FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR SIREN AWARDS
The best radio commercial of 2008 will be battled out between 50 ad agencies and radio stations as part of the
national Siren Awards, which will be announced in Melbourne on May 9.
The finalists include DDB, Saatchi & Saatchi, Clemenger BBDO, Grey Worldwide, Leo Burnett, George Patterson Y&R and JWT as well as boutique agencies like Eardrum Australia, AJF Partnership; Smart and KWP! Adelaide. Radio stations represented among the finalists include Nova 106.9 Brisbane; DMG Perth; Macquarie Regional Radioworks and Australian Radio Network in Sydney.
The national Siren Awards, now in their fourth year, are run by Commercial Radio Australia and are designed
to recognise the best radio advertising in the country. The awards promote the importance of creativity as
a way to make radio advertising more effective. The Gold Siren winner receives a trip for two to the
Cannes Advertising Festival and entry into the 2008 Cannes Radio Lions to be held in June.
Last year’s Gold Siren winner, an advertisement for Snickers called ‘Hoedown’, won the Grand Prix Radio
Lion at Cannes and was the first Australian winner ever.
The other radio winner from Australia was a campaign for Foxtel, written by Saatchi & Saatchi, Sydney
which won a Silver Lion.
Chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner said the Siren Awards provided a
great opportunity to recognise excellence in Australian radio advertising and this year had received a
record number of entries. “Each year the Siren Awards continue to raise the bar in terms of creativity and
originality and with a record number of entries this year – over 570 – up nearly 90% on last year – we are
set for a great winner,” Ms Warner said.
The winner of the 2008 Siren Awards for creative excellence in radio advertising will be announced at a
gala breakfast featuring the hosts of Nova’s top-rating, drive time show, ‘The Wrong Way Home’ – Akmal
Saleh, Cal Wilson and Ed Kavalee. The breakfast will be followed by a Masterclass featuring well-known
Australian television and radio writer and producer, Tim Pye as well as Australian screen writers, Jan Sardi
and Craig Pearce. Sardi received an Academy Award nomination in 1997 for his screenplay for ‘Shine’
and is known more recently for his work on the screenplay for the US film, ‘The Notebook’.
Both the Sirens breakfast and Masterclass will be held at The Point Albert Park in Melbourne. Commercial
Radio Australia is running the event in association with the Melbourne Advertising and Design Club
(MADC) and the Australian Writers Guild (AWG). The breakfast will run from 7.30am to 9.30am and the
Masterclass will follow the breakfast and includes lunch. Tickets are on sale now at $395 for the breakfast
and Masterclass combined and $65 for breakfast only. For more information visit
36 Comments
radio? yawn…
2:24 PM yawn…
4:02 PM fart…
2:24 Your response to this post is intriguing. I’m interested to know what you do, how old you are, and why you made this comment. I’m not being abusive or sarcastic, I genuinely want to know.
Why thank you, 5:21. You’re intrigue and interest is warmly welcomed. I’m a copywriter, I’m 92 years old and I made the comment because radio’s a medium that, throughout my long and eventful career, I’ve always found to be a real let down when it comes to creative work (theatre of the mind ‘n all that shit). I just like stuff you can see and find the advertising noise that appears on most commercial radio stations a complete and utter waste of time.
Thanks for not being abusive or sarcastic, too.
Ralph?
Radio really needs a new image or something.
It’s the hardest thing for a writer to pull off but the easiest thing to dismiss.
Why r the airwaves so uncool?
2:24, if you were a copywriter you’d know the difference between you’re and your.
You’ve been caught out for the juvenile non-writer you are.
Huey?
What no Hubba Bubba?
Guess you didn’t make the shortlist…
2:24, It might be useful to resist the temptation to be a smartarse because the question is for real. I agree entirely about the theatre of the mind stuff…..never has a phrase been so misunderstood and so misused. If you are a copywriter I’d like to know how you handle radio briefs when they land on your desk. Despite the image problem, radio is still a widely listened to medium and it is our responsibility to improve the quality of the advertising.
The “best radio ads”?
How is “best” defined — by profitable results or by “judges”?
