“The many positive developments around Pendoring lately not only prove that Pendoring is fast gaining in popularity in the marketing and creative industries, but they also predict a healthy future for Afrikaans as well as truly South African advertising.

“The invitation to be part of the Creative Week Cape Town, followed by the prestigious Pendoring Awards evening on the 21 September in the Cape Town International Conference Centre, is further proof of the high regard in which Pendoring is held among creatives. All those who love the language and who want to join the jol, are more than welcome. We want as many people as possible to join in the Pendoring fun,” says Pendoring GM, Franette Klerck.

Apart from the prestigious prestige award of an overseas study tour worth R50 000 for the overall winner, the overall winner of the truly South African-categories will, for the first time this year, walk away with a whopping R20 000 in cash. According to Klerck this is very fitting, seeing that the truly South African-category annually yields some of the best and most impressive work.

This year, the Truly South African category not only includes the usual television, radio and general categories, but has been opened up to include integrated campaigns. Work in any of South Africa’s 11 official languages can be entered in this category and will qualify for the R20 000 prize.

As always, the gold winners in the category for professional agencies (as well as student winners) will take home R6 000 in cash, and silver winners in all categories will win R2 500 each. The overall student winner also wins an internship for 2013 with Draftfcb, as well as a R10 000 study bursary.

Other new categories for 2013 are craft (in the student category) and digital mixed media campaigns.

Due to Pendoring’s unique and attractive cash prizes for both the most striking Afrikaans and Truly South African work, this year’s Pendoring advertising campaign by Draftfcb has a twofold focus. On the one hand it wants to attract a record number of entries, and on the other it aims to improve the image of both Pendoring and Afrikaans advertising among the country’s sharpest creative minds.

The Prestige prize inspired this year’s campaign, says André de Wet, Draftfcb’s award-winning copywriter who, together with creative director Riaan van Wyk, is responsible for the 2012 Pendoring campaign. The duo won last year’s prestige prize for their Die Burger 'Praat Saam'-campaign and leave for New York shortly for their study tour.

“It is a big honour to win a Pendoring. This award is really special because of the wonderful cash prizes that are up for grabs. And, of course, the cherry on top, the Prestige prize with its overseas study bursary that gives one the chance to strut your stuff on the local as well as the international stage. That’s also what inspired the campaign theme ‘Vat oor’, which translates as taking over,” De Wet explains. “Like this year Pendoring slogan says: ‘With R50 000 in your pocket, the world is your playground’.”

The integrated Pendoring campaign, which, among other things, includes posters, print and viral ads, a radio ad and an online game that can be played on the Pendoring website, was inspired by the posters of iconic sci-fi movies from the Forties, Fifties and Sixties. Think of Godzilla invading Tokyo, the 50 Foot Woman destroying London or the enormous sea monster wrecking Sydney.

“We wanted to show, in a fun way, how cool South African advertising can be, and replaced these iconic monsters with typically South African creative characters.

It’s not just agencies who benefit from a campaign such as Pendoring, De Wet says.

“Marketers can ‘take over’ the heart of the Afrikaans market by advertising in their mother tongue. It is definitely one of the most profitable markets to do business in, and the advertiser of the Prestige Prize advertisement gets more than R2-million in free advertising to boot.”

Want to become part of the golden circle of Pendoring? Then visit the website at www.pendoring.co.za to join the Pendoring Facebook page and to follow Pendoring on Twitter.

• The creative team behind 2012’s Pendoring-campaign, is André de Wet (copy writer), Riaan van Wyk (art director), Aaron Harris and Doug Larter (creative directors), Mike Barnwell (executive creative director) and Francois de Villiers (former executive creative director at Draftfcb). Kronk and Clement de Bruin are responsible for the illustrations, and the digital agency is BNRY.
• Entries open today, and the closing date is 25 July. Judging takes place on 16, 17 and 18 August.