VINIT SURAPHONGCHAI’S TOP 5 ADFEST GRAND PRIX WINNERS

If you’ve ever attended ADFEST, you will likely have met Vinit Suraphongchai – a godfather of Thai advertising and Co-Founder of ADFEST.

When it comes to mentoring the next generation of creatives, Vinit is one of the most passionate people you’ll ever meet. He is especially proud of his role in launching ADFEST’s mentoring program for up-and-coming creative professionals, the Young Lotus Workshop, which will be hosted next year by MullenLowe Group. He’s also a proud advocate of our Fabulous Five program for emerging directors.

Earlier this year, we asked Vinit why ADFEST – which is about to host its 22^nd festival – still matters in an industry that’s in the midst of immense disruption.

He said creative professionals occasionally need “time out” to take stock and look back on what’s been done over the years – and that’s why ADFEST is so important. It’s a chance ask yourself, “Is what I’ve been doing still relevant, what are my future plans?”

“I think the industry needs opportunities to look back on itself so that it can refocus and look forward, in a way. That’s how I see it,” explains Vinit, who began his career as a marketing man and an interior designer before drifting into advertising and enjoying a 30-year career.

Two years ago, in an interview with Campaign Brief, he explained why he first got together with ADFEST President Jimmy Lam to launch the first ADFEST in 1998.

“The general standard of creativity in advertising in the Asia Pacific, with the exception of Australia and New Zealand, was not high 20 years ago. The vision of ADFEST was therefore to be a forum for exposure, to raise the standard and awareness of creativity in advertising, as well as to create an awareness and greater use of one’s own heritage and culture,” he said.

To celebrate ADFEST’s 20^th anniversary in 2017, Campaign Brief also invited Vinit to reveal his favourite ADFEST Grand Prix winners of all time. He chose five campaigns from five countries: ‘Weight Lifting’  (O&M, 1998, Thailand); ‘Whale’ (Dentsu, 2002, Japan); ‘Hostel’ (Eye Bank Association of India, 2007, India); ‘Tan Hong Ming’ (Leo Burnett, 2008, Malaysia) and ‘Dumb Ways to Die’, (McCann, 2013, Australia).

* You can watch our interview with Vinit via ADFEST’s officialYouTube channel.