Pick up That’s Life magazine an try to find a decent ad in there. You’ll struggle, but you might occasionally find one that won’t make you want to stab the thing. Now think of commercial radio as one big That’s Life magazine. That’s the quality of most of the programming and the level that they’re aiming at. Until more effort is put into the making of radio programming, the ads will be pitched at the same level.
These awards are to try to improve the standard of the dross on the airwaves. Yeah, commercial radio is 99% shite. Yeah, radio advertising is losing relevance, at least partially because of the shiteness of its content, but it’s still a creative discipline for ad writers to write radio and it’s also good to be part of a group of some of best radio writers around.
Firstly, I admit that using ‘you’re’ instead of ‘your’ was a rookie error. It’s just that I started typing ‘You’re a fucking knobhead’ and decided that it might be a bit harsh. Guess I forgot to change ‘you’re’ to a ‘your’. (It would have been picked up during proofreading and amended in the next draft.)
5:21, I can’t resist the temptation to be a smartarse, especially when there’s so many self-indulgent wankers leaving their opinions scattered about the place, often in a passive-aggressive way. Say what you’ve got to say, don’t fanny about.
I agree that the ‘theatre of the mind’ phrase is misused and misunderstood. I believe it could be a good description of what radio SHOULD be, but the point I was making is that the drivel that gets produced and played on most radio stations is a long way away from creating great mental pictures to conjure up even greater emotions. Surely there’s no argument there.
When I’m handed a radio brief, I write it with the target market in mind, to ensure it communicates with them effectively. I do my best to not just churn out the same old shit, but at the same time, I realise that it needs to be relevant and targeted to their needs/wants/desires. I don’t take on a brief (whether it be for radio, print, online, TV etc) and think ‘how I can write something that will get me noticed or awarded’, like it seems some people do. It’s not about me. I’m the writer. I write content and develop ideas. Ultimately, it’s about ensuring the work connects with the target market, through whatever medium is used. The target market is the most important group of people here, not the full-of-their-own-self-importance creatives that are out for glory.
I still stand by my point that radio is the most boring medium out there. I challenge anyone to prove me wrong (with more than a line or two of passive-aggressive rhetoric).
uh oh.
here’s a tip jeff:
award shows are designed to help raise standards. Shit work like harvey norman and national tiles aren’t what we’re about here.
You probably think that Hungry Jacks should get 3 Michelin hats because they’re more profitable than great restaurants. Or Devine Homes should win architecture prizes because they make a shitload more money than an architect pushing the creative boundaries.
I could go on, but your point of view has been so invalidated by so many studies that PROVE award-winning work is more effective than the industry-average, that I suspect you’re merely one of those people who aren’t talented or passionate enough to do the good stuff – so you hang your hat on spurious “results are all that matter” arguments.
Melbourne will win again this year, Clems Disclaimer. (No I don’t work there).
Paul Reardon: Lord of the Airwaves.
Melbourne is good.
Sydney is bad.
Our Goodness will overcome your bad.
Good is Good.
Bad is Bad.
Bad.
Bad.
Good.
Bad.
Good.
If you think radio’s boring it’s probably because you’re no good at writing it.
It’s very tough, but if you’re creative genius like me you’ll end up on that list.
By the way, there are a lot of good spots on that list some that have been getting recognition all over the world. Look them up and learn 2:24.
I’ll ignore the fucking knobhead comment and the passive aggressive stuff, but the comment about radio being a boring medium can’t go through to the keeper. How can anyone dismiss a medium that turns over more than $1 billion a year? If the programme content is not to your liking that’s fine, but as a copywriter it is your job to do something engaging and not boring. You can’t blame the audience or the broadcaster for crap ads….that’s your fault.
Thought as much…
Poorly fucking put, 12:54. Not even worth responding to.
5:21…big of you to ignore those comments. So, you’re saying that, due to the fact that, as a medium, radio turns over more than $1 billion a year, it cannot be boring? That just means it’s an effective means of communication and (for someone) highly profitable. Just because something’s effective, doesn’t mean it can’t be boring at the same time.
