May 6, 2009
NZ’s The Hyperfactory picks up six Webbys
New Zealand mobile advertising agency The Hyperfactory has dominated the mobile advertising category at the global Webby
Awards in New York overnight.
And with six awards in total, the Auckland-based agency has come second in the race for Interactive Agency of Year given
to the most successful agency across all Webby categories of interactive advertising, websites, mobile sites, and online
film and video.
The Hyperfactory jointly won the Webby for the Best Mobile campaign with Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney in the Interactive Advertising section for a mobile ad titled ‘United Nations Voices’. It also won
People’s Choice award in the same category for a Guinness ad.
The Hyperfactory also won four other Webby People’s Choice awards in the overall mobile category – for Best Use of a
Mobile Video, Experimental & Innovation, Gaming and Integrated Mobile Experience.
The Webbys are the interactive industry’s equivalent of the Oscars and The Hyperfactory picked up gongs for online
campaigns it has created for such well known global brands as MasterCard, Fanta and the United Nations.
The official news release from the Webby organisers acknowledged The Hyperfactory’s dominance of the mobile category.
“The Hyperfactory demonstrated its leadership in the increasingly sophisticated field of mobile advertising earning wins
for "Peyton's Priceless Pep Talks - Mastercard" (Best use of Mobile Video), "Fanta's Virtual Tennis" (Gaming), and
"United Nations Voices" (Integrated Mobile Experience)”, the release says.
The Hyperfactory CEO Derek Handley says the company defended its two mobile Webbys from last year when it won both Best
Mobile Advertising and Best Mobile Advertising People's Choice.
“The fact we are totally dominating the mobile category at all these shows and continuing to extend our leadership is
gratifying. Mobile has really arrived when a pure mobile agency can be a tight contender for agency of the year against
a powerhouse such as R/GA.
“We are very proud to be up there in contention and so close. Coming second only gives us an incentive for next year,”
Mr Handley says.
Hailed by the New York Times as the ‘Internet’s highest honour’ the Webby Awards is regarded as the leading
international award honouring excellence on the Internet including websites, interactive advertising, online film and
video and mobile websites.
The Webby’s attract more than 10,000 entries annually and the winners are chosen by members of the International Academy
of Digital Arts & Sciences. The Webby winners are being honoured at a star-studded ceremony in New York City on June 8.
The Hyperfactory was co-founded by brothers Derek and Geoff Handley in Auckland in 2001 and numbers amongst its clients
some of the globe’s biggest brands including L’Oréal, Coca- Cola and Blackberry. The company has offices in New York,
Los Angeles, Chicago, Hong Kong, Hyderabad and Sydney
ends