New York Festivals® for the World’s Best Advertising®  announced the first round of prominent creatives appointed to the 2016 Executive Jury.

For the sixth consecutive year, New York Festivals will assemble 30+ most awarded chief creative officers and executive creative directors from the world’s foremost advertising agencies around the globe to serve on the 2016 Executive Jury and select the World’s Best Advertising®  winners.

“We’re proud to announce the first five members of the 2016 Executive Jury and look forward to their participation,” said Michael O’Rourke, President of New York Festivals. “The caliber of this influential creative group truly sets the bar for this year’s jury. They are respected amongst their peers and their vast experience in recognizing ground-breaking ideas will insure that award-winning entries are truly worthy of being called The World’s Best Advertising.”

The 2016 New York Festivals Executive Jury to date:

Greg Braun, Founder/Owner, Greg Braun Creative Consulting USA

Eugene Cheong, Regional Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific Singapore

Lisa Fedyszyn, Associate Creative Director, Droga5 USA

Stefan Kolle, Founder/MD Creation, Kolle Rebbe, Germany

Andrea Stillacci, Co-Founder/President/Executive Creative Director, Herezie France

The 2016 Executive Jury panel will gather together May 15-19th in New York City for four rounds of judging across all mediums and select 2016’s Finalists, First Prize, Second Prize, Third Prize, Grand Award winners, and Best in Show.

Since 2011, entries to New York Festivals International Advertising Awards have been judged by 400+ members of NYF’s Executive and Grand Juries, a brain trust of global creative minds, who collectively cast over 400,000 votes to select the World’s Best Advertising®. The 2016 Executive Jury will utilize NYF’s Matrix Judging System; a patented system insures each entry is scored on its own merits with 50% of the vote based upon its concept / idea, 25% stemming from its brand and market relevance, and 25% pulled from its production execution.

The 2016 New York Show℠ creative panel sessions and networking events will take place on Thursday, May 19th at the NYIT Auditorium, 1871 Broadway, between 61st & 62nd Street. The New York Show gala cocktail party and awards ceremony will be held that evening at world-class performance space, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, Broadway at 60th Street followed by a celebratory after-party to toast the 2016 award-winners.

Entries submitted before December 16th, 2015 can save 10% of their entry fees by using the code PRN2016.  The 2016 competition entry deadline is February 15th. For more information on the 2016 competitions simply go to: Rules & Regulations and to enter the competition simply go to Log In.

We are just one of around 400 species of primate in the world. We have hundreds of bizarre and colourful relatives who live fascinating lives in exotic locations – yet most of us know almost nothing about them.

From India to Madagascar, Borneo to Peru, Animal Planet’s new series MONKEYS REVEALED travels the world meeting apes, monkeys and lemurs of all shapes and sizes, showcasing these animals’ amazing behaviours and revealing just what makes our animal family so special.

MONKEYS REVEALED will air Monday to Friday at 8 pm on Animal Planet, starting November 23rd.

A highly developed brain is the first of three key similarities shared by all primates. Secondly, we share a similar face, with eyes that face forwards. This gives us 3D vision, the ability to judge distances perfectly. And thirdly, the most defining characteristic of any primate are its remarkable hands with an opposable thumb each. This blueprint, intelligence, forward facing eyes and a grasping hand is the key to the success of our entire animal family.

Getting up close and interacting with these engaging creatures, MONKEYS REVEALED demonstrates that we humans are not quite as unique as we like to think! From the orangutan who washes every morning to the bonobo babies who just want to have fun and the rhesus macaques who have mastered the art of city life, these primates show us how similar we are to our animal cousins.

A visually stunning and definitive, the series is also open, accessible and surprising, featuring a contemporary soundtrack and light-hearted style.

Meet some of them:

RHESUS MACAQUES are Asian, Old World monkeys. Their natural range includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia, and China.   Found most commonly in India, these intelligent animals can adapt to many habitats, and some can even become accustomed to living in human communities.

The PYGMY MARMOSET is a small New World monkey native to rainforests of the western Amazon Basin in South America. It is notable for being the smallest monkey and one of the smallest primates in the world at just over 100 grams.  They are known as the Pocket Monkey, Little Lion, and the Dwarf Monkey.

The JAPANESE MACAQUE is a terrestrial Old World monkey species native to Japan. They are also sometimes known as the snow monkey because they live in areas where snow covers the ground for months each year – no other non-human primate is more northern-living, nor lives in a colder climate. Individuals have brown-grey fur, red faces, and short tails.

SIFAKAS are a genus of lemur from the family Indriidae within the order Primates. Their name of the family is an onomatopoeia of their characteristic "shi-fak" alarm call. Like all lemurs, they are found only on the island of Madagascar.

