The Dubai Lynx has changed the rules for this year’s media agency of the year title, with only media agencies now able to win the award.
The decision follows two years in which the accolade was won by creative agencies, with Leo Burnett Beirut winning last year and FP7 Bahrain walking off with the award the year before.
Advertising agencies, clients and media owners can continue to enter and win a media Lynx, but the involvement of the media agency or media department is now a mandatory field on the entry form, with the media agency and not the creative agency being allocated points towards the media agency of the year title.
“The reality is that the media category should reward tactical media planning and placement and these changes will reflect that,” said Terry Savage, chairman of Lions Festivals, organiser of the Lynx.
Other changes to the festival, which takes place from 10-13 March at the Madinat Jumeirah, include the launch of an independent agency of the year award, with the title going to the highest-ranked independent agency by points amassed across all categories.
The festival will also see the launch of the Dubai Lynx Think Tank with JWT, a new programme for senior marketers; the Digital Lab with TBWA\Raad; a ‘7-Day Brief’ YouTube competition; the ‘Future Leaders of Marketing’ with Starcom MediaVest Group; and a student print competition in partnership with Masar Printing & Publishing.
For the 7-Day Brief, a brief will be released on YouTube at midday on 6 February, with the brief set by a well-known international or regional charity. Participants will have seven days to make a 30-second ad aimed at raising awareness for the charity and upload the film to www.youtube.com/user/officialdubailynx for the public to view and share further building recognition for the non-for-profit organisation.
