As part of our IMC Conference special series, we spoke with Preetesh Sewraj, CEO of The Loeries, about what awards really mean for the advertising and creative industries. He made it clear that The Loeries isn’t just about trophies, it’s about research and the advancement of the industry.
“The Loeries is not an awards organisation. We’re a research organisation,” he said. “We’re designed to give a true indication of the health of the industry.”
This echoed a similar conversation we had with Chris Borain, CEO of the IAB South Africa, which runs The Bookmark Awards. Both leaders share the same sentiment: the industry is saturated with awards, and not all of them add real value.
Sewraj explained that Loeries Africa Middle East awarded only two Grand Prix in 2024, which were in design and print. It’s a deliberate move that signals a higher bar for excellence and reinforces that awards should reflect the highest standards, and the growth, of the marketing and advertising industries, not hype.
He also spoke about trust and collaboration between brands and agencies, calling for brave creative thinking that connects commercial effectiveness with originality.
Conversation takeaways
- The Loeries reflect industry health, not popularity.
- Brave, commercially grounded creativity drives growth.
- The Middle East’s growing creativity fuels healthy competition.
- Purpose-driven work should not overshadow commercial creativity.
- Brand-agency trust produces better work.
Watch the full conversation below:
Filmed and edited by our partners, Soweto Media.
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