2010-09-03 09:14:26 -

Microsoft Advertising has teamed up with Spikes Asia, Asia Pacific's leading creative advertising and communications awards, as a key partner of the festival and will be sponsoring the important Digital category.

Delegates attending the event in September will be able to visit the Spikes Asia Digital Lounge, sponsored by Microsoft, to see all the entries submitted in the Digital category as well as having the opportunity to see creative examples of work from the Microsoft network and the variety of products and tools they have on offer for the creative advertising community.

As part of their integration into the content presented at Spikes Asia, Microsoft Advertising will host an engaging workshop session and a seminar that looks at the evolving

digital marketing landscape making sense of the current trends, challenges and opportunities.

Commenting on the partnership, Kenneth Andrew, Marketing Director of Microsoft Advertising, said, "Asia Pacific is undergoing a momentous shift as consumers have more control than ever before over where and how they consume media and information, and they expect rich experiences across all the screens in their lives. Advertisers need to cleverly combine creative and technology to cut through today's world of fragmented media and empowered consumers. We are thrilled to be partnering with Spikes Asia to continue to push the boundaries of imagination and consumer experiences by marketers and brands."

Philip Thomas, CEO of Cannes Lions, organisers of Spikes Asia, added, "We are delighted to have the support of such an important and powerful digital brand as Microsoft Advertising. Digital advertising is in constant development and this awards category is crucial to the industry going forward."

The Digital category, judged by a panel of six top industry experts led by Rei Inamoto, Chief Creative Officer of AKQA, USA, honours excellence in online communications, awarding a Grand Prix, Gold, Silver and Bronze Spikes trophies to those entries deemed deserving.

As part of the Spikes Asia festival, delegates can view all the entries, attend a full learning and inspirational programme of seminars and workshops and participate in evening networking opportunities.

For full information on how to register to attend the 2010 Spikes Asia Festival, please go to www.spikes.asia.

Spikes Asia is jointly organised by Haymarket and Cannes Lions.

About Spikes Asia

The Spikes Asia Advertising Festival celebrating and inspiring Asia-Pacific creativity in advertising. Suntec City, Singapore, 19-21 September 2010. Building on 23 years of the illustrious Spikes Awards, the Spikes Asia Advertising Festival is the result of a collaboration between the International Advertising Festival, organisers of Cannes Lions, Dubai Lynx and Eurobest, and Haymarket. The Festival provides the region's growing creative and advertising industry with a platform to network and exchange ideas, bringing together some of the finest creative thinkers from across the region and around the world.

Spikes Asia offers a challenging programme of seminars and workshops focusing on creativity and learning, exhibitions of creative work from Asia-Pacific, networking events in the evening and the Spikes Asia award show. The Awards, judged by leading international and regional creatives, honour the best creative work in the categories of TV/Cinema, Print, Outdoor, Radio, Digital, Integrated, Direct, Sales Promotion, Media, Print Craft, TV/Cinema Craft and Design. For more infomation, please visit www.spikes.asia.



Source: Spikes Asia

Contact: Amanda Benfell PR & Press Manager Spikes Asia Advertising Festival Tel: +44-20-7728 4034 E-mail: amandab@canneslions.com URL: www.spikes.asia

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