The EMPEROR TAMARIN is a small species of monkey found in the forests of South America. The Emperor tamarin was named because of it's elegant white moustache, which is thought to resemble that of German emperor Wilhelm II.

The SILVERY LUTUNG, also known as the silvered leaf monkey or the silvery langur, is an Old World monkey. It is arboreal, living in coastal, mangrove, and riverine forests in Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. It is a medium-sized monkey with a long, non-prehensile tail.

The VERVET is a small, black-faced monkey, native to Africa. They have been noted for having human-like characteristics, such as hypertension, anxiety, and social behaviour.

The Internet has transformed the way consumers transact for their daily needs - be it ordering food, booking movie tickets or even booking a cab. Online shopping is one category which has witnessed unprecedented growth in the last two years. This revolution is largely led by innovations which in many ways are unique to India as compared to rest of the world.

Lack of credit card penetration, poor infrastructure, etc. for many years hindered the growth of this category. Despite all these challenges, online retailers have been proactive enough to come up with solutions to overcome these hurdles.

Cash on delivery as a concept is unheard of in many markets and has been a big driver for trial. Also, instead of investing in building in house delivery team, brands have been working on tie-ups with grocery stores, India post etc. to increase their delivery reach. There are many more such examples of innovation and customer centricity which is driving success for online shopping sites and apps in India.

What is interesting to note is the emergence of category specific online shopping sites, namely, grocery, jewelry, spectacles and lens, etc. which is also fuelling the growth.

UNDERSTANDING THE E-COMMERCE CONSUMER

Recent usage patterns clearly indicate that a significant chunk of Indian online shoppers access the Internet primarily on their mobile phones. According to the report Bricks to Clicks: Nielsen’s Syndicated Brand Health Track on Ecommerce, Indian consumers now prefer using their smartphone to access the Internet over their laptops and desktops. Moreover, as the market matures, consumers seem to be becoming increasingly comfortable with carrying out even intensive online activities like mobile banking and shopping, directly from their smartphones.

WHAT’S DRIVING ONLINE SHOPPING?

Regardless of which device consumers choose, most online shopping decisions are being primarily driven by advertising, peer influence and recommendations.

Apart from expecting attractive discounts, Indian consumers who are frequent Internet users cite convenience as a reason to shop online. In fact, more than one-third say they find this mode of shopping convenient.

Another factor luring shoppers online is the unavailability of the desired stock keeping units (SKU) in physical stores. In fact, a third of fashion users buy items online because the exact products they’re looking for are not available at brick-and-mortar stores.

HOW DO ONLINE SHOPPERS CHOOSE E-TAILERS?

The crucial question for marketers of e-tailing companies is how to ensure consumers will remain loyal to their marketplace or online store. According to our study, online shoppers are loyal to e-commerce brands, but are willing to experiment.

ad:tech New Delhi, India’s #1 digital marketing conference & exhibition where the marketing, technology and media communities come together every year, is back with its 6th edition.

It will be held on 3rd and 4th March 2016 at The Leela Ambience Hotel and Residences, Gurgaon.

The 2-day event is designed for smart marketers and business operators to share new ways of thinking, build strong partnerships, and define new strategies and direction for your digital marketing activity. The social handle for the event will be #adtechIN.

Here are few reasons for why marketers should attend this unparalleled forum to showcase global best practices, exchange of new ideas and networking opportunities that influence long lasting relationships.

•Meet the Digital marketing community : Over 5,000 + attendees from 28 countries

•90+ sponsors & exhibitors on the expo-floor

•Meet the future faces of the industry : 18 new companies showcasing  future of tech at the Innovation Zone!

•Content that is designed to give smart marketers the whole picture  - The most comprehensive

conference with 150+ Industry thought leaders, International-Keynotes, Panels/Workshops, 50+ interactive sessions, think:tech session

This year’s sponsors include Affle, AffiliateVia, Affinity, Aplift, Adzmedia, BBC, Cake, Criteo, Egentic, Logicserve, Zedo and more

ad:tech’s headline keynotes in last 4 years have featured leaders from Coca-Cola, Google, Unilever, Pepsi, GSK, Nestle, Microsoft, Nokia, Mondelez, Ogilvy, Linkedin, Yahoo, IBM, 20th Century Fox International, FlipKart, making the keynote a place where BIG ideas are posed to the digital industry.

