Grand LIA for Ogilvy Johannesburg's Selinah

The winning ad, produced by Egg Films and directed by Kim Geldenhuys, features the true story of Selinah, an Aids sufferer who experiences the ravaging effects of her disease being reversed over a period of 90 days through the administration of anti-retrovirals (ARVs). The ad also won two Gold Statues in TV/Cinema/Online Film, one for Public Service/Social Welfare and the second in the Music Original category.

"Labour of love"

Said Ogilvy Joburg ECD Fran Luckin after the awards: "The fact that a campaign that is so close to all our hearts has had such a fantastic year is incredibly rewarding. This was a labour of love for all of us, and it wouldn't have been possible without the dedication of the production crew, who filmed Selinah every day for three months, and the commitment of the creative team who saw their vision literally come alive before their eyes."

"This award is another testament to the fact that South African creativity can compete with the best in the world," continued Luckin. "But most importantly, it demonstrates yet again that creativity and effectiveness can go hand in hand."

"Winning a Grand LIA in this year's Show is huge," remarked LIA president Barbara Levy. "Especially when you consider that only two were awarded out of a potential 13. Congratulations to Ogilvy Johannesburg."

This year, Selinah also won a Gold Film Lion at Cannes (the first Gold Film Lion for a South African agency in over a decade), a Gold Loerie, a Gold Pendoring and South Africa's Creative Circle TV Ad of the Month December 2009/January 2010, as well as being a Clio finalist.

The ad is one of many developed by Ogilvy Johannesburg over its decade-long partnership with the Topsy Foundation, and serves as an illustration of the power of advertising to do good.

"Since the launch of the campaign earlier this year, we have seen an unprecedented influx of support from donors, and the number of patients requesting ARV treatment has also risen sharply," said Sylvia de Jager, executive director at the Topsy Foundation. "We are humbled that Selinah's story of hope and recovery has also captured the hearts of an international audience."

All the South African winners

This year, for the first time, LIA honoured the Network of the Year - Y&R, Agency of the Year - RCKR/Y&R, London, and Production Company of the Year - MJZ. These winners were decided based on the outstanding work chosen by the juries across all media, with the following point system used to determine each honour: Grand LIA = 5 points, Gold LIA = 4 points, Silver LIA = 3 points, Bronze LIA = 2 points, and Finalist = 1 point.

Of the 13 562 submissions, from 79 countries, only 4% attained Shortlist status. Of those, only 0.6% won Gold Statues; 0.87% Silver; 1.12% Bronze and 1.33% Finalist. Compare this to the inception of the London International Awards in 1986, when 2600 submissions were considered.

The London International Awards honour new ideas in advertising, design and digital media. The 25th LIA judging was held at the Wynn/Encore Hotel in Las Vegas, convening over a 10-day period. The juries, led by their respective jury presidents, viewed and scored every entry within their medium, ensuring that all the work was judged equally. They concluded with final discussions to determine Grand LIAs, Statue winners and Finalists.

For all the winners, winning work and creative credits, go to www.liaentries.com/winners.

Updated at 11.54am on 9 November 2010.