4As opens call to 'Be Hated' for the Singapore Media Awards 2011

Organised by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Singapore (4As), the Singapore Media Awards (SMA) returns for its 7th year with Ms Leela Nair, Managing Director of MindShare Singapore at the helm, and a Be Hated campaign by J. Walter Thompson (JWT). 

From today, 4As will be accepting advertising campaign entries for up to 21 awards including single media and specialist campaign categories, Special Achievement Awards (SAA), and the prestigious Media Agency of the Year, and Grand Prix for the overall best media campaign. Closing dates are 27th June for SAA nominations and 4th July 2011 for single media and specialist categories. 

Judged by industry veterans from both the agency and client’s end, the winners will be revealed at the Awards Gala Night on the 2nd of September 2011. Main sponsors and supporters include ACP Magazines, AdLib, Alice, CNN, Dow Jones, JWT, MakeStudios, Mediacorp, Moove Media, Starhub, Singapore Press Holdings, and The Edge.

In-line with SMA’s tongue-in-cheek campaigns in the past, JWT has conceptualised a controversial “Be Hated” campaign, which will unfold from now to September.

First launched in 2005 and the first of its kind locally, the SMA honours the achievements made by media professionals and puts emphasis on the crucial function the media plays in contributing to the success of advertising campaigns. Till today, the award continues to be coveted within the media industry, both as a symbol of excellence and a benchmark of distinction, with more than 400 guests from advertising and media agencies together with client marketers and media owners attending the annual gala event.

“The use of media is a very critical and strategic element of any advertising campaign. Formulating the best media strategy involves an amalgam of understanding the business objectives, campaign concept, target market, and all mediums available, while managing media budgets – often tight ones. SMA recognises this and rewards both teams and individuals who have demonstrated excellence in developing and delivering highly effective and innovative thinking towards successful media campaigns,” Said President for 4As, Ted Choo.

“SMA celebrates outstanding work, great thinking and the skillful blend of art and science to create powerful and accountable media solutions for our clients. These awards are critical for our industry as they provide a platform to formally recognise the great talent in Singapore. I am confident that this year we will see a calibre of work that further raises the bar and showcases the brilliance of our people,” Commented Leela Nair.