Finalists announced for this year’s best radio ad – Siren Awards set for Imax Theatre, Sydney May 6

The best radio commercial of 2011 will be battled out between more than 20 ad agencies, radio stations and production studios as part of the national Siren Awards, which will be announced in Sydney next month.

The Sirens breakfast will be held at the Star Room, Imax Theatre on Friday May 6 from 7.30am to 9.00am. Tickets are on sale now at $65 for the breakfast and a table of ten is available for $595. The breakfast will be followed by a creative workshop on how to write great radio ads. More details will be available soon.

The finalists include Clemenger BBDO; Leo Burnett; The Brand Agency and The Campaign Palace as well as smaller agencies like US Sydney, Eardrum Australia, kwp! In Adelaide; and Twenty20 and The Sphere Agency in Melbourne. Radio stations represented among the finalists include Austereo in Adelaide, Southern Cross Media in Perth, Australian Radio Network in Adelaide and DMG in Sydney.

LISTEN TO THE FINALISTS

An overall winner, who receives the Gold Siren, as well as a winner in each of the three categories: single, campaign and craft, will be announced at a breakfast on May 6 in Sydney.

The national Siren Awards are run by Commercial Radio Australia and are designed to recognise the best radio advertising in the country.

Chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner said the quality of Australian radio ads was improving each year, highlighted by the success of Australian entries at the Cannes Advertising Festival: “Twelve of the seventeen Australian radio ads shortlisted for the Radio Lions at last year’s Cannes Advertising Festival were successful, winning either Silver or Bronze Lions. Six of these award winning ads were also Sirens winners which is an excellent result up against the best radio ads around the world,” Ms Warner said.

Last year’s Gold Siren winner, called “Clothes”, for international brand Tena, developer of absorbent hygiene products, was written by Julian Schreiber and Tom Martin from Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne.

Ms Warner said the Siren Awards provided a great opportunity to recognise excellence in Australian radio advertising and had grown in stature each year: “This year has been a record for the number of entries with over 800 entries- a fantastic result which shows how important this Award has become.”

The Gold Siren winner is decided by a panel of industry experts, known as the Siren Creative Council. The 2011 winner will be automatically entered into the Cannes Radio Lions – to be held in June and its writer will also win two tickets to attend the festival.

The 2011 Siren Awards also include a new award known as the Siren Client Award.  This will be won by one of the five overall round winners and is judged by a panel made up of clients – rather than agency creative directors.  The client panel will be made up of the clients who commissioned the winning Gold and Silver Siren winners from the year before and other guest judges. The Award will be a cash prize of $5,000 and will also be announced at the breakfast.

The Sirens breakfast will be held at the Star Room, Imax Theatre from 7.30am to 9.00am. Tickets are on sale now at $65 for the breakfast and a table of ten is available for $595. The breakfast will be followed by a creative workshop on how to write great radio ads. More details will be available soon. For more information visit the Sirens website.

2011 Siren Award Finalists

Single               

AJF Partnership, Melbourne, Michael Skarbek, National Foods – Dare, The Fist

Austereo, Adelaide,  Alida Henson, Garry Dean, Ingrid Paxton and Matt Dickson, Allpest, Does not negotiate – Rats

BMF, Sydney, Dean Hunt and Paul Bruce, Hyundai A-league Football Federation Australia, Fan Made Stories – Chanting Dave

Classic Rock 95.3, DMG, Sydney, Simon Hills-Johnes, The Old Timers Centre, Honest Richard

Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne, Julian Schreiber and Tom Martin, Four’N Twenty, Angus Breeder – Apology

Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne, Richard Williams and Ant Phillips, Carlton Draught, Mos Def Freshest Draught Beer

Clemenger BBDO,  Melbourne, Seymour Pope and Luke Thompson, Carlton Dry, Steve O

Draftfcb, Melbourne, Josh Armstrong, Chris Shoolman and Sanjay Rego, National Stroke Foundation, Emma – Mirror

Draftfcb ,Melbourne, Josh Armstrong, Chris Shoolman and Sanjay Rego, National Stroke Foundation, Glen – Vocal Chord

Eardrum, Sydney, Ralph van Dijk, Commercial Radio Australia, Charlotte

Eardrum, Sydney, Ralph van Dijk, Commercial Radio Australia, Mamma Lunch

Flagstaff Studios, Melbourne, Ant White, Yellow, Cupid

kwp! Advertising, Adelaide, Corey Swaffer, Coopers DIY Beer, Dodgy Doggy Door

Leo Burnett ,Melbourne, Andrew Woodhead and Eamonn Dixon, 7-Eleven, Pants

Leo Burnett ,Melbourne, Andrew Woodhead, 7-Eleven, Inner Cheetah Panther

Leo Burnett ,Sydney, Michael Canning, Diageo, Groceries

Leo Burnett ,Sydney, Michael Canning, Diageo, Reading

Southern Cross Media – RadioWest/HOTfm, Perth, Josh Langley, Roadwise, Little White Cross

