2010 Loerie Young Creatives Award transforms the lives of aspiring creatives
9/09/2011

At last year’s Annual Loerie Awards, two aspiring creatives, Reijer van der Vlugt from FoxP2 and Mbuso Ndlovu – then at Y & R, now at Oneco – were joint winners of the coveted Loerie Young Creatives Award at the 32nd annual Loerie Award Ceremony.

Now in its fourth year, the award recognises "outstanding achievement" by talented individuals (between 18 to 27) who have started working in the brand communications industry. The award includes an all-expenses paid trip to an international festival of their choice the following year.

A year later, Adams & Adams, who are sponsoring the Young Creatives Award this year, caught up with last year’s young creative winners to find out how the accolades of 2010 have impacted on their lives.


Reijer is still with FOXP2 in Cape Town and is no longer under junior staff. This, after having been chained to his desk as a junior for a few years in the industry.

“I was blown away by all the amazing feedback from industry leaders on my ‘portie’. It’s quite a title!” According to Reijer, one of the highlights of being honoured, which will remain indelibly in his memory, will be his trip to the Cannes Advertising Awards. “Just awesome.”

It was Reijer’s “Master Lock Puzzle ‘Puzzles” campaign that caught the eye of the judges and ultimately won him one of the advertising industry’s most-coveted prizes, which Reijer says transforms your journey in the creative world.

“I’m really proud of my work,” says Reijer. “The concept was simply conceived and rolled-out, with a beautiful interpretation which conveyed its message in an out-of-the-box manner and which most importantly engaged with the target audience.”

Reijer used the print medium to introduce consumers to the brand’s key messaging, using a puzzle format to dramatise the locking capability of the brand.

Mbuso – then at Y & R – created the UNICEF "Toy" campaign which saw him march off the Loerie stage as one of the two Young Creatives Award recipients. “I think the UNICEF 'Turn Child Soldiers Back into Children' campaign is the best piece of work I have done so far. Sure I have done other work that I'm very proud of and have won Cannes gold, but UNICEF is my most awarded campaign. I rate it because it also addresses social issues ion our continent and also builds awareness; it's very important to do work that builds our community, country and continent. I think creatives should take the liberty to do such work.” said Mbuso.


“Winning the Young Creatives Award has inspired me more than anything. Part of the prize of winning this award is attending any international advertising festival of your choice. I decided to go to New York Creative week, and attended The One Show, which is in the top five adverting festivals in the world. I was fortunate to have my work reach the finals at the awards, and managed to win on the first night. Going up on stage to collect an award in New York is a ‘big deal’ and such an honour for me. I also rubbed shoulders with the top guys in the industry from all over and some of them I'm still in contact with. Never before have I been as inspired as a creative. The ultimate recognition, though, was being appointed group creative head at Openco – what an honour.”

“The standard of creative excellence is staggering in South Africa, as is borne out by the success of last year’s two winners of The Young Creatives Awards! Being so young and receiving this deserving acknowledgement from the renowned judges of the Loerie Awards really confirms that South African young creatives can hold their own, anywhere in the world! It makes me very proud that Adams & Adams is associated with the Young Creatives Award and the Loeries,” says Mariette du Plessis, Partner Trade Marks at Adams & Adams.

Therefore, it's guts and glory once more, as South Africa’s most talented youngsters hold their breath in the countdown to the 33rd Annual Loerie Awards.

See: Advertising Law & the Loeries