The first African Cristal Festival was held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in 2012, having been set up as a counter to the long shadow cast by South African-based agencies at existing award shows.
Fourteen years later, the African Cristal Festival continues to thrive, with 527 entries submitted this year from 22 countries across the continent.
As a 2024 Jury President, here’s my take on what it was like to be the first female Jury head when the group convened in Casablanca recently, and what I took away from the experience.
As a ‘third-culture kid’, I’m always keenly aware that I have a responsibility to apply what I’ve been lucky to be exposed to growing up – beautifully diverse people and perspectives – to anything I do creatively. And specifically, being a descendant of the Land of Poets, Somaliland, and a writer myself, I feel a great sense of pride in doing so.
From the moment the plane wheels hit the tarmac on Casablancan soil, on the continent of the original creative storytellers, I knew I was in for something inspirational. Something our predecessors already implanted in the land itself. Because in Africa, creativity is culture.
Through the judging process, where we whittled the 500+ entries down to 134 shortlists and ultimately 55 crystal awards, I was exposed to a lot of work from across the continent.
Four particular themes struck me:
Purpose 2.0
Despite the uptick of marketing articles heralding the decline of purpose-driven advertising on the global stage, there was a firm trend of good work, for good. Purpose isn’t going away at all – let’s be honest, how on earth could it, when our industry can and should be contributing to solving some of the world’s greatest problems?
I believe we’re in a Purpose 2.0 world now, where brands are learning to show up with bravery and play in the space with a little more levity, meaning purposeful advertising just looks different than much that went before. Meanwhile, nonprofits are also emboldening themselves to try new directions, increasingly conscious that worthy is simply not newsworthy.
From women’s rights and safer sex to one of my favourite pieces of the year – ‘Life-saving Outdoors’ by VML Morocco for NGO ‘JOOD’, which literally saved lives after a devastating earthquake – creativity was used to deliver powerful messages in impossible to forget ways which still linger in my mind today.
Intention meets attention for OOH at the African Cristal Festival
A second trend in the winning work was the clever use of OOH – with the previously mentioned campaign being one of them. Another example came in the form of a single, humble bit of media – a digital billboard that changed at sunset to respect those fasting during Ramadan, aptly dubbed ‘The Most Respectful Billboard’ by Publicis Africa for Oreo/Mondelez.
Just as in other markets, marketers and their agencies on the African continent are embracing the opportunity that the digitalisation of OOH offers – eye-catching, dynamic content that can dramatically increase engagement rates. But the emphasis is on the theoretical ‘can’.
With the growing proliferation of second screens, connected screens and, indeed, digital OOH, advertisers clearly have ever more opportunities to get in front of us. But that doesn’t mean we retain what we see.
In fact, 85 per cent of digital ads today fail to meet the Attention-Memory threshold of 2.5 seconds – too little novelty and too much predictability means people simply can’t (or won’t) store memories that they later associate with a brand.
Only when the very best of creative thinking truly syncs with media can you really cut through.
Real and relatable influencers
A third trend I noted was the effective use of influencers and celebs. Take the creation of a TikTok trend set to a viral track (Dystinct’s ‘Tek Tek’ for STAR sauces, the Heinz competitor in the region).
Or when homegrown comedians stepped in as lauded brand ambassadors, like Aziz Dada for Burger King Arabia. (I particularly loved seeing two huge North African artists, NAYRA & Dizzy Dros lending their talents to the first ever inclusion anthem for women’s football – courtesy Cote&Sport).
Compared to more established international markets in North America and Europe, influencer marketing in Africa is still in its early stages, but its trajectory is incredibly promising, with significant untapped potential as smartphone adoption and internet infrastructure improve.
Add on the reality that domestic influencers tend to provide more authentic, community-driven content, and it’s no surprise that brands seeking deeper engagement are going down this route.
African Cristal Festival shines a light on a continent of forever storytellers
With a famously rich history in generational storytelling, it was no surprise to see lots of strong narrative pieces in the mix. But it was particularly interesting to see how the trend also lent itself to the historical storytelling forms: The popular podcast series celebrating young African talent (ORANGE’s ‘Y’Africa’ ) reflects oral traditions of storytelling.
The gorgeous Onomo Hotel design rebrand by Asiko Agency is a visual expression inspired by traditional tribal patterns akin to cave paintings. And of course, ‘Ouvrir la voie’ for ONCF by Shem’s Publicité is a classic example of dramatic performance that uplifts the community.
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You couldn’t help but come away from the judging process of the African Cristal Festival reminded of the profound influence of storytelling in landing brand narratives and shaping public perception. But also of the very real connection that can exist between art, commerce and communications.
Seeing this alive and thriving in African creativity – and, I would say, providing inspiration for the rest of the world – was a truly joyful experience.
By Nimo Awil, Creative Director, Forsman & Bodenfors, and 2024 Jury President at the African Cristal Festival
