The Loerie Awards were first held in 1978, as a mechanism to support and grow television advertising. Since then the awards have expanded to encompass every area of brand communication including radio and print advertising, design, architecture, direct marketing, non-broadcast video, live events, and digital media. The awards are now regionally focussed on Africa and the Middle East, and only entries from this region are eligible. 'The Loeries' has become far more than a single awards ceremony - since 2005 it has grown to incorporate activities throughout the calendar year, including Migrate (our own award-winning magazine) and the hard-cover printed annual and DVD of the years leading brands and agencies.
The annual has become a major reference amongst marketers and agencies, and includes an index by brand, agency and individual credits. The annual is available from our online store, as well as from Exclusive Books and Pulp Books. Additionally, the Travelling Exhibition, sponsored by Adobe, showcases the years winning work and has travelled throughout South Africa , including several educational institutions, corporate headquarters, the Rand Show, the Grahamstown Festival, and the Aardklop Festival - as well as international destinations including Namibia, Russia and the One Club in New York. In 2008, the CreativeFuture scholarship was launched in partnership with the SABC - offering talented high school pupils from a disadvantaged background the opportunity to further their studies.
The Loerie Awards stands by its founding values - the association is all about recognising, rewarding and fostering creative excellence. The Loerie Awards is a Section 21 association. This means it's a non-profit organisation serving the best interests of the industry; so all funding goes right back into the industry to be put towards promoting the industry and nurturing potential creatives, especially in disadvantaged communities. The Loerie Awards is internationally recognised and is the only award endorsed by the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA), the Creative Circle (CC), the South African Graphic Design Council (Think), the Commercial Producers Association (CPA), the Digital Forum, and the Communication & Advertising Forum for Empowerment (Cafe).