to PR. Says inevitable pay bump was "unrelated".
HERO Nabs Ebony Santin From AMPR
Rumours Santin cleared out the stationery cupboard before departing are as yet unconfirmed.
Karena Noble Checks Out Of EVT Hotels & Resorts To Launch Comms Consultancy
Noble still managed to squeezed in a continental breakfast before departing.
Canva Acquires Design Platform Affinity To Bring Professional Design Tools To Every Organisation
Canva & Adobe face off continues. We're not picking sides but keenly aware that Canva's office is next door to ours.
“Lean On Our Team To Help You Find An Audience”: Why Understanding Audience Engagement Is Essential In Journalism
Engaging the audience is critical to journos, apparently. We'd thought self-loathing & alcoholism were key.
Adobe Summit: Major Gen AI Developments, Data Concessions & Partnerships
What happens in Vegas stays there. Unless it's the Adobe Summit and then you get to read about in B&T.