The Direct Marketing Association's Assegai Awards presented by the South African Post Office, the second independent direct awards under the DMA banner since 2003, have just announced the winners of the prestigious direct marketing accolades.

The much anticipated awards were exceptionally well supported with a total of 147 entries from over 40 agencies, corporate and individuals. Of these entries, 78 made it through to finals and 43 finalists received awards.

The Inkosi Award, the most coveted award of the Assegais, went to:
Vodacom, SilverstoneCIS & MMS for the AdMe Optin Mobile Marketing Platform campaign.

“We’re very pleased with the turnout for this year’s awards, both from an entry perspective as well as a sponsorship point of view. The direct industry has once again stepped up to the plate and put their support fully behind the Assegai Awards. It speaks volumes about the growing credibility that direct is gathering and the high regard that it is afforded by some of the biggest brands in the country. Some of the industry’s biggest industry names stepped on to support this year’s awards, and a huge amount of credit goes to these sponsors for putting the Assegai’s firmly back on the map,” says Brian Mdluli, CEO of the DMASA.

Michelle Perrow, Assegai Awards Chairperson and DMASA board member adds: “We have seen an interesting trend emerging in that while the number of entrants has increased dramatically on 2007, the number of entries has only increased by around 10%. Last year, we had a situation where only a handful of leading agencies entered many campaigns, whereas this year the campaigns have come from a much broader base and is far more representative of the players in the direct marketing industry. This also makes for a much more exciting competition, as you have a greater diversity in terms of industries represented. Overall, this also makes for a much more challenging judging process,” explains Michelle. “I also believe this is a direct reflection of the current economic environment, and that while marketing and advertising budgets have been dramatically curtailed this year across most sectors, direct marketing has remained a very strong contender for its share of the overall budget.”

Sponsors of the Assegai Awards:
*The South African Post Office;
*MTN;
*Absa;
*Vodacom;
*Standard Bank;
*Services Seta;
*Computer Facilities;
*Bytestream;
*SABC;
*Merpak;
*Nedbank; and
*TransUnion.

And the Assegai winners are:

Media Section

3D mail:
Bronze Assegai: Action Ambro’s for Blue Blood – Vodacom Business.
Silver Assegai: Wunderman for Microsoft Office in your pocket.
Gold Assegai: Lesoba Difference for GJ Gardner Launch Invitation.
Gold Assegai: Primaplus for The Light Box.

Direct mail, sponsored by Merpak:
Bronze Assegai: Action Ambro’s for the Lexus Hybrid Launch 2008.
Bronze Assegai: Greymatter for Absa Home Loans/Private Bank Cross Sell.
Silver Assegai: Action Ambro’s for Debt Repair - Hobo pack.
Silver Assegai: Action Ambro’s for Gift wrap packs – Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
Gold Assegai: Greymatter for Absa Vehicle & Asset Finance 4x4 mailer.
Gold Assegai: Greymatter for Absa Home Loans Project Ugesi.

Alternative Media
Merit Award: Alphabet Soup for Cardies - High School Musical Sponsorship.
Bronze Assegai: Alphabet Soup for Cardies - Idols 2007 Sponsorship.
Silver Assegai: Admakers for The Cadillac Invitational.

Mass Media TV & Infomercials sponsored by the SABC
Bronze Assegai: Wunderman for SABC TV Licences - Update Your Details.
Silver Assegai: OliverMcIntye for Conversations Infomercial.
Gold Assegai: OliverMcIntyre for Mildred.

Mass Media Radio sponsored by SABC
Silver Assegai: Joe Public for eBucks-kulula Foreigner Campaign.

Section: Integrated Campaigns sponsored by Vodacom
Bronze Assegai: BrandNew Advertising for Pay Your Bills.
Silver Assegai: Lesoba Difference for Potatoes South Africa - Partner Breakfast.
Silver Assegai: Joe Public for eBucks Festive Campaign.
Gold Assegai: Defusion Designs for Passion for Excellence 2007.

Section: Digital Media
Category: Mobile sponsored by MTN
Merit Award: Multimedia Solutions for Makro MMS & Mobi Drive.
Gold Assegai: Vodacom, Silverstone CIS & MMS for Vodacom AdMe Optin Mobile Marketing Platform.

Category: Website sponsored by: Lesoba Difference
Silver Assegai: Proximity#ttp for Hummerville.
Gold Assegai: Standard Bank for The Achiever Club.

Category: E-Advertising sponsored by: Bytestream
Bronze Assegai: BrandNew Advertising for Boep, Knertsie.

Category: Integrated Campaigns, sponsored by: Computer Facilities
Gold Assegai: Proximity#ttp for Hummerville.

Section: Strategic & Integrated Marketing

Category: CRM
Gold Assegai: Wunderman for Brandhouse Reserved for You.

Category: ERM
Gold Assegai: Lesoba Difference for Betterbond Bluedoor.

Section: Technology Solutions & Innovations

Category: Database
Gold Assegai: Vodacom SilverstoneCIS & MMS for AdMe Optin Mobile Marketing Platform.

Category: E&M Commerce Sponsored by: MTN
Gold Assegai: TransUnion for MobileCredit.

Section: Creativity

Category: Copy
Bronze Assegai: PrimaPlus for Superheroes.
Silver Assegai: Lesoba Difference for Gestetner in your corner.
Gold Assegai: Joe Public for eBucks Self Motivation Books.
Gold Assegai: Action Ambro’s for Lexus Hybrid Launch 2008.

Section: Creativity

Category: Art Direction
Bronze Assegai: Greymatter for Absa Vehicle & Asset Finance Chana Mailer.
Silver Assegai: Proximity#ttp for Hummerville.
Gold Assegai: Defusion Designs for Future Y.
Gold Assegai: Greymatter for Absa Private Bank Point of Presence.

Student Awards sponsored by Standard Bank

In the category Student Campaign of the Year:
Merit Award: goes to Bianca Liebenberg – Open Door for Freedom Fighters Standard Bank campaign.
Bronze Assegai: University of Johannesburg for E=mr² campaign for Standard Bank.
Silver Assegai: University of Pretoria and Open Window ‘Team Tuks’ for Standard Bank Achiever campaign.
Gold Assegai: University of Pretoria for Thusa Themba.
Young direct Marketer of the Year: Talitha Myburg of Lesoba Difference.

Company and Individual awards:

*Organisation of the Year: Greymatter.
*Supplier of the Year: Direct Channel Holdings.
*DMA Hall of Fame sponsored by Nedbank: John Rollason.
*DM Marketer of the Year sponsored by Absa: Keith Wiser – 5th Dimension.