Biggest-ever Spikes Asia 2012 kicks off in Singapore

Over 15 Sri Lankan senior professionals and young talent in attendance; 17 entries from Sri Lanka in record haul of 4,860 from 23 countries this year

The largest-ever creative communications festival in Asia Pacific, the three-day Spikes Asia 2012, kicked off on Sunday in Singapore.
Over 500 industry professionals from 27 countries including over 15 from Sri Lanka are attending Spikes Asia 2012, dubbed as the ‘Festival of Creativity,’ at the Suntec City Convention Hall, providing opportunities for learning, networking and celebration, as well as the chance to view Asia Pacific’s creative excellence in advertising and communications.

This year a record number of Spikes Asia entries have been submitted, totalling 4,860 from 23 countries. Four Sri Lankan firms have submitted 17 entries, with Leo Burnett Solutions Inc making the most, numbering 11. Others are Mind for Integrated Solutions Ltd., BBDO Lanka and Triad.
The Sri Lankan contingent includes Spikes Asia Sri Lanka Representative and Leo Burnett Solutions Managing Director Ranil de Silva, Grant McCann Chairperson Neela Marrikar, BBDO Sri Lanka CEO Santosh Menon, Response Marketing CEO Alyna Hadji Omar, Bates Strategic Alliance Chairman and CEO Nimal Gunewardena and Phoenix Ogilvy Creative Director Ransley Burrows. Others are Grant McCann Vice President Laila Gunasekera, BBDO Creative Director Ranil Nalawansa and eight from Leo Burnett including Director Client Services Gian de Rose, Director Arc Manoja Wickramasuriya, Director Operations Mehnaz Illhamdeen, and Associate Creative Director Eraj Wirasinha.
Sri Lanka has made history at this year’s festival with Leo Burnett’s Creative Executive Director Subhash Pinnapola becoming the first-ever Sri Lankan juror. He serves on the Craft Jury.
Additionally, two Young Spikes teams are also participating – Group M Media’s Tharanga Rathnasekara and Champika Anuradha on media and Phoenix O&M’s Ashan Bandaranayake and Shantha Niroshan on Integrated.
Moratuwa University Faculty of Graphic Communications Pubuhini P. Hewawellage is also participating as Spikes Academy student being one of 15 chosen from Asia Pacific.
“This year we have a good representation from Sri Lanka and having the first Lankan juror is significant. A Moratuwa University student being picked among select few in Asia Pacific is also credit worthy. It shows the opportunity for young and new talent in Sri Lanka,” Ranil de Silva told the Daily FT on the sidelines of Spikes Asia 2012 inauguration.
The overall number of entries for this year’s Spikes Festival is a 33% increase as against 2011. The categories which have shown the highest increase are PR, Design, Mobile, Film Craft, Direct and Promo and Activation. The top countries participating are Australia (703 entries), followed by India (694), Japan (594), Singapore (524), China (448) and Thailand (411).
There are four entries in the media category from Sri Lanka and an equal number in the promotions and film categories as well. Apart from one entry each in branded, creative effectiveness and PR categories there are two entries for outdoor category as well.
Commenting on the record number of entries Terry Savage, Co-Chairman of Spikes Asia said: “This extraordinary growth in the number of entries this year is not only testament to the importance of Spikes Asia to the creative community in Asia Pacific, but is also an endorsement of the great work being produced in the region which will ultimately reverberate around the world.”
The winners will be revealed during the Spikes Asia Awards Ceremony that will be held on Tuesday evening 18 September at the Grand Theatre, Marina Bay Sands. Other accolades to be announced are: Agency of the Year, Independent Agency of the Year, Media Agency of the Year, Network of the Year, and the new Spikes Palm Award presented to the most awarded production company. P&G Asia will be honoured with the 2012 Advertiser of the Year award. The event will conclude with the After Party at Avalon nightclub.
Spikes Asia is jointly organised by Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and Haymarket, publishers of Campaign Asia-Pacific.
On day one a host of seminars and forums were held whilst running in parallel was an exhibition of all the entries.
Building on 25 years of the illustrious Spikes Awards, the Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity is the result of a collaboration between the Lions Festivals, organisers of Cannes Lions, Dubai Lynx and Eurobest, and Haymarket, publishers of Campaign Asia Pacific. The Festival provides the region’s growing creative and advertising industry with a platform to network and exchange ideas, bringing together some of the finest creative thinkers from across the region and around the world.
Spikes Asia, attended by over 1,700 delegates in 2011, offers a challenging programme of seminars and workshops focusing on creativity and learning, exhibitions of creative work from Asia Pacific, networking events in the evening and the Spikes Asia Awards show.  The Awards, judged by leading international and regional creatives, honour the best creative work in the categories of Film, Print, Outdoor, Radio, Digital, Integrated, Direct, Promo and Activation, Media, Print Craft, Film Craft, Design, Mobile, PR, Branded Content and Entertainment and Creative Effectiveness.