The Brand Agency , Perth,  Josh Edge and Rikki Burns, Perth Zoo, Slender Tailed

The Brand Agency, Perth,  Josh Edge and Rikki Burns, Perth Zoo, The Slow Loris

The Brand Agency, Perth, Josh Edge and Rikki Burns, Perth Zoo, Red-Eyed Tree Frog

The Campaign Palace, Sydney, Matt Swinburne and John Koay, Selleys Turtle Wax, Wax Job

Twenty20, Melbourne, Matthew Ellis, Andrew Panozzo, People Telecom, Transfer

Campaign               

AJF Partnership, Melbourne, Michael Skarbek, National Foods – Dare, The Fist/The Date/The Reunion

Austereo, Melbourne, Darren Collins and Jon Williams, Burger Edge, Grandma/Beggar/Tourist

BMF, Sydney, Philip Sicklinger and Corinne Goode, National Foods, South Cape, For Every Social Emergency

Clemenger BBDO,  Adelaide, Greg Knagge, Geoff Robertson, Kim Boehm, Adelaide Now, How to Speak Fluent AFL

Clemenger BBDO,  Melbourne, Richard Williams and Ant Phillips, Carlton Draught, Carlton Draught We’re So Fresh

Draftscb,  Melbourne, Josh Armstrong, Chris Shoolman, Sanjay Rego, National Stroke Foundation, A stroke makes even the simplest things hard

Eardrum, Sydney, Ralph van Dijk and Cal Nichols, Commercial Radio Australia, Choice Bro 30″/Latest 30″/Moved Out 30″

Eardrum, Sydney, Ralph van Dijk, Commercial Radio Australia, Charlotte/Rob/Couple 30″

JWT,  Melbourne, Richard Muntz, Vegemite-Kraft, Edger 30″/Tiger Toaster 30″/Wormer 30″

Leo Burnett, Melbourne, Andrew Woodhead and Eamonn Dixon, 7-Eleven, Slow Mornings

Leo Burnett , Melbourne, Andrew Woodhead, 7-Eleven, Sports Slurpee

Leo Burnett , Melbourne, Andrew Woodhead, seek.com.au, If it exits

Leo Burnett , Melbourne, Brendan Greaney and Andrew Woodhead, sportsbet.com.au, People who like to bet on the net

Magnum Opus, Melbourne, Mike Allen, Victorian Government, Play it safe by the water

The Brand Agency, Perth, Josh Edge and Rikki Burns, Perth Zoo, Find Your Animal Campaign

The Sphere Agency, Melbourne, Darren Fishman, Interflora, Love The Juan You’re With

Twenty20, Melbourne, Matthew Ellis, Andrew Panozzo, People Telecom, Alien voices

US Sydney, Chad Mackenzie, Danny
Wehbe, David Roberts, SBS, Versus

US Sydney, Nigel Clark, Tim Chenery, SBS, Immigration Nation: The Lucky Country

Craft           

Australian Radio Network, Adelaide, Martin Kubitzky, ACT Police, Texting and Driving – Run over child

Eardrum, Sydney, Ralph van Dijk and Paul Taylor – Sound Reservoir, VB, Tasting

Eardrum, Sydney, Scott Collins and Ralph van Dijk, Commercial Radio Australia, Young Dad

Eardrum/Plush Films, Sydney, Ralph van Dijk and Scott Collins, Vegemite, Vegemite Edger 60″

Eardrum/Song ZU, Sydney, Ralph van Dijk and Abbie Sie, Coopers DIY Beer, Dodgy Doggy Door

Flagstaff Studios, Melbourne, Paul Le Couteur, People Telecom, Downtime

Flagstaff Studios, Melbourne, Paul Le Couteur, People Telecom, Offer

Flagstaff Studios, Melbourne,  Paul Le Couteur, People Telecom, Transfer

Nova 919, Adelaide,, Eddie Bye, Be Active, Be Active the Musical

Nova 919, Adelaide, Eddie Bye, Red Square Complex, RedSquare Re-Born

Oasis Post, Adelaide, Justin Astbury, Adelaide Now, World Cup Soccer

Oasis Post, Adelaide, Martyn Zub, Adelaide Zoo, Bath

Risk Sound, Melbourne, Matt Thompson, Department of Justice, Look Before You Leap

Risk Sound, Melbourne, Matt Thompson, Department of Justice, Never Swim Alone

Risk Sound, Melbourne ,Paul Baxter, Metlink, Buses – Comic

Risk Sound, Melbourne, Paul Baxter, TAC, Motorcycles – Surfing

Risk Sound, Melbourne, Paul Baxter, The Age, Sport and Style – Cricket

Risk Sound, Melbourne,Paul Baxter, WorkSafe, Manager Bones

Sound Reservoir, Sydney, Paul Taylor, Solo, Junk Yard

Sound Reservoir, Sydney, Paul Taylor, Solo, Solo Car Park

Southern Cross Media – Perth, RadioWest/HOTfm, Jerimiah Busniak, Roadwise, In a rush?

Southern Cross Media – Perth, RadioWest/HOTfm, Jerimiah Busniak, Roadwise, Little White Cross