PUBLICIS GROUPE APAC TAKES HOME 3 GRAND PRIX FROM MAD STARS 2024
Leo Burnett Malaysia has won two coveted Grand Prix trophies at MAD STARS 2024 for ‘Heidden in Plain Sight’ for Heineken, while Leo Burnett Thailand has won Grand Prix and Gold for its short film series, ‘What the fast!’, created for Krungsri First Choice.
Heineken Malaysia’s “Heidden in Plain Sight” campaign topped the Outdoor and Media categories. This comes after emerging as Malaysia’s sole winner at the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June, taking home a Bronze Lion in the Outdoor Lions category for the same campaign.
The campaign, which ran during Chinese New Year, cropped the iconic Heineken logo to complete popular festive greetings that contain the word “Hei”, which means “happiness” in the Chinese language. Greetings like ‘Gong HEI Fatt Choi’ and ‘Sheung HEI Lam Mun’ featured on the brand’s delivery trucks, turning them into mobile billboards during the festive season while respecting the guidelines of the advertising laws.
Reflecting on the win, Willemijn Sneep, Marketing Director of Heineken Malaysia Berhad, says, “At Heineken®, we aim to deliver refreshing experiences that delight and deeply connect with our consumers, infusing each moment with a unique twist for a fresher world. The campaign epitomises this ethos by raising the bar and forging meaningful connections within our community during this cultural celebration in Malaysia. These accolades not only celebrate a victory for the brand and all teams involved; they also pay tribute to Malaysia’s dynamism in creative thinking.”
David HK Tan, Leo Burnett Malaysia’s Associate Creative Director, said: “When faced with a standard brief for an annual social campaign to celebrate Lunar New Year, we dug deeper and found something hidden in culture and meaningful for Malaysians. By tapping into this local insight, the campaign became something that strongly resonated with the community.”
Vickknesh Raj, the agency’s Creative Group Head added: “This campaign is a testament to the relationship we’ve built with Heineken Malaysia. I couldn’t be prouder of how we are making our best work for our biggest clients, translating ideas into results for their brand. For us to then snag several trophies with them is simply the cherry on the sundae!”
Meanwhile, ‘What the fast!’ has topped the Film category at MAD STARS, winning Grand Prix and Gold in Film Craft. This comes hot on the heels of winning Gold at Cannes Lions this year.
Prasert “Lek” Vijitpawan, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett Thailand, says: “It is a great pleasure that our work is receiving global recognition, especially major awards like the Grand Prix and Gold at MAD STARS 2024. Thanks to everyone on the team, especially our client, Krungsri First Choice.”
Thiti Boonkerd, Deputy Executive Creative Director at Leo Burnett Thailand adds: “Winning the Grand Prix is always an incredible achievement for us as a team. Especially receiving it from MAD STARS, which shows that our work is well-received within our own region. Once again, I feel grateful to our client, First Choice, for the opportunity to create great work.”
Overall, Publicis Groupe APAC won the following accolades:
Leo Burnett Malaysia: Heineken ‘Heidden in Plain Sight’ – 2 Grand Prix (Outdoor, Media)
Leo Burnett Thailand: Krungsri First Choice ‘What the fast’ – 1 Grand Prix (Film), 1 Gold (Film Craft)
Leo Burnett Taiwan: Taiwan Organ Sharing Registry and Patient Autonomy Promotion Center ‘Power Organs’ – 1 Gold (Diverse Insights), 2 Bronze (Design, Direct)
Leo Burnett Taiwan: Taiwan Organ Sharing Registry and Patient Autonomy Promotion Center ‘Hear My Last Wish’ – 1 Bronze (Sustainability Development Goals), 1 Crystal
Leo Burnett Philippines: McDonald’s ‘Ride the Arches’ – 2 Silvers (Brand Experience & Activation), 1 Crystal
Beacon Communications, Japan: INFINITI’s ‘The Makers’ (Film) – 1 Bronze
Publicis Groupe Hong Kong: Cathay ‘Souvenired Media’ – 2 Crystal
MAD STARS 2024 winners were announced on 23 August in Busan, South Korea.