Industry maverick Philip Ireland to find SA's freshest talent in the IAB Bookmarks Awards

“I’m passionate about ideas. Any platform that celebrates great thinking, strategy and storytelling is worth supporting. To my mind, peer review platforms like the Bookmarks are the most powerful way to incentivise and reward new and innovative thinking. Without a robust peer review system mediocrity has a way of being held up as excellence,” said Philip.

Philip was part of the very first intake of students at the Red and Yellow school of Advertising in Cape Town. After graduating, his first paycheck of R1,000 still stands out as a career milestone. “It was the first concrete proof I had that I could be paid to do what I love.”

However, it wasn’t all roses and awards. Starting at the bottom and working his way up, Philip’s advice to people starting in the industry is to work hard. “You’ll always be surrounded by talented individuals but it’s the work ethic you bring to bear that sets you apart and allows you to reach your potential.”

Philip’s single major source of inspiration comes from working with and unlocking young, emerging talent and, in his words, “just being blown away by what they can do.”

He feels that a big part of nurturing this potential comes from a maintenance of a healthy and active creative industry. In this regard, the IAB’s advocacy on broader issues, involvement and input into regulatory issues as well as the guidelines and best practise expertise provided is invaluable.

Philip’s work in the digital space, which includes winning one of South Africa’s very first major international digital awards with A One Show Digital Pencil in 1999 as well as the production of the most successful PSA in South African digital history, is testament to the collaboration of industry bodies to produce groundbreaking, internationally acclaimed work.

About IAB South Africa
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) South Africa is an independent, voluntary, non-profit association focused on growing and sustaining a vibrant and profitable digital industry in South Africa. The IAB South Africa represents the digital industry across all sectors including the media, the marketing community, government and the public, and also acts as the channel through which international bodies can enter the South African digital market. The IAB South Africa currently represents over 200 members including online publishers, creative, media and digital agencies, brands and educators between them accounting for more than 36 million local unique browsers and almost one billion page impressions. The IAB South Africa strives to provide members with a platform through which they can engage, interact and address digital issues of common interest, thereby stimulating learning and commerce within the South African digital space. To find out more about the IAB South Africa, visit its website (www.iabsa.net), like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/iab.southafrica and follow @iab_sa on Twitter.

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