The forum provides an ideal platform for brands to demonstrate leadership to an audience of senior marketing, media and investment professionals. ad:tech New Delhi 2016 features Global and Indian keynotes, fireside chats and industry panels along with a range of networking opportunities enabling modern marketers to see multiple perspectives on how to address marketing challenges in –

•Data , Measurement & Insight

•Content & Customer experience

•Emerging Technology & Platforms

•E-Commerce

•Mobile

Call for Speakers for 2016 in Now Open, log on to http://india.ad-tech.com/speaking-opportunities/ to take ahead this great opportunity.

You could also submit your nominations here: http://india.ad-tech.com/submit-your-nomination/

The heritage sculptures of Ahmedabad, bathed in morning sunlight, casting a stunning futuristic backdrop to first ever Festival of Advertising, “AACA Media Awards 2015” in Gujarat, perfectly complementing the celebration of 25 glorious years of Ahmedabad Advertising Circle Association known as AACA.

The festival reflected ambitions through talk shows, inspiring dialogues, shower of information, star performers and the most artistically crafted award trophy combining art, creativity and excellence depicting the AACA emblem. It very well represented the vision and mission of the organisation.

Red carpet celebration began with a talk show with legendary ad guru Prahlad Kakar one of the most elite and aristocratic invitees from across the nation. AACA talk show on advertising became the most cherished media event in Gujarat where the ad guru mentioned that “Advertising is a profession that reflects the society and is all about dream.”

AACA was honored to have legendary Prahlad Kakar as the Chief Guest for “AACA Media Awards 2015”. He was warmly welcomed by president of the association Ajit Shah.

The awards ceremony was opened by Prahlad Kakar, Ajit Shah, Prashant Narechania and COO of Divya Bhaskar, Amit Doshi with the “Deep Prajwalan” ceremony.

The night immersed in celebration with the AACA anthem and inspirational speech by Ahmedabad Ad Circle’s president Ajit Shah.

He said “with AACA Media Awards we are saluting the efforts and creations from the city” and creative film director Prahlad Kakkar added that “if you are not thrilled with the risk, you are not qualified for business”

The first ever advertising festival of Gujarat, AACA Media Awards received more than 600 entries and was judged by an esteemed jury panel combining to form more than 100 years of experience. The jury panel included Prashant Gadhvi, Shailesh Modi, Sanjay Chakraborty, Anupam Buch, and Jignesh Vasavda.

Champs who grabbed the trophies eagerly waited for the announcement of 34 awards including 16 Gold and 18 Silver across 16 categories.

The night came to the end with tremendous excitement and enthusiasm, where Adishwar Enterprise grabbed 4 awards including 2 gold, Ajit Ads grabbed 4 including 3 gold, P Gautram Co. bagged 3 including 2 gold, Ashvin & Co., Vardhman Advertising and Publicity Parlour took home 2 including 1 gold.

Other agencies like Krishna Communication, Purnima Ad Agency, Khushi Outdoor and Media and Marketing, Shree Giriraj Advertising, Gam India, Goldmine Advertising, Sharp Media, Ace Advertising, Jupitor Publicity, One Advertising, Dipti Advertisers and Pragati Incoroporation got hold of gold and silver in various other categories.

The event saw the united presence of media houses in Ahmedabad in support of creativity in one-of-a-kind joint activation and was successful in generating a buzz within the media fraternity. Special performers from Kolkata and Mumbai were flown in. A competition for a social cause was sprinkled in that involved the making of an Ad film on traffic and road safety. This received 70 entries reflecting care and concern of ad agencies towards our society.

On Board Brands:

AACA Media Awards 2015 was sponsored by the most renowned media and corporate entities of Gujarat.  The sponsors have not only contributed in monetary terms, but have also made this event grand by adding their names to it.

Most trusted brands like Sandesh, Nirma and Divya Bhaskar were the associate sponsors of the event. Awards Sponsors were AB Jewels, BRDS, Balaji Aruved Sansthan, City Estate Management, IANT, Khushi Ambient Media Solutions, 94.3 MYFM, Prarambh, The Raymond Shop, CG Road, TATA Motors and Vimal Oil.

The event was supported by Co-Sponsors like Nobat, Sambhav Group, Western Times, Indian Business Pages and Gudluck Samachar And, Outdoor partner HET Graphics, Photography Partner Ilesh Shah, Printing Partner Print Vision, Mall and Multiplex Partner Khushi Outdoor & Media Marketing, Travel Partner-The World Trade, PR Partner -Simulations PR and Digital Partner Data Cross Solution.

AACA is thankful to all of them for their support in the mega event.

AACA Media Awards 2015, the first ever festival of advertising in Ahmedabad, Gujarat came to a joyful conclusion with the gala dinner, sweeten memories and satisfaction of a milestone achievement.