13th June 2024, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s advertising industry experienced an unprecedented surge of inspiration as the Four A’s Advertising Festival took place on the 30th and 31st of May, welcoming over 650 participants. Hosted at the Taj Samudra, Colombo, the event featured 13 sessions & 5 workshops by global creative speakers, each bringing a wealth of expertise to the stage. Powered by Unilever Sri Lanka and globally connected by SriLankan Airlines, the event concluded with an Awards Night recognizing impactful work and a buzzing after-party.
The festival provided a platform for groundbreaking ideas and set a new benchmark for creative training in Sri Lanka’s advertising industry. Creative and advertising leaders took the stage, offering insightful and introspective talks and thought-provoking panel discussions on bolstering creativity, the impact of tech, and more. Tay Guan Hin, Creative Chairman of BBDO Singapore, kicked off the first day of the festival with an interactive talk on embracing conflict to boost creativity. On the other hand, Teddy Sandu, Creative Director of MullenLowe Singapore, closed the first day’s talks with his presentation that featured the best (and perhaps the most fundamental) way to learn: to “FAFO.”
Humor and impactful advertising headlined the second day of the festival, where Mandie Van Der Merwe, CCO of Saatchi & Saatchi Australia, delivered insights on using humor in advertising. At the same time, Mahesh Ambaliya, Creative Director at YML Y&R India, highlighted the use of advertising for good. Asheen Naidu, Executive Creative Director at TBWA Singapore, spoke about the inclusion of tech into advertising. Psembi Kinstan, Group Executive Creative Director at DDB Group Melbourne, shares his experiences from an award winning career that spans from Australia to the UK.
Pooja Rawat, EVP Strategy at MullenLowe Lintas Mumbai, shared excerpts from their recent pan-India study ‘The State of States’. Joining her was Surjo Dutt, Chief Creative Officer at Dentsu Creative India – West and South Regions, who elaborated on the importance of leaning into cultural truths.
Ajay Vikram, Chief Creative Officer at Publicis Groupe South-East Asia, discussed the evolving landscape of advertising across the Southeast Asian region. Asheen Naidu, Executive Creative Director at TBWA Singapore, spoke about the inclusion of tech in advertising.
Michaela Futcher, Managing Director and Head of Strategy at Media Arts Lab APAC, Singapore, lent her strategic acumen on the negative impact algorithms have on creativity, while Psembi Kinstan, Group Executive Creative Director at DDB Group Melbourne, shared his experiences from an award-winning career that spans from Australia to the UK.
Assam Khalid, an Independent Creative and Strategy Consultant at Vexology Advertising Dubai, closed the festival with a compelling talk about “Taking Creativity Hostage,” leaving the audience with powerful insights on navigating creative challenges.
The festival not only showcased the best in global creative talent but also solidified its reputation as a premier event in Sri Lanka’s advertising industry, inspiring participants to push the boundaries of creativity.