The announcement was made at the awards ceremony in London on Thursday, 19 May 2016.

“We are immensely proud of this work, because it exemplifies the essence of good outdoor advertising – a smart idea that catches the imagination, distilled into a simple visual execution that can be absorbed in a matter of seconds,” says Publicis Machine executive creative director Gareth McPherson.

The sought after Wood Pencil takes its place on the mantelpiece beside two other top industry accolades earned for the teams’ Play-Doh Cookies Print campaign - a Silver in the 2015 African Crystal Awards and a Bronze Cannes Lion earned for the Outdoor campaign.

Publicis Machine was also in the news recently for taking the coveted Best of Print category in the Creative Circle Ad of the Year Awards 2015, for client Hasbro SA’s brilliant Trivial Pursuit Close but no Wedge print advertising campaign.

The brief from Play-Doh brand owner Hasbro SA, was to showcase how Play-Doh helps develop not only physical dexterity, but also mental flexibility by encouraging imaginative play.

The resulting poster shows a cookie jar on a typical kitchen counter, but the real cookies have been mischievously replaced by beautifully-crafted Play-Doh cookies.

The pay-off line: ‘Play-Doh. Makes smart kids.’

The posters were displayed in toy stores in and around the Cape Town area.

“This campaign expertly communicates the essence of the Play-Doh brand, in one simple image. Truly a case of a picture painting a thousand words,” says Hasbro SA’s Country marketing manager, Siphiwe Thabethe. “We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.”

The D&AD Awards are held annually, recognising the best of the best advertising and design from around the world. A D&AD Pencil is arguably one of the industry’s most coveted awards, and often described as one of the most difficult to win.

This is the second D&AD Pencil that Publicis Machine has won - its first was for client Marmite in 2013.

This year, South Africa brought home a total of 13 Pencils, including two Yellow Pencils from Ogilvy & Mather South Africa and TBWA/Hunt/Lascaris Johannesburg - both in the radio category.

“We would like to congratulate all the Pencil winners this year, but especially the clients - like Hasbro SA - who put their trust in agencies, and believe in the power of creativity to market and sell their brands,” says McPherson. “Winning awards is good for the soul, but building brands - and dough (or should that be Doh?) - is better for business.”

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