146 creative campaigns honoured with COMMWARD

The 13th Communication Summit, which brings together leading professionals from the creative communication industry, business leaders and brands to explore the future of creative marketing, was held the Le Méridien Dhaka in the capital yesterday.

Organised by Bangladesh Brand Forum (BBF) in association with The Daily Star and Miniso Bangladesh, the event focused on how brands and agencies can leverage innovation to break away from traditional practices and succeed in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Under the theme "Disrupting the Norm: The Future of Creative Marketing", topics related to creative disruption, brand authenticity, AI integration and personalised marketing strategies were also discussed at the summit.

Shariful Islam, founder and managing director of the BBF, emphasised the need for creative innovation.

He said in a rapidly changing world, brands must go beyond the status quo by pioneering bold ideas and leveraging AI to create personalised experiences.

Authenticity and purpose-driven marketing are now essential for building trust and lasting consumer relationships, Islam said.

The keynote sessions were conducted by Firrdaus Yusoff, head of creative at Forsman and Bodenfors Singapore, and Moiz Khan, creative director at Edelman.

Geeteara Safiya Choudhury, founder and chairman of Adcomm Limited, and Muneer Ahmed Khan, managing director and creative chief of Unitrend Limited, also spoke.

Moderated by Ashraf Bin Taj, general secretary of the Asia Marketing Federation, the session highlighted pioneering advertising endeavours in Bangladesh and captured its essence in today's advertising industry.

Later at the summit, the COMMWARD 2024: Excellence in Creative Communication 2024 honoured 146 creative campaigns across 26 categories through its auspicious award.

An initiative of the BBF, the COMMWARD was presented in association with The Daily Star.

The award ceremony was attended by more than 700 communication and marketing experts and enthusiasts.

The awards were given in four ranks -- bronze, silver, gold and grand prix. This year, a staggering number of 1,380 nominations from 79 creative agencies and organisations were submitted for the award.

The campaigns launched and implemented between June 1 to May 31 this year were eligible for nomination in COMMWARD 2024.

The nominations were judged rigorously by 24 jury panels split into 14 shortlisting and 10 grand jury panels.

The 10 jury presidents further scrutinised the winning campaigns to ensure their proper ranking.

The 13th edition of COMMWARD had 21 gold winners, 50 silver winners and 75 bronze winners. However, none of the campaigns received the prestigious grand prix recognition this year.

"The COMMWARD is a testament to the remarkable strides our creative communication industry has made even in the face of challenges and disruptions," said BBF Managing Director Islam.

FCB Bitopi in collaboration with COMMWARD presented the 'Reza Ali Independent Spirit Award' in memory of Reza Ali, the founder of FCB Bitopi and one of the pioneers of advertising in Bangladesh.

This accolade celebrates independent, powerful and creative pursuits.

The auspicious COMMWARD 2024 gala also specially honoured Geeteara Safiya Choudhury, the pioneering advertiser of Bangladesh and the founder and chairman of Adcomm Limited, with the 'Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award' for her visionary leadership, unwavering commitment, and transformative contributions to the industry.