How can I enter this year’s Loeries® Awards?

The Loeries® are about innovation, execution and relevance

When it comes to The Loeries®, Human says only the very best is accepted.

“Our standards are high, and we’re proud of that. Winning a Loerie® isn’t easy - but great work can get missed if it’s not presented well,” Human cautions.

Human says, to make entering easier, they have compiled key points and six steps to remember when preparing your Loeries® entry.

Always bear in mind the judging criteria:

• Innovation– is it fresh? Is it ground-breaking?
• Execution – is it well-executed? Is it beautifully crafted?
• Relevance– is it relevant to the brand, the target market and the medium?

The six steps are:

• Start with a great idea;
• Keep it simple;
• Do not create work with the sole purpose of winning an award;
• Study the categories and know where to enter;
• Make your stats relevant; and
• A bad presentation could lose you an award.

“Many presentations offer laundry lists of Facebook likes and percentages as evidence that the campaign was relevant to the brand and the market, but stats need a context to make sense,” Human says.

“Pin them to something the judges can relate to. Don’t expect the judges to work hard to figure out what makes your campaign worthy of winning.”

The Loeries® are online

This year, The Loeries® has updated the online entry process to make it easier for entrants.

“Since 2005, the Loeries® has developed its own bespoke software system that now incorporates all online content, entries, judging, creative week delegate management, the Loeries® online store, and the Loeries® Archive with all winners’ data going back to 1978,” Human explains.

“The system is constantly upgraded and, this year, we have launched a new entry submission process that allows entrants to view their entry in exactly the same way that it will be judged. This greatly simplifies the process for entrants to check their submissions and ensure all media and credits have been added correctly. “

Human adds that The Loeries® entry management system is now used for all the major creative awards in South Africa – Pendorings, Bookmarks, and Creative Circle – and, last year, the Loeries® partnered with the Kenyan Advertising Practitioners Association to relaunch their national awards after a hiatus of 12 years.

Loeries® dates to take note of

Loeries® Creative Week will be hosted in Durban with the awards ceremonies held at the International Convention Centre from Monday, 14 August to Sunday, 20 August. While still months away, those seeking to get involved this year are running out of time to enter.

Friday, 14 April: Early Bird deadline

Human says Friday, 14 April is the Early Bird deadline, with a 10% discount available to those who meet it. Entries must be 100% complete, with the entry form, payment and all material received by that time.

Monday, 15 May: Entry Deadline

The Entry deadline is 17:00 on Monday, 15 May, and entries that do not submit either a completed entry form, payment or received materials will be charged a 10% late fee. Entries must have been commercially published, launched or aired to a “substantial audience” for the first time between 1 June 2016 and, 31 May 2017.

“In the case of Architectural and Interior Design projects, Shared Value and the Service Design category, the launch date is not critical. Architectural and Interior Design work includes new additions to an existing structure or brand, e.g. a new store, restaurant, or upgrade,” Human says.

“Previous entries and winners in the Shared Value and Service Design categories can be re-entered every year if the programme is still running. For the Effective Creativity Award, all previous Loerie®-winning work from 2015 and 2016 is eligible.”

Wednesday, 31 May: Exceptions

Campaigns that straddle the eligibility period, such as two pieces of a campaign being published prior to 1 June 2016, and three pieces after that, means the full campaign - all five pieces – are eligible for entry this year.

“If you have previously entered two of the pieces into last year's awards, you can enter all three pieces into the Integrated Campaign this year. Student work created during 2016 and up to 31 May 2017, may be entered.”

Absolutely no work that has not yet been published, launched or aired will be accepted, with the onus on the agency in question to ensure that all work entered meets these rules.

Entries for The Loeries® are growing

Last year, 3 100 entries were submitted, up 6% from 2015. The task judges and juries face during Creative Week in the lead up to the awards is substantial.

“Entries were judged by over 130 judges, including International Jury Presidents and Regional Specialists. The Loeries® are open to all areas of brand communication, including, but not limited to; advertising, PR, design, architecture & interior design, live events & activations, sponsorships, digital media, social media, music videos – and any area where a brand interacts with consumers,” Human says.

Anyone involved in the creation, publishing or production of the work may submit an entry, including directly from the brand, agency or production company. The Eligible Regions include all countries on the African continent, all Middle Eastern states, Madagascar, and the island states off the African coast, such as Mauritius and the Seychelles.

All student work, created and submitted to a registered educational institution from the Eligible Region, may be entered. Where possible, student work should be submitted by the school, college, or university, rather than directly by the individual student.

For more insight on how to enter, the Loeries® will be hosting a series of workshops in Johannesburg for brands and agencies. Details for Cape Town and Durban sessions are still to be announced.

For more information, visit www.loeries.com.

Want to know why agencies enter the Loeries®? Read our article, Loeries 2017: The story behind the Ster Kinekor #OpenEyes campaign.