CRA press release: Commercial Radio Australia has announced an extra two week call for entries, starting today, for any radio ad made at any time in the 2009 Siren Awards yearly cycle, to be considered for the main gongs in the 2009 Siren Awards. The Siren Final Call will allow agencies and radio stations to submit work previously not entered, or re-enter work that had not been recognised in the quarterly rounds.

Ads will be judged by a panel of experts and those chosen to be finalists will join winners and highly commended from each of the five rounds of Sirens already completed. All of these finalists will then be judged by the Siren Creative Council, a group of Australia’s leading creative directors and producers, with a winner from the three categories: campaign, single and craft then announced along with an overall winner: the Gold Siren. The winner will be announced in Sydney in early May.

The overall Gold Siren winner for 2009 will be automatically entered into this year’s Cannes Advertising Festival with the winning writers receiving a free trip to Cannes. This year’s Australian radio judge at Cannes Radio Lions, is Paul Reardon from Clemenger BBDO and twice a former winner of a Gold Siren Award.

Chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner said the additional entry time for Sirens 2009 was to ensure advertising agencies, stations and studios throughout Australia had sufficient opportunity to participate in the national awards.
“This is the final opportunity for people to be part of this year’s Siren Awards and entry is free – so it is well worth the effort,” Ms Warner said.
“Also given the global economic crisis and tough times, it is a great opportunity to get to Cannes given the winner gets to go free,” Ms Warner said.
The national Siren Awards, now in their sixth year, are run by Commercial Radio Australia and are designed to recognise the best radio advertising in the country. The awards promote the importance of creativity as a way to make radio advertising more effective.

Winners of the 2009 Siren Awards will be announced in Sydney early in May and the awards ceremony will coincide with a Masterclass, including some great information and speakers talking about making world-class radio ads.

For more information visit the dedicated website.