Levergy and Telkom's #StandTall campaign wins Gold at MENA Warc Awards

Levergy has won Gold at the MENA region Warc Awards.

Now in their fourth year, the awards, in association with Cannes Lions, honour marketing and strategic effectiveness.

South Africa's Levergy won Gold in the Partnerships & Sponsorships category for its #StandTall campaign for Telkom. 

Commenting on the Gold winner, jury chair Khaled AlShehhi, executive director of Marketing and Communication, UAE Government Media Office, United Arab Emirates, said: “Telkom's #StandTall campaign in South Africa reimagined a traditional sponsorship-led ambassador approach. Informed by insight, this winning campaign told a compelling, authentic story, and genuinely engaged with audiences.”

Three Gold, five Silver and three Bronze accolades have been awarded for the Middle East and Africa. Campaigns for both global and local brands, and for a range of product categories covering Consumer Packaging Good (CPG), technology and telecommunications are represented showcasing how marketers are driving growth across different sectors.

The three APAC jury panels followed a rigorous judging process using the Creative Effectiveness and the B2B Effectiveness Ladders, unique tools providing a consistent approach and global language to benchmark effectiveness.

The Gold, Silver and Bronze winners are:

Brand Purpose category:

Bronze

• Frequencies of peace · Babyshop · FP7 McCann, Dubai · United Arab Emirates

Channel integration category:

Silver

• We shake the world · Rani (juices) · MullenLowe MENA, Dubai · United Arab Emirates

Channel Pioneer category:

Silver

• Coke’s aba-stalk & pop (cheat meals campaign) · Coca-Cola · EssenceMediacom, Dubai · United Arab Emirates

Cultural Impact category:

Gold

• ADLaM – An alphabet to preserve a culture · Microsoft · McCann, New York · MENA

Bronze

• The tuna language · Sidi Ali · VML, Tunis · Tunisia
• Sound of Saudi · Saudi Music Commission · Xelement Agency, Riyadh · Saudi Arabia

Jury chair Gugu Mthembu, chief marketing officer, Telkom, South Africa, commented: “The jury wanted to see campaigns that promoted progress and involved culture drivers that are shaping new narratives; our Gold winner for Cultural Impact is a perfect example of this. Microsoft worked with the Fulani people in West Africa to digitise an alphabet for their dying language and this has brought their community to the digital age, preserving their culture for generations to come.”

Customer Experience category:

Silver

• I see Coke · Coca-Cola · EssenceMediacom, Dubai / VML, Dubai · United Arab Emirates

Instant Impact category:

Silver

• From dermatology to divinity – Dettol's unexpected audience · Dettol · FP7 McCann, Dubai · United Arab Emirates

Partnerships & Sponsorships category:

Gold

• Stand tall · Telkom · Levergy, Johannesburg · South Africa

Strategic Thinking category (new)

Silver

• Fixing the bias · Aurora50 · MullenLowe MENA, Dubai · United Arab Emirates

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Commenting on this winning campaign, jury chair Carolyne Kendi, chief marketing officer, Absa Kenya PLC, Kenya, said: “People want brands to demonstrate they understand the current reality and to help them navigate difficulties. I'm happy that, in Aurora50, the Strategic Thinking jury found a campaign that had endeavoured to get a deeper understanding of gender inequality in the Middle East and respond to what women are thinking and feeling with relevant solutions that deliver real value.”

Use of Data category:

Gold

• The non-sponsored sponsorship of Ramadan · Almarai · VML, Riyadh / Wunderman Thompson, Riyadh · Saudi Arabia

No metal was awarded in the Business-to-Business, Long-term Growth and Path-to-Purchase categories.

The Gold winners will automatically progress to compete at a Global level where a super-jury made up of all the regional jury chairs - Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East & Africa, North America - will award the coveted Warc Grands Prix. The Grands Prix will be revealed on 13 June via the Effectiveness Show part one. The Effectiveness Show part two will include interviews and insights from the Grand Prix winners.