Agency of the Year Awards 2020 Hong Kong results unveiled

The world of marketing has always been in a state of perpetual change, and 2019/20 has been a particularly challenging period – social movements and the current pandemic have made it a wild ride.

When the judges for Agency of the Year looked at the entries, they put them all under the microscope to find the very best of the best. Because of the ever-changing nature of modern marketing, it was not an easy task. But such changes are a positive – it means that agencies are adapting to this changing landscape, and marketing is entering a new era.

This can be proved by the sheer diversity of this year’s winners with a beautiful mix of independent, networks, international and local agencies. Congratulations to all the winners – you have absolutely earned your marks.

Among all winners, ANON once again won the prestigious Overall Agency of the Year award. It scored the highest number of accumulated points, with nine gold awards, one silver, and one bronze.

The agency may need to change its name as it has grown to be far from anonymous, although it still doesn’t have a website to promote its services yet. Founded in 2013 by Ogilvy & Mather alumni Simon Handford and Sandy Chan, the agency serves an impressive portfolio of clients, including Swire Properties, Swire Hotels, Nike Hong Kong, Moët Hennessy, Orbis Hong Kong, Sun Hung Kai Properties, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

With 15 staff, this relatively small, but prolific team doesn’t pull any punches in its offerings, including integrated branding, brand events, production, social, content curation, and design, to name a few.

One of the most well-received and widely recognised campaigns from ANON was the “Let’s spend Christmas together” at Pacific Place. The campaign turned the mall at Admiralty into a fun place where visitors could join a wide range of activities such as workshops, storytelling sessions, and photo opportunities. Every item was exclusively created for the campaign, including characters, gift-wrapping paper, tote bags, Christmas photo frames, Christmas cards, decorations, badges, the house of Santa Claus, a Christmas tree, while even individual hoardings were hand drawn, adding a Christmas touch that other places had difficulty competing with.

Additionally, ANON collaborated with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to turn MTR trains into a moving art gallery. Aiming to celebrate Hong Kong Arts Month, and challenge the perception that Hong Kong is not an artistic or creative city, the campaign showcased a wide variety of art pieces inspired by local street art, Chinese art, and Western art. Passengers on the route were transported through five different zones, including a neon gallery paying homage to the layered signage of Nathan Road in the 1970s and 1980s, complete with local catchphrases.

Please check the full list of winners here.