Hosted by the Association of Communication Agencies (ACA) Mauritius, the ACA Flame Festival 2023 brought together figures in the fields of communication, public relations, and advertising in early October. An awards night marked the end of the festivities on Friday at Château de Labourdonnais in Mapou. The evening featured cocktails, suspense, rewards, dinner, a showcase by Blakkayo, and dancing with Babani.
Creativity was evident at Château de Labourdonnais on Friday. Projects in four categories – Public Relations, Design, Digital, and Advertising – raised the bar since the last festival in 2017. Circus Advertising agency won 19 awards, including the Grand Prix for the Helios Eyewear Resight campaign.
P&P Link Co Ltd secured six awards, while Oxo Design & Advertising, Underdogs Studio, Gung Ho, and Twögether agencies won three awards each. Coconut, Facto-Réunion, iS Branding & Communication, and FCB CREAD received two awards. Lastly, Blast Communications, Lemon Agency, Beyond Communications, and Imagecorp received an award each. KFC was honored as “Marketer of the Year.”
“Over a year ago, when I had the honor of presiding over the Association of Communication Agencies of Mauritius, the executive committee and I embarked on an exciting challenge: to revive the Flame Festival, which had not been organized since 2017. We had a dual objective: to bring high-level professionals to train our collaborators and to reward the best creative work in the various components of communication in the Indian Ocean region. We can say that this was a successful endeavor for the ACA: this week was rich in sharing, learning, and networking, and the event was a success on all fronts and at all levels,” said Aisha Allee, President of ACA Mauritius.
The Association of Communication Agencies of Mauritius was established in 1970 to promote the communication industry. This organization comprises members from various fields, including advertising, marketing, design, events, digital, and public relations. ACA Mauritius aims to enhance the standards, ethics, and practices of the communication industry and contribute to the ongoing education of communication professionals in Mauritius and the region.
The festival began on Tuesday, October 10th, with a conference featuring international industry experts at the Caudan Art Centre. The conference addressed five main themes, including Communication in Times of Crisis: Finding Opportunities, Communication for a Sustainable World, Communication for Content Enthusiasts, Building Brands Through Creative Excellence, and the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Industry.
“The organization of this festival was laborious, and once again, I witnessed the truth of the popular saying that ‘alone, you go fast, but together and united, you go far.’ Today, more than ever, with the new challenges the industry faces, we must remain united and solid within this incredible platform that is ACA. I invite industry professionals to join us in shedding light on our professions that often remain in the shadows and don’t receive the recognition they deserve. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank every member of ACA Mauritius and everyone who contributed to making this festival a pivotal moment in the history of communication in the Indian Ocean. May communication continue to ignite in the depths of our creative souls!” concluded the President of ACA.