The best and brightest of digital media in Ireland was celebrated at the 2017 Accenture Digital Media Awards (DMAs) on February 17th last, held in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road. Hosted by Irish radio broadcaster Tom Dunne and comedy duo Lords of Strut, the awards were attended by almost 800 members of Ireland's digital industry.
Creativity and innovation are key drivers of Ireland's recovering economy, not least within the digital media sector. But the sector also has the opportunity to redefine the way entire industries work across the globe, using mobile technologies to foster deeper connections with consumers, developing advanced analytics solutions to drive deeper understanding of data, or developing end-to-end marketing solutions that enhance the consumer experience.
The Accenture DMAs have recognised these twin strands of creativity and innovation for the past 14 years, and offer a platform to showcase the dynamic work taking place across the broad spectrum of digital media both in Ireland and further afield. The award categories cover all aspects of the digital space, ranging from marketing and mobile media to app development and social networking.
“The DMAs are an important part of recognising digital brilliance and creative excellence among the nation's finest creative talent. With over 90 companies and agencies shortlisted for the awards this year, the increase in the number of entries, and the quality of the winning campaigns, are testament to the strength of the Irish digital industry,” said Tracey Carney, Ashville Media Group Event Director.
The winners
Among those victorious on the night was ican, which picked up the awards for Agency of the Year, Best Technology Innovation and Best Collaborative Campaign for its work with TG4. Ican worked hard to create awareness around TG4's 20th anniversary as Ireland's súil eile, creating the character 'Cáitlin Eile' and showcasing home-grown content on the international stage. Carat (Best Integrated Digital Campaign and Best Strategy) and Wolfgang Digital (Best Social Media and Best Search Campaign) were both double winners on the night, while the lens was also focused on Maximum Media, which took home the prize for Best Use of Video. The synergy between Starcom, DDFH&B and the National Lottery, meanwhile, was the perfect platform to win Best Creative.
Last year was a significant period for Ireland as a whole, an opportunity to delve into the history of our nation, to better understand the Republic's roots, and to remember and commemorate the role of all actors from across the divide on what was a truly turbulent stage. The award for Best Public Life went to bigO for its work on the Ireland 2016 Programme, developed to mark the centenary of the 1916 Rising. The innovative agency integrated campaigns across multiple platforms, showcasing their ability to merge historical and modern perceptions as Irish people across the global commemorated the spark which ignited a nation's freedom. Target McConnells was also recognised for its contribution to the commemorative programme, scooping the award for Best in Travel & Tourism for its efforts in bringing the GPO – which was at the heart of the Rising – to life through the GPO Witness History Exhibition Centre, in partnership with An Post.
Strength in depth
The variety of winners across the board highlights the strength and depth of our digital media industry, and the diverse players operating within the sector. KBC Bank Ireland took home the Best App/Use of Mobile award, while Irish Life Corporate Business won Best in Financial Services. Best Integrated Media Strategy was picked up by Chemistry, Fathom and Engage won the award for Best Website, while ZOO.Digital took the gong for Best Conversion Strategy.
Best Brand – one of the most competitive categories, with double the number of entries from last year – was snagged by Thérapie Clinic. OMD and DDFH&B added another accolade to their trophy cabinet in the form of Best in Retail and Consumer Goods for their work with Water Wipes, which produces the world's purest baby wipes.
Making their way into the digital industry with a bang, Amnet Ireland ended the night as Best Newcomer, while all eyes were on Shane Downey from Dublin Institute of Ireland, who showcased a promising future by winning Digital Student of the Year.
Opting-in to this year's awards were new categories Best in Utilities (eir) and Best Native Content (The Irish Times), while a special recognition trophy was also awarded to Colin Meagle from Continuum, who made an impression with his excellence in digital leadership. Media agency Vizeum – which combines an understanding of human motivation and behaviour with data analysis – was tagged as Best in Data & Analytics.
“The standard of this year's entries was exceptional and demonstrates the amazing contributions of everyone involved and their ability to excite, provoke, create and reimagine,” said Vicky Godolphin, Head of Digital at Accenture Ireland. “Above all, the Accenture Digital Media Awards is further reinforcement of Ireland as a home for world-class digital and design talent. Congratulations to all the finalists and winners for their outstanding work!”
For more see digitalmedia.ie