Dubai Lynx advertising awards expects 2,500 entries

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The Dubai Lynx advertising awards expects to receive 2,500 entries next year, as it launches new categories for mobile ads and public-relations campaigns.

The awards, which are designed to mark creativity in the advertising industry, are held alongside the Dubai International Advertising Festival, which will be held between the 4th and 7th March 2012.

The Dubai Lynx this year received around 2,200 entries across all categories, but this is set to grow next year, said Ian Fairservice, vice chairman of Motivate Publishing, which sponsors the event.

"We'd like to see it grow to 2,500 - that would be a modest 10 or 15 per cent growth... We'd certainly expect to see that," said Mr Fairservice.

The Dubai Lynx is organised by Cannes Lions, the famous advertising awards held each year in France.

Terry Savage, the head of Cannes Lions, was present at press conference held today at Dubai Media City to announce the jury presidents of the 2012 Dubai Lynx awards.

"It is one of the most talented lineups of jury presidents that we have ever been able to bring to the region," said Mr Savage.

Ted Royer, the executive creative director of the advertising agency Droga5 in the US, will chair the film, print, outdoor, radio juries, among other categories.

"We are talking about someone at the very very top of the ladder in terms of creative excellence," said Mr Savage in reference to Mr Royer.

Other jury presidents include industry executives such as Gastón Bigio, Jacki Kelley, Richard Millar and Jonathan Ford.

Mr Savage said that the Middle East region is "going from strength to strength in terms of creativity".

He added that the stature of the jurors was testament to that. "It's a great tick for the region that they are going to be engaged with Dubai Lynx in 2012," he said.

New award categories this year include public relations and advertising for mobile phones.

"These days public relations is a key ingredient of the marketing mix. It's no longer sitting to one side... It's important to reflect that," said Mr Savage.

"We've been sitting on mobile for years and years and years, waiting for it to happen. And we truly believe that it's now going to happen, and is happening," he added.

Another new feature of the Dubai Lynx next year will be the Young Marketers School.

This will "give young marketers in the region the opportunity to be put through an intensive three-day course of learning about creativity in the marketplace," said Mr Savage.

Special barcodes that can be scanned with smartphones - known as QR codes - will be used in the run-up to the Dubai advertising festival in 2012.

Emma Lancaster, the director of the Dubai International Advertising Festival, said that visitors to the event will be able to scan QR codes to see award shortlists on the smartphones.

The codes will also be used in advertisements for the Dubai Lynx, she said. "We've really tried to engage people with the QR codes," said Ms Lancaster.

PHOTO: Terry Savage of Cannes Lions speaks at the press conference on Dubai Lynx festival. (Jeffrey E Biteng / The National).