The 2019 Lagos Advertising & Ideas Festival (LAIF) has seen a dramatic finale as agencies not so popular in the marketing communications industry carted away awards and laurels. Arguably one of the biggest awards in Africa, LAIF Awards is beginning to push the edge of creativity to a level where creative industry practitioners are now really fighting for it.
LAIF is the brainchild of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN). Now in its 14th year, the award was designed to create an avenue for celebration of great ideas and to reward marketing excellence. This year’s awards ceremony tagged ‘Tori Tori of LAIF’ had the jury bestow the prestigious Grand Prix on Nigeria’s leading advertising and media productions company, X3M Ideas Limited.
Expressing his utmost satisfaction about the award, the agency’s helmsman, Steve Babaeko, reeled out some of the creative accomplishments his team has achieved in the course of 2019, adding that the LAIF Grand Prix has added an impressive and significant feather in the agency’s creative cap.
In his words: “This year has been an incredible year for me and the team. There are so many accomplishments to be grateful for. I got listed on Adweek top 100 Creatives in the world and Judged Cannes Lions for the very first time. I pulled off Africa’s first Cannes Lions panel on the main stage and did the Forbes Africa Advertising Supplement cover with my brother ATG. I also got Babaeko Farms off the ground.”
“To end the year in grand style X3M Ideas on Saturday emerged the Agency of the Year in Nigeria by winning the Grand Prix at the LAIF Awards. This is a dream that has been seven years in the making and I am glad we finally emerged as the number 1 agency in Nigeria. I am grateful to the universe and my team for not folding under the tremendous pressure I put on myself and everyone. I am super grateful that TeamX3M is making Nigeria and Africa proud,” he enthused.
The top winners of the night include Noah’s Ark (21 medals), DDB Lagos (14 medals), X3M Ideas (11 medals), including the Grand Prix, 7even Interactive (11 medals) and SO&U (11 medals).
The base winners were Adeptus (1 medal), Fuel Comm (2 medals), Bluebird Comm (1 medal), IMS (2 medals), Onewildcard (3 medals), Up In the Sky (3 medals), among others.
LAIF Awards debuted in 2006 and usually recognises creative excellence. It helps to improve the quality of creative craft and to promote the spirit of healthy competition and marketing communications practitioner applying global best practices.
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