Manila, Philippines — The print industry has proven itself as still alive and thriving in the age of disruption as the United Print Media Group, the premier organization of print media and publication companies in the country, held the 6th Philippine Tinta Awards on Oct. 24, 2017 at the historic Maynila Ballroom of the Manila Hotel.
Among the 300 entries submitted this year — the most number of entries sent in the award’s history — there were 68 trophies awarded. TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno, and ABS-CBN Foundations, Inc. bagged the Tinta Agency of the Year and Tinta Advertiser of the Year, respectively.
TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno and ABS-CBN Foundations, Inc. also shared the Grand Prix award for Best Print/Magazine Advertising – Public Service – Print Campaign for their Dirty Watercolor Campaign. Meanwhile, PDI won the Grand Prix in Newspaper Best Photography for its photo “Lamentations,” which featured Jennelyn Olaires cradling the dead body of his live-in partner, pedicab driver and alleged drug pusher Michael Siaron, who was killed last year amid the Duterte administration’s War on Illegal Drugs.
TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno also took home most of the gold Tinta Awards for Best Print/Magazine Advertising – Consumer, Best Print/Magazine Advertising – Public Service – Print Single, Best Craft Illustration and Best Craft Art Direction. Likewise, the advertising agency also bagged a number of silver and bronze Tinta Awards.
Aside from winning the Grand Prix for Best News Photography, Philippine Daily Inquirer also garnered a gold Tinta in Best News Photography for the photo “Fistful of Panic,” which showed resident Carlos Pangilinan banging his fist on the cage of his exotic birds during a fire in Paco, Manila last June. It also hauled a number of silver and bronze Tinta Awards for Newspaper Best Photography, Newspaper Best Infographics, Newspaper Best Illustration and Newspaper Best Supplement Design.
Meanwhile, ABS-CBN Foundations, Inc. won Advertiser of the Year for the most number of single print advertisements and print campaigns that won Tinta Awards this year.
The rest of the silver and bronze awards went to other print media, publications and creative agencies namely BBDO Guerrero, Dentsu Jayme Syfu Inc., IdeasXMachina, Sanserif Inc., Hinge Inquirer Publications and the Manila Bulletin.
This year’s entries were judged by renowned personalities in the creative business headed by jury president McCann Worldgroup Philippines executive creative director Joe Dy, together with IdeasXMachina CEO Third Domingo, TBWA/SMP Executive Director Bryan Siy, PHD Philippines general manager Mickey de Castro, OgilvyOne Worldwide Manila executive creative director Mike Sicam, Nuworks Interactive Labs, Inc. executive creative director Joey David-Tiempo, Partner of Gigil Badong Abesamis, Publicis JimenezBasic creative group head and head of design Alnair Langkay, Ace Saatchi & Saatchi executive creative director Greg Martin and BBDO Guerrero creative director Manuel Villafania.
Angel Guerrero, publisher of Adobo Magazine and this year’s awards chairperson, lauded the record number of entries in this year’s awards. She said that this record indicates that the print industry is still a compelling and flourishing medium of communication in a global media industry that is significantly disrupted and shaped by increasing digitization in the industry.
Badette Cunanan, public relations manager for Manila Bulletin and co-chairperson for this year’s awards, congratulated and thanked the participating print publications, print media companies and advertising agencies for their submissions. She also expressed her gratitude to the UPMG members and officers for their support in the successful staging of the awards event.
Likewise, United Print Media Group president and Manila Bulletin’s head of external affairs Barbie Atienza echoed Guerrero’s optimism about the industry, and noted that the record number of entries in the 6th Tinta Awards is a sign that publishers and print media firms are further pushing the envelope for creativity because of the digital disruption—a phenomenon that is good and beneficial for the industry.
As the awards event concluded tonight, the creativity, resourcefulness and industry unity that it fostered and encourage are all clear indications that print is here to stay.(PR)