Five Starcom MediaVest Group MENA clients are recognised for stand-out communication campaigns

The awards, which include the Grand Prix Gold for the "M&M Miss Green Launch" and three winner citations, follow the MBU's strong showing at the inaugural Campaign Middle East Media Planning Awards held in December, where the team took home 12 prizes, including six golds.

"Good communication campaigns will always succeed, firstly and most importantly in the marketplace, by continually connecting and captivating consumers across a variety of touch points. They also will stand out in all types of competitions and with all kinds of juries,"

said Philip Jabbour, SMG MENA Group Director, Marketing and Business Development.

Jabbour noted that campaigns like these are made possible by developing partnerships with clients and deepening these relationships to the point where training and brand education is an ongoing process on both sides. "This is how we, as well as our clients, live the brand and cooperate to realise strong organic sales growth for each product."

In addition to the Grand Prix, SMG campaigns were named "Winner" in three categories: Best Use of Print Media for "Hummer - Like Nothing Else", Best Use of TV for "Snickers Desert 4x4 Football", and Integrated Communications for "M&M Miss Green Launch".

Tarek Abdalla, Category Development Manager for MasterFoods, said integration was a natural result of a creative concept built around a 'celebrity visit'. "Miss Green was to become the new 'Simone' and like any star visiting Dubai, she would get exposure on radio and TV, in magazines and at VIP parties. The campaign reached our target audiences across a variety of relevant contact points, all serving to drive awareness."

SMG campaigns were "Highly Commended" in three categories: Brand Development Extension (or Relaunch) for "From Bath to Bed Pampers Active Baby" and "H3 Introduction", Integrated Communications for "Hummer - Like Nothing Else", and Sponsorship for Kraft "Cook with Mother".

The HUMMER Marketing Manager at GM Middle East, Ahmed Soudodi, said, "In every relevant medium - from TV and online to print and outdoor - we wanted a presence that would communicate creatively and effectively one of the key factors driving people to the franchise: a price that would enable aspiring HUMMER drivers to realise their dream of owning a vehicle that is Like Nothing Else."

Vishal Tikku, Kraft Marketing Director, said, "The inspiration for the sponsored cooking program on MBC1 was birthed from a key insight about our core consumers. Housewives and mothers compete amongst each other to prepare the best and most appreciated dishes. The show gave real-life mothers the chance to showcase their culinary talents and time-trusted recipes in front of millions of mothers across the GCC (TV viewers)."

The goals of the GEMAS are to recognise marketing excellence, build industry understanding of what marketing excellence means and help individuals and organisations improve the quality of their marketing performance. The panel judging the GEMAS 2006 included senior marketing practitioners and academics drawn from Europe and the Middle East.