IAS AR 2004 - Institute of Advertising Singapore

AN ODE TO SINGAPORE’S VERY FIRST
It’s about time we celebrated
Awards solely dedicated to
effectiveness, not merely creativityfocused.
Where clients are able to
measure tangible returns and justify
expense budgets.
The ad industry owes much thanks to Patrick
Mowe who made DDB’s MD David Tang a
challenge he couldn’t refuse. Ever the mover and
shaker, David got a committee together pretty fast
and out of many brainstorming sessions, ideas
were born and germinated which gave birth to
the Singapore EFFIES.
Even Guest-of-Honour Minister Mah Bow
Tan was not sparing in his gratitude during his
opening speech.“I congratulate the IAS, the IAA
Singapore Chapter, and in particular, the EFFIE
Singapore Awards Committee for harnessing the
entire Singapore advertising industry to think of the
Ad Congress as the “EFFIE Congress”. This will make
it a unique annual world class event that will attract
presentations of the winners of the world’s best known
Effectiveness Award. It is very important that
Singapore develops as a centre for advertising
education and the “EFFIE Congress” is a vital
platform for learning from the world’s best examples
of strategic planning working in conjunction with
excellent creativity to produce results. The name of
the game is results!
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that all of you
here are at the cusp of an idea linking Singapore’s
creative talent, both native and imported, to
international business. The worldwide recognition
of the EFFIE and your work in Singapore will make
this tiny ‘red dot’ of an island give businesses located
in Singapore a targeted impact. I congratulate the
Singapore Advertising industry for taking this bold
step in measuring its application of advertising
creativity against that of the world’s most advanced
economies, the United States and Europe. I believe
that the number of your inaugural entries were more
than double any other EFFIE contest in Asia to date.
I would urge that more Singapore brands take to
entering the EFFIE programme so that we can
multiply our share of global brands, a key element in
Singapore’s strategic economic plan.
Let me also say to all those who may not walk
away with a medal tonight, yes, you participated in
a tough competition, probably the toughest in Asia.
That took courage and it shows that you have the
guts to be judged by world standards. The real test is
whether you can stand up to the judging standards
year after year until you win recognition. I applaud
all of you for trying to be world beaters. This is the
spirit that will make your Movement succeed.
To tonight’s winners - well done. You may be
few but you have demonstrated that you have earned
the right to be labeled ‘world class’ for what you have
achieved.”
L to R: IAS
President Rod
Pullen; Minister for
National
Development, Mah
Bow Tan; IAS Vice
President Peggy
Tan; Sorab Mistry,
Chairman, IAA
Singapore Chapter
& Executive VP Asia
Pacific, McCann-
Erickson
Minister Mah Bow Tan
being introduced by
Patrick Mowe to Madam
Chua Foo Yong, CEO,
MediaCorp TV; (Middle)
Rod Pullen, President
IAS
Part of the 400 audience at the Ad Congress opening.
Front row: Sze Tian Poh, MD, Unilever Singapore; David Teo, Hon Treasurer IAS & CEO, CMS; Ernest
Wong, Group CEO, MediaCorp; Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan; IAS President Rod
Pullen, CEO, Batey /red cell; David Tang, Chairman, EFFIE Committee & MD, DDB
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