Steve Babaeko, chief creativity officer /CEO, X3M Ideas, and president of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) has emerged as the Outstanding Creative Personality of the Decade at the Marketing Edge Marketing Excellence Awards 2021 held in Lagos.
The grand marketing event which took place recently at the Podium Centre had in attendance Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos is another feather to Babaeko’s stars studded hat and another testimonial that AAAN has a round peg in a round hole as president.
Steve was in 2019 selected by Adweek’s as one of the global Creative 100 otherwise known as “Most Fascinating People in Marketing, Media and Culture for the Year” while in June same year, Steve was hosted by the organizers of the prestigious Cannes Lions Advertising Festival in France to deliver a keynote with a focus on “Telling the Authentic African Story”.
It is also noteworthy that the X3M Ideas also emerged winner of the “Outstanding Creative Agency of the Year” at the event.
Underscoring the feats recorded by the industry winning international laurels and thereby drawing the global attention to Lagos, the governor who also won the “Political Brand Personality of the Year” at the event, acknowledged that year-on-year, creatives harvest laurels from international festivals around the world by the country is because the industry is fully developed to lend its resources to the imaginations of ‘creative rebels’ like Steve Babaeko, Lanre Adisa, Kelechi Nwosu and Israel Jaiye Opayemi among others.
Sanwo-Olu added that they lead a generation of fertile minds to create exciting campaigns that put our country on the global map while reiterating the growing importance of the industry.
He promised his further support for the creative and marketing industry.
“I am committed to its continued growth”, pointing out, “that is the reason we are building a resilient and livable city that you and your clients will someday be proud of,” he said.
“The infrastructure we are creating are gradually giving you the scenic settings you require for great Television Commercials that can earn more prestigious laurels from across the world”, revealing further that when his administration was crafting the THEMES Agenda, the creative industry and the technology sector are some of the sectors the government had in mind at the conception of our Fibre Optic Project,” he noted.
“With the laying of 6000 km of Fibre Metro Network across Lagos, our government is surely giving your operations the needed leg to show up at the appropriate places at the right time”.
The governor also confirmed his administration’s readiness to support the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF) Awards.
“Since our name is involved, we will provide the support to make it greater than ever before”, he promised while imploring all to begin to use the platform of LAIF and similar initiatives to draw the attention of the world to Destination Lagos.
Speaking at the event, Babaeko said that the industry, in general, is encouraged by the governor’s statements and expression of confidence in the industry.
“I see the Governor as being altruistic in his promises and pledge to support the industry and our programmes and to also recommend our services to his colleagues in the governors’ forum and the federal government as a huge morale booster”.
Babaeko promised that in line with Gov. Sanwo-Olu’s request, industry players under the aegis of AAAN and the clients will continue to support the Lagos state vision by using their professional know-how to continue to showcase the state to the world for the right reasons.
Earlier in his welcome address, John Ajayi, the publisher/CEO, Marketing Edge Publications explained that this year’s award is one with a special attraction and uniqueness as “it was organically planned and designed to reboot, re-start and re-energize the social, intellectual and entrepreneurial landscape of the Nigerian IMC. We are particularly excited to organize this award event to celebrate some of the best and brightest in our industry.”
