The sixth edition of the WINA festival, is set to take place on June 10 and 11 in Dubai.
The WINA – World Independent Advertising Awards-- is the academic response to a growing wave of independent multinational agencies and networks, seeking a space that truly represents them in a fair, autonomous and visible way. It is the first and only advertising awards of its kind.
This year, the festival organization decided not to charge any fee for agency registration nor for the shipping of awards to the winners. Agencies can submit their entries (up to 7 at no cost). That is to say, only the winners will pay for the rights to the awards won. With this decision, WINA aims to contribute with the imminent reactivation of creative industries, which have gone through several difficult months due to the pandemic.
WINA will have 108 judges from five continents for this year’s festival that will be divided between 18 categories, including CV Covid, which is expected to have a very active participation for this edition. The categories will be assigned one day before the scoring process'; this way, the festival proposes a method that allows judges whose agencies also participate to not be assigned to judge categories where they have submitted pieces, thus avoiding any kind of bias judging.
Here are some of the judges, among which are three creatives from Dubai-based agencies, all named to evaluate the work of some of the best independent agencies and multinational networks across the world:
• Barbara Sala, Europe Strategic Connections and Media Director, Coca - Cola – Italy (Jury President)
• Johan Wendborg, Founder – CEO, Sunny at sea - Sweden
• Hagall Muniz, Creative Director, MullenLowe MENA – UAE
• Angela Farrelly, Founder, Disruptive Unicorns – New Zealand (Jury President)
• Anish Varghese, Chief Creative Officer, Isobar India - India
• Jason Foo, Founder – CEO, Bastion Collective– UK
• Thor Borresen, Marketing Vice- president, AB Inbev- Colombia
• Frederico Roberto, Executive Creative Director, Interweave – UK
• Joao Camacho, Executive Creative Director, Tonic International – UAE (Jury President)
• Abhinay Bhasin, Vice President South Asia, Data Sciences Dentsu International - India
• Rodrigo Gonzáles, Associate Creative Director, The Community – U.S.A
• Pablo Maldonado, Executive Creative Director Wunderman Thompson – UAE
• Felipe Ortiz, Creative Director, Cheil Chile - Chile
• Matjaz Butara, Potential Management Director, Big Bang Slovenia - Slovenia
• Auxi Barea, Director of Social Media and Branded Content, La Despensa - Spain
• Istvan Bracsok, Chief Creative Officer and Founding Partner, White Rabbit Budapest- Australia
• Odin Saillé, Founder & Creative Director, Mutant – Belgium
• Oscar Castañeda, CEO Castillo de if - Guatemala
• Oscar López, CEO & Founder, Acuam Healthcare – Spain
For now, the awards festival is planned as an in-person event on June 11, 2021; however, the organisers say in case the event has to be cancelled, the award ceremony will be held online via Youtube, Facebook and partner media channels.
Agency registration is now open till April 29, 202.
