It’s been two weeks of slogging through roughly 220 entries, but first round (shortlisting) and second round (scoring) judging is complete. The ballots are in, and we wait patiently to see who will scoop the birds (not to mention the Grand Prix).

I have some mixed feelings about this years entries. By far the coolest entries were in the Digital Campaign category. It’s fantastic to see agencies putting in so much effort to close the loop and develop really solid, cross-channel communication (and by that I mean campaigns involving microsites, email, mobile, blogs, social media, FaceBook, YouTube, even installations). REALLY awesome. I know the harsh reality of client budgets in South Africa, which means that agencies must have poured their blood, sweat and tears into the work… and to them I take my hat off.

In terms of the other categories, even though the year marked the biggest overall digital increase, as well as in niche categories like mobile, viral and online advertising, I’m left with a feeling of frustration. As much as creative concept and execution is important, it means nothing if not in the best interest of the client. I found a fair amount of creative “fluff”. Oh, and how useful is a HUGE preload on a Flash website in a South African market anyway, even if it is insanely awesome?

Lets not forget the plagiarism. I’m not saying we shouldn’t take inspiration from the rest of the world, but if you’re going to use someone else’s idea, at least put a new and original spin on it … or better it.

Enough about that. Besides the minor frustrations, it was by far the best digital year to date, both in terms of number of entries and in terms of quality. Onwards and upwards!