Unilever dominates Smarties mobile marketing awards, Mindshare wins network of the year
Having dominated the shortlist, Unilever has emerged as Asia’s top brand at mobile marketing by winning marketer of the year at the Smarties Awards, claiming metal in most categories.
Out of 21 categories at the Mobile Marketing Association-organised show, the owner of brands such as Dove, Magnum and Rexona won 14 awards, including golds for innovation, brand awareness – both by media agency PHD India – and most engaging creative, by PHD China.
The ‘best of the best’ campaign went to Australia for the ‘Game on’ idea for carmaker Kia, which let consumers use their phone as a tennis racket to virtually return a serve from the world’s fastest server, Sam Groth, from their TV, live. The agency was Mnet.
Media agency Mindshare, which handles Unilever and other award-winners Mondelēz and Star India, was named agency network of the year in mobile. Mindshare’s Indonesian operation won agency of the year.
Mindshare’s Asia chairman and CEO for emerging markets group Ashutosh Srivastava, who was president of the judging panel, said in a press statement that he hoped to see a “creative evolution” in the industry in the coming years, as marketers become “more fearless” in their approach to mobile. “Innovative creative work is the only way we can harness the full potential of the mobile medium,” he said.
The winners list in full:
Award Category | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
Brand Awareness | Hindustan Unilever / PHD India | KIA / MNET | Coca-Cola Japan Company – Fanta / UM |
Unilever – Cornetto / PHD China | |||
Lead Generation / Direct Response / Conversion | N/A | Unilever – Rexona / Mindshare Malaysia | Unilever – Wall’s Ice Cream / Mindshare Malaysia |
Unilever – Zhonghua / PHD China | |||
Product / Service Launch | Unilever – Citra / Mindshare Indonesia & InMobi | Nivea / OMD Singapore & Airwave | Unilever – Axe / Mindshare Indonesia & InMobi |
Promotion | Mondelēz China / Isobar China | Coca-Cola Japan Company – Fanta / UM | Star India Pvt Ltd / Mindshare India |
Relationship Building/ CRM | Red Cross / MRM//McCann | Genki Sushi Hong Kong Limited / Cherrypicks Limited | N/A |
Merries Baby Diaper / Dentsu Thailand | |||
Cross Media Integration | KIA / MNET | Unilever – Dove / Mindshare Vietnam | Mondelēz China / Carat China |
Mobile Website | N/A | N/A | McDonald’s Corporation / Mobext Philippines |
Messaging | N/A | Red Cross / MRM//McCann | Adani Wilmar Limited / Neo Ogilvy India |
Location Based | Coca-Cola / Japan – Georgia / Dentsu Inc. | N/A | Unilever – Wall’s Magnum / Mindshare Malaysia |
Innovation | Hindustan Unilever / PHD India | Coca-Cola Greater China / Isobar China | Red Cross / MRM//McCann |
Mobile App | Coca-Cola / Japan – Georgia / Dentsu Inc. | KIA / MNET | Merries Baby Diaper / Dentsu Thailand |
In-App Advertising – Gaming or Other | N/A | N/A | Procter &Gamble – Gillette / MediaCom |
Unilever – Wall’s Ice Cream / Mindshare Malaysia | |||
mCommerce | N/A | McDonald’s Corporation / Mobext Philippines | PayPal / PHD & Airwave |
Best Brand Experience in Mobile Rich Media | N/A | Unilever – Citra / Mindshare Indonesia & InMobi | Unilever – Vaseline Men / Mindshare Indonesia & Vdopia |
Most Engaging Mobile Creative | Unilever – Zhonghua / PHD China | Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Australia / Mobile Embrace’s 4th Screen Advertising Australia | Unilever – Citra / Mindshare Indonesia & InMobi |
Unilever – Vaseline Men / Mindshare Indonesia & Vdopia | |||
Enabling Technology Company of the Year in Mobile | Mobilewalla | ||
Publisher/Media Company of the Year in Mobile | |||
Best in Show | KIA “GAME ON” | ||
Agency of the Year in Mobile | Mindshare Indonesia | ||
Agency Network of the Year in Mobile | Mindshare Asia-Pacific | ||
Marketer of the Year in Mobile | Unilever |
This is the second year of the APAC Smarties, with the number of entries – which came from 15 countries in the region – up 40 per cent on last year.
Rohit Dadwal, MD of Mobile Marketing Association Asia Pacific, said: “The SMARTIES Awards are our way of recognizing key players that are doing their part for the industry. We hope by sharing their campaigns and stories, we can inspire marketers to make full use of what is in the palm of their hands: mobile.”
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