Take you for example. Your responses have been effective in evoking a reply from me, though your views are still boring…
I cannot think of any creatives (art directors excluded, due to their general lack of input when it comes to radio work) who would describe working on radio as their favourite medium. It just doesn’t provide the same rewards as every other medium, which have a visual, more tangible element.
Why does everyone feel the need to stick up for poor cousin ‘radio’? Go and find some other sorry, discarded cause to represent. I hear the Olympic torch is doing the rounds. Maybe there’s something there you could latch on to?
Yeah, radio ain’t flashy and you won’t build a career on it but it’s still cool to write and produce. And there are few expectations and the budgets are smaller so you can actually get away with more, as long as you apply yourself and don’t just think of it as “fucking radio”.
What a curious argument. I think I said it can’t be ignored, the boring argument is yours alone.
In the meantime I’d like to point out that your passive-aggressive responses are really getting tiresome. If you don’t want to follow a civil conversation then don’t respond. If you spoke to me in a pub like you’re speaking to me here I’d smack you in the mouth.
Hey 2.24..you have been making me laugh with your vacuous rants. The simple fact is that a bad workman blames his tools. Every comment you have made has revealed you as a try hard…I wouldn’t employ you!
Hey 2:24 and 5:51. Why don’t you two just get into a boxing ring and sort it out?
Now there’s a theatre-of-the-mind idea.
2:24 can see why you’re no good at radio. You’re just not a very good writer.
Now you go back to your edm copy. I assume that’s your favourite medium.
Did you know that sneezing releases chemicals in your brain that causes mild euphoria, akin to ‘the post coital buzz’. Around 8 in a row does it for me.
5.23
You mean 8 sneezes in a row?
(Who are those boring tits yapping on upstairs?)
Firstly to 5:21, I’m not being passive-aggressive, just plain aggressive. And if I did happen to have the misfortune of being near you (in a pub or otherwise), I wouldn’t speak to you at all, so I guess I’m safe there.
4:23…not looking for a job right now, thanks. And as a junior account exec or whatever role you turn up for day after day, I don’t think you’re in a position to be employing anyone.
4:46…like your thinking, but it sounds like 5:51 would be too busy down at the local taking a swing at anyone they don’t agree with.
4:53…thanks for the input. I never said that I’m no good at radio, just that I find most of what’s out there boring and that I prefer writing for other mediums. Believe it or not, my best work isn’t on this blog, so sorry if the standard’s a little below what you expect. Funny thing is, you actually had nothing valuable to add, just slinging insults while guffawing behind your probably oversized monitor.
Is being known as 2.24,5.21, 4.23, 4.46 or 4.53 better than being known as anonymous? Not judging. Just asking a question.
But seriously. Radio is a medium that we should all be able to win awards in (because most of it is so bad) but when the brief comes in, we all find that it is a shitload harder than we imagined and we simply add to the dross that’s out there. So, to all of those who have done great radio, hats off. I, and most of the bloggers, haven’t.
Thought as much…
radio is a dead medium.
Theatre of the mind is a concept that applied to the long form radio plays of yesteryear. The radio play died many years ago, it lost out to a superior product, the Television.
In a few years, we will be stunned when a piece of film is not interactive. And some twats on a blog somewhere will be arguing that TV is still relevant.
Jesus 5:21, even your comments are now completely unoriginal.
What is it that YOU do for a living?
Amen 3:57.
I hear the calling, the new way is coming, heed the call.
Long gone are the days of old television.
REPENT I TELL YOU.
See the light and embrace the new way.
Though you walk in the Valley of the shadow of Channel Nine’s clout over media, you shall fear no evil because in the promised land, there is space for everybody which no mogul reigns.
An even voice, a chance on an even playing field that is not determined buy demons in the media department.
THE HARVEST IS READY, BUT THE WORKERS ARE FEW. (the good work even less)
In the name of the Fiber Optic Cable , the Sony PS3 and the Holy Satellite GPS.
Amen.
My God, the internet is soooo last Tuesday.
I just think up films, ads, music in my head and have interactive conversations with the voices in my head. They come from other galaxies. That’s how far ahead of all you squares I am.