Shortlist out for Midas Awards, SA has 46 entries

"This is the only awards show to recognise excellence in financial marketing and advertising on a global scale," said Alisun Armstrong, executive director of the Midas Awards. "With a 23% increase in entries this year, the success of the Awards demonstrates that both agencies and brands appreciate the importance of identifying and showcasing creative excellence within the financial advertising niche."

The Midas Awards Grand Jury, comprised of international executives from financial and creative marketing disciplines, shortlisted 258 entries submitted from 21 countries worldwide. The competition invites entries in four specific categories: Products & Services, Craft, Use of Medium and Use of Discipline.

New category - Effectiveness

This year marked the debut of the Midas Awards Effectiveness category. This new addition to the 'Use of Discipline group' showcases the results of the creative efforts used by to engage consumers and increase market share on behalf of brands.

Entries moving forward in the Effectiveness category include:

• United Arab Emirates FP7/DXB (Part of McCann Worldgroup) Dubai with 4 entries propelled to the trophy round: "Perspectives," "The Beautiful," and "When You Are Gone....." for client Emirates NBD, and "Don't Treat Yourself to Antibiotics" for National Health Insurance Company - Daman.

• Canadian agencies saw 3 entries shortlisted: BBDO Toronto "Fastest Face-Offs" for VISA payWave; Diamond Integrated Marketing Toronto"#TDThanksYou2015 for TD Bank Group; and MacLaren McCann Toronto "Priceless Surprises" for MasterCard.

• Sydney's thedylanagency "HSBC Pride" for client HSBC and New York's McCann XBC "#OneMoreDay" for MasterCard also moved forward to the trophy round.

Events category

Agencies utilised events on behalf of brands to champion causes, enlist support and increase consumer engagement. This year a robust 16 entries were shortlisted in the Events category:

• BBDO Toronto for RBC;

• Diamond Integrated Marketing Toronto for TD Friends of the Environment;
• MacLaren McCann Toronto for World MasterCard Fashion Week;
• Joe Public United Toronto for Nedbank;
• The Jupiter Drawing Room Johannesburg for Absa/Barclays;
• FP7/DXB (Part of McCann Worldgroup) for Emirates NBD;
• McCann Russia and McCann XBC New York, both for MasterCard;
• Publicis NA New York for Citi/Citi;

• Tierney Philadelphia for client TD Bank

Social media shortlist

Social Media campaigns dominated the shortlist with 12 entries moving forward:

• BBDO Toronto "Fastest Face-Offs" for VISA payWave;

• Diamond Integrated Marketing Toronto "#TDThanksYou2015" for TD Bank Group;
• Leo Burnett Chicago "Allstate Social Savvy Burglar" for Allstate;
• MasterCard Worldwide Purchase, New York for "Appropriate Time Marketing - The Grammys Digital" for MasterCard;
• McCann XBC New York for "#HatsOffToTom" and "Gwenabees" for MasterCard;
• Prudential Advertising Newark, New Jersey "2015 Brand Social Media Program for client Prudential - Bring Your Challenges;
• Publicis NA New York for "Citi + Apple Pay Activation" and "Double Cash Card" for Citi /Citi;
• R/GA Sydney "#RallyForGood" for client Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ);
• R/GA & VaynerMedia "Acceptance Matters: Priceless Surprises with Gwen Stefani for PRIDE" for Mastercard;

• Tierney Philadelphia "TD Bring Change - Social Media" for client TD Bank.

South Africa has 46 entries

The US took the lead this year with 111 entries shortlisted. Agencies in South Africa moved forward with 46 and Canadian agencies saw 34 entries shortlisted. In addition, United Arab Emirates saw 19 entries shortlisted, the UK with 9, followed by Australia with 8, and Norway and Thailand with 5 moving on to the trophy round. Agencies from Russia and Turkey saw 4 entries shortlisted; Germany, Russia, and Sweden, 3 and France and Romania each moved forward with 2, and Cambodia, Slovenia, and China each had 1 entry shortlisted.

Top agency spot includes two South Africans

Global agencies compete annually for number one status ranking on The Midas Report. Agencies in the race for a spot on this year's annual ranking include:

• McCann XBC New York, USA with a robust 30 entries shortlisted;

• The Jupiter Drawing Room Johannesburg, South Africa with 22 entries moving on to the trophy round;
• FP7/DXB (Part of McCann Worldgroup) Dubai, UAE with 19;
• Publicis NA New York, US with 16;
• King James Cape Town, South Africa with 13
• RG/A New York, US with 13;

• BBDO Toronto, Canada with 11 entries shortlisted

The Midas Brand Report, an annual ranking unveiled in 2014, is based on points earned within the Midas Awards competition and celebrates advertiser's performance in elevating the financial advertising industry. Prominent brands in position to be included in 2015's Midas Brand Report include Absa, Citi/Citi, Emirates, Goldman Sachs, NBD, MasterCard, Nedbank, Sanlam and TD Bank.

The shortlisted entries move on to the secondary trophy round. The Midas Grand jury will award Gold and Silver Ingots to the highest scoring entries and determine the winner for the Midas Award for Innovation and the Grand Midas Award. The results of the jury are parsed in an annual rankings brief, The Midas Report and The Midas Brand Report-a veritable who's-who in the world of financial services advertising.

To view the shortlist, click here.