Park Advertising sponsors R30,000 for 2023 FM AdFocus Awards Student of the Year

Image: Danette Breitenbach (L to r:) 2022 AdFocus Awards students: Lisa Black, Angelina Faria (2022 AdFocus Awards Student of the Year winner) and Robyn Burger

Chris Botha, group MD of Park Advertising, says they are excited about sponsoring the FM AdFocus Student of the Year Awards.

“In a world that is fast becoming more cookie-cutter and under threat of takeover from technology, human creativity is what will differentiate and distinguish us. We look forward to seeing the fresh young minds taking over our industry.”

He adds, “Creativity really is an economic multiplier for our clients – so, supporting the AdFocus Student Awards was the easiest and most natural decision for us.”

FM AdFocus Awards Student of the year: Highlighting future creatives

Danette Breitenbach  5 Dec 2022

The Student of the Year Award category is critically important to the FM AdFocus Awards programme as the emerging talent coming into the industry are the lifeblood of the local advertising industry.

“The Student of the Year Awards are a brilliant opportunity for the individuals entering to have exposure to the cut and thrust world of advertising,” says FM AdFocus Awards chairperson Luca Gallarelli and group CEO of TBWA\SA.

The Student of the Year Award is open to all creative schools and universities. Each institution can enter three final-year students.

FM AdFocus Awards Student of the Year 2023 jury

The chairperson of the main jury, Gallarelli, as well as main jury member, Pepe Marais, group creative officer at Joe Public United, are both on the student jury.

The rest of the jury includes:

• Kagiso Tshepe, executive creative director, Grid Worldwide
  
• Tian van den Heever, independent director
  
• Nicole Ravenscroft, executive creative director, Rapt Creative
  
• Thule Ngcese, creative director at Boomtown
  
• Noelle Hardy, creative director at Tukio Media
  
• Suhana Gordhan, independent creative
  
• Raphael Kuppasamy, art director at Joe Public United
  
• Melusi Mhlungu, founder & chief creative officer, We Are Bizarre

“For the judges, this category provides a sense of the calibre of the talent which is about to enter the industry. There is no question that our industry survives and even thrives on the freshness of youth and what that brings into our agency environments and client conversations,” says Gallarelli.

The first rung on the career ladder

Kuppasamy, a juror of the Student Awards for the second consecutive year, recalls the thrill of winning awards while he was still a student at Vega.

“From first year it was soon apparent that winning awards was a big deal amongst the student body. I was determined that when it was my turn, I would go all out to win awards,” he recalls.

His efforts paid off, as he was the most awarded student on the African continent in his final year at Vega. Last year he was named the Loeries Young Creative.

“Once you get the taste of an award, you want to go bigger and better. One of the benefits of winning awards as a student is that the industry gets to see your work and learn your name.

“It’s literally the first rung on the career ladder which is why I encourage all students to enter the Student of the Year category at the FM AdFocus Awards.”

Entries close 13 September. To enter go to AdFocus.