The Lagos Marriott Hotel hosted a night of glitz, glamour, and splendor. Bigwigs from the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) industry gathered there. They attended the 20th Lagos Advertising & Ideas Festival (LAIF), themed “20 Years of Crazy”.

The glamorous festival and gala night saw high attendance from MARCOM stakeholders. Attendees included Dr. Biodun Shobanjo, the Doyen of Advertising, and Dr. Lekan Fadolapo, Director General of ARCON. Sir Steve Babaeko (Group CEO, X3M Ideas) and Udeme Ufot (Group CEO, SO&U) were also present. Bunmi Oke (CEO, Lady Bird Advertising) attended, along with well-wishers, friends, and members of the press.

The event underscored LAIF’s commitment to inclusivity and excellence. It saw increased participation from other industry sectors. These included the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), West African agencies, and more members from the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN).

A Remarkable Achievement: 20 Years of Drama-Free Excellence

Lanre Adisa, President of AAAN, celebrated the festival’s journey in his opening speech. “We have kept the festival alive, polished, credible, and most importantly, drama-free,” he noted. “That is a remarkable achievement in advertising.”

“Tonight is special because we are not just gathered to celebrate creativity,” he continued. “We are introducing a new category, a new form of the LAIF Icon Award.” He asked, “Who better to receive the Icon Award than Dr. Biodun Shobanjo?” This award recognizes the shoulders on which the industry stands.

Adisa drew a cinematic parallel. “If our industry were a movie, he would be the executive producer, the director, and sometimes the scriptwriter,” he added.

Looking ahead, he emphasized the historical significance of the moment. “Advertising will be 100 years old in Nigeria by 2028. It is important to remember that,” he stated. “When the story of advertising is told at our centenary, I am sure these past 20 years will be a remarkable, defining chapter in that 100-year history.” He stressed that LAIF provides the only chance to document, celebrate, and show this work to the whole world. Ultimately, LAIF has charted the path from the past to the future successfully.

Shaping the Future of the Industry

Chukwuemeka Jay, LAIF Management Board Chairman, spoke during the event. He noted that new initiatives launched over the past three years are shaping the future of the industry.

“Women in Advertising collaboration is breaking down barriers,” he said. This empowers women to lead the charge. “UniLAIF nurtures the next generation of talents, providing a platform for students to showcase their skills.” Young LAIFers inject fresh energy and ideas into the community. “Our nominations have evolved into a culture of its own,” he added. This includes West African neighbors, non-AAAN agencies, and independent clients.

“These initiatives attest to our commitment to growth, diversity, and inclusion. We’re not just celebrating the best of the best; we’re also investing in the future of our industry,” he explained.

Shobanjo’s Emotional Acceptance Speech

Industry veteran Sir Udeme Ufot presented the Iconic LAIF Award to Dr. Shobanjo. He called it a great honor and privilege to present the award to such a great icon. Shobanjo is a great icon in advertising, not just in Nigeria but across Africa.

Dr. Shobanjo reflected on his journey in an emotional appreciation speech. “I am indeed a lucky man,” he said. “About seven AAAN presidents passed through me at one time in their lifetime.” He noted, “I have been in this profession for 54 years.” Furthermore, he explained, “I do not know anybody who has spent this amount of time in this profession and still remains relevant. So why won’t I say that I am very lucky? And here I am, hale and healthy, by the way. All of that can only be by the grace of God.”

“This is a profession that I am extremely passionate about,” he continued. “When I watch TV commercials, either locally or internationally, my head still works to think: could it have been done differently or better?”

Dr. Shobanjo revealed a recent milestone. “Just last month, I received a Loeries Award,” he said. The award was the first given to a West African. “The people that I worked with from the beginning of my career, both Nigerians and foreigners, showed me that together we can achieve the kind of record that we have built.”

With gratitude in his voice, he added, “I want to use this opportunity to thank those who have worked with me in the past. It has been a wonderful journey, and it is still a wonderful journey.” He mentioned, “The industry demonstrated this to me last year with the kind of love people in our profession showed me when I turned 80 years. It was absolutely incredible.”

The Birth of LAIF: A Journey Down Memory Lane

Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo also received a recognition award. He recounted how the LAIF award came into being.

“It was like yesterday that we started LAIF,” he recalled. “I was the first secretary of the LAIF Management Board.” Before LAIF, the AAAN executive board had tried different times to set up an award. “We tried our hands on the STELLA Award, but it didn’t work,” he admitted.

“The LAIF Award Management Board was set up when Mr. Odigbo was the president of AAAN. He told me to shop for members of the board of LAIF,” Fadolapo explained. “I did, and we worked around it. That was how LAIF began 20 years ago.”

With pride, he added, “I was the head of the secretariat for 14 years out of the 20 years of LAIF. I am one of the luckiest people in this industry because I can look back now and see what we were able to achieve.”

Recognition Awards and Winners

Other recipients of recognition awards included Steve Babaeko, Bunmi Oke, Dr. Tunji Olugbodi, Funmi Onabulu, Charles Abraham, Ikechi Odigbo, Lanre Adisa, and Jay Chukwuemeka.

The awards seek to recognize creative excellence, improve the quality of creative craft, and promote healthy competition through global best practices. The judges honored 15 AAAN agencies and five non-AAAN agencies and brands.

X3M Ideas emerged as the Agency of the Year with an impressive haul of 12 Gold, 26 Silver, and 24 Bronze awards. This totaled 336 points.

• Leo Burnett Lagos secured 2 Gold, 11 Silver, and 23 Bronze awards.

• Noah’s Ark took home 7 Gold, 9 Silver, and 8 Bronze awards, totaling 141 points.

• Up in the Sky won 3 Gold, 7 Silver, and 3 Bronze awards, accumulating 78 points.

• TBWA/Concept received 2 Gold and 5 Silver awards, with 48 points.

Among non-AAAN agencies:

• MediaReach OMD won 5 Gold and 2 Bronze awards.

• All Season Zenith secured 3 Gold and 1 Silver.

• The Accelerate Media Group got 3 Silver awards.

• Teksight Edge Limited received 1 Silver.

• Indomie won 1 Gold.

Young LAIFers Take Center Stage

The Young LAIFers competition was the other highlight of the awards. Team Winflow emerged as winners, taking home $\text{N}1$ million. The first and second runners-up won $\text{N}500,000$ each.

As the curtain fell on the 20th edition of LAIF, one fact was clear: the festival had not only celebrated two decades of creative excellence, but it had also laid a strong foundation for the next generation of advertising professionals in Nigeria and across West Africa.

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