Magazine celebrates brand icon

BAABA and Ruby Ventures Limited, publishers of BrandAge magazine, recently held a grand investiture dinner in Lagos to honour Dr. Olatunji Joshua Olugbodi, who was unveiled as the magazine’s Brand Icon of the Year 2015. Mr. Demola Aladekomo, who chaired the event, described the celebrant as a man after his own heart, still has a lot to offer Nigeria.

Aladekomo, however, lamented, “Though Nigeria is a country that has produced some of the most intelligent people in the world, yet its level of poverty is alarming.”

He noted that the need to honour Nigerian heroes could not be over-emphasised, adding, “I am happy, and I wish we could honour more heroes; let us learn to celebrate the 99