AdFest 2012: Dentsu Tokyo’s Akira Kagami honoured with inaugural Lotus Legend award

Akira Kagami (left), Executive Advisor & Global Executive Creative Advisor, Dentsu Inc., Tokyo, who has been one of the major creative influencers in the Asia Pacific region was ADFEST’s choice for the inaugural Lotus Legend award.

Called Lotus Legend, it is given in honour of long-serving creative excellence in the region. To be considered as a recipient of the Lotus Legend, candidates must first be nominated by an ADFEST judge. Each of the 49 judges on this year’s Lotus Awards Juries was asked to put forward one contender. He or she had to be a creative leader that currently works in the Asia Pacific region, who has achieved creative excellence as well as being a role model for junior creatives.

The three nominations this year were Neil French, David Guerrero and Kagami.

Stanley Wong (anothermountainman), Visual Communicator at 84000 Communications Hong Kong, summed up a response for the full complement of ADFEST jury members when he said, “Kagami-san really deserves this award. He is not only driving the creativity of the Asian advertising industry forward, he is also championing the spiritual and cultural side of the industry with his work.”

Bob Greenberg, Chairman, ADFEST’s Cyber and Grand Jury president and CEO and Global Chief Creative Officer for R/GA New York is one of the creative industry’s long-standing stalwarts, who has been judging creative work for over three decades. “It’s a good idea for Asia Pacific to recognise people who have made a 30-plus year contribution to the industry, building agencies and nurturing staff. ”