The Loeries, Africa and the Middle East’s most prestigious accolade for the brand communication industry, will be free for all entrants in 2020.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges across society and the brand communication industry is no exception,” states CEO of the Loeries, Preetesh Sewraj. “The brand communication industry is an essential part of society and has been active in fighting the spread of the pandemic by working with governments to seed hygiene information, working with retailers to highlight where essentials can be bought and even working with various organisations to show businesses how to reduce the economic impact of COVID-19. We need to ensure that this industry is supported more than ever and we have decided to lend a helping hand to the industry by continuing to recognise the great work that has been done across Africa and the Middle East.”
Tseliso Rangaka, Chairperson: Loeries Africa Middle East, adds. “The Loeries is a non-profit initiative and the key goal has always been to support the growth and diversity of the brand communication industry. This has been one of the most challenging times in our history and making the entries free will ensure that we maintain a robust brand communication industry which benefits all sectors of society.”
A key focus of Loeries Creative Week, which will be held late in 2020, will be deep-dives into how society can overcome the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and find ways to recover. “Our focus this year will be on Beyond COVID – the Loeries are poised to be one the first major events in the region which tackles this challenging subject,” says Sewraj, “The need for great insights from thought-leaders from across business, healthcare and various governments is imperative if we are to move forward. The impact of COVID-19 will linger long after the infection curve has started to flatten so the Loeries Creative Week will be a platform to ensure that we curate some great insights on how to move forward in a world impacted by this pandemic.”
The decision to make the Loeries entries free this year was a unanimous board decision in support of the brand communications industry across Africa and the Middle East. The challenges faced by the Africa/Middle East region has necessitated the need to be innovative to ensure that thinking about a beyond COVID-19 environment is made accessible to a wide audience while taking into account the impact on the brand communication industry.
Loeries Board Member, Dawn Rowlands, adds: “I spend a great deal of time across Africa and the Middle East. A vibrant brand communication industry ensures that all sectors of society are supported, and this will only serve to strengthen our region. Making the entry free this year will ensure that vital messaging is recognised and forms a foundation for our next phase when we deal with a post-COVID-19 world. This could be one of the most important Loeries events held in its 42-year history.”
The entry deadline has been extended to 15th June 2020.
About Loeries Africa Middle East
The Loeries, a non-profit company, is Africa and the Middle East’s premiere initiative that recognises, rewards, inspires and fosters creative excellence in the brand communication industry. As the highest accolade for creativity and innovation across our region, the Loeries promotes and supports creativity by helping marketers, agencies and consumers appreciate the value of ideas and fresh thinking.
Culminating in the biggest creative gathering across the region, Loeries Creative Week brings together the best innovative minds from our industry for a festival of networking, inspiring minds and recognising great work.
The Loeries is the only award across Africa and the Middle East that informs the global WARC Creative 100, a showcase for the best creative work in the world. Successor to the prestigious Gunn Report, WARC collates the most important advertising awards from around the world to produce a global list that ranks the most creative companies and campaigns.
