Nigerian firm emerges Africa’s ad agency of the year

Noah’s Ark Communications Limited, a Nigerian firm, has been announced as Africa’s advertising agency of the year at the 2018 African Cristal Awards.

The company bagged a total of 10 awards at the event which recently held in Marrakesh, Morocco.

The awards include Festival Grand Prix (The Grand Cristal) for ‘Prayer Warrior’ TVC ad for Airtel, another Grand Prix in the African Culture category, three gold, two Silver and three bronze medals.

Other campaigns that won laurels for the agency include; Ruth, a short film, Monitoring spirit (Whatchu doing??) for Airtel, Pure Love Challenge for Hypo, Peak Unstoppables for Friesland Campina (WAMCO), Whatever Works Out-Fitness Challenge for Three Crowns Milk.

South African creative giants–King James, FoxP2, DDB SA, Kenya’s Isobar, Morocco’s JWT Casablanca and Mauritius’s Circus to win the most coveted accolade Agency of The Year ranking.

Lanre Adisa, the company’s managing director, described it as a step towards the actualization of its dream to put Nigeria on the global map of advertising.

“Indeed, this is a very big accolade for us as an agency especially winning against some of the biggest agencies out of Africa including South Africa, Morocco and Kenya. This is also like an icing on the cake coming after a back to back Grand Prix win at the LAIF Award,” he said.

Also commenting on the award, Abolaji Alausa, executive creative director, Noah’s Ark Communications Limited, said the company is the first black African agency to be named Agency of the year in the history of the African Cristal Festival.

“To be declared African Cristal Festival Agency of the Year is no small feat considering the fact that at that level you compete against the best of Agencies across the continent, the achievement is not for Noah’s Ark alone, it is indeed for the Nigerian Advertising industry.”

This year’s festival focused on cultural stakes and their implications for brands.