In preparation for the 2024 edition of the Loeries Creative Week billed for later this year in October, the Loeries team led by its Chief Executive Officer, Preetesh Sewraj recently engaged creative advertising professionals at an event at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Lagos.
The event, part of the Loeries Team’s strategic roadshow to Nigeria, brought together the crème de la crème of the country’s creative minds to tackle a pressing question: How can Nigerian creativity claim its rightful place on the global stage?
Speaking to a room packed full with critical stakeholders, creative advertising professionals, and media representatives, Preetesh set the tone for the day with his opening presentations where he showcased award-winning works from across the Middle East and Africa.
The panel discussion that followed centered particularly on addressing the issue of the performances of the creative advertising industry at the global stage with Sewraj moderating the session with well thoughout questions. Esosa Osagiede, Creative Director at Insight Publicis, in her submission, looked into the importance of authenticity in advertising. “Our strength lies in our unique Nigerian perspective,” Ogbagiere emphasized, while calling on creative to bring on their A++ game to compete at part with the best of the best on the global stage.
Responding to questions on the kind of works that win on the global stage, Bolaji Alausa, Partner and Executive Creative Director for Noah’s Ark Communications urged attendees to be mindful of trends and what jury members may readily resonate with. Recounting his experience both as a jury member and as aparticipant at the Young Lions some years ago, he also laid emphasis on the proper packaging and presentation of works to stand out among the numerous works that jury members will be exposed too. He went on to outline strategies for creating campaigns that resonate both locally and internationally, stressing the importance of storytelling that bridges cultural divides.
Toying a similar line and speaking on how the cultural nuances of Nigerian creativity is easily lost during adjudication, Steve Babaeko, Founder and CEO of X3M Ideas who has served serially as a Cannes juror and at other continental and global creative showcases, recounted how he had to had to stand up for a particular creative work from a Caribbean country, whose meaning could easily have escaped his colleagues, in one of his many jury duties. Fresh from his agency’s historic win at Cannes Lions, breaking a 70-year drought for West Africa, Babaeko’s words carried special weight. “Winning at Cannes wasn’t just about creating great ads,” he revealed. “It was about changing our mindset, believing that we could compete with the best in the world.”
Babaeko went on to detail the journey that led to their Cannes victory, from nurturing and motivating the talents at X3M ideas to a culture of creativity that isn’t afraid to take risks. His talk was a roadmap for agencies aspiring to international recognition, filled with practical advice and inspirational anecdotes.
Olajumoke Okikiolu, Marketing Manager at Trophy Lager and Budweiser for AB InBev, offered the client’s perspective, a crucial viewpoint often overlooked in creative discussions. “The synergy between brands and agencies is where the magic happens,” Okikiolu explained. She shared examples of successful collaborations that led to groundbreaking campaigns, encouraging both sides to push boundaries together.
The Q&A session that followed gave attendees an opportunity to dig deeper into the strategies and insights shared by the panelists. Questions ranged from the technical aspects of campaign creation to the broader challenges of changing perceptions about Nigerian creativity on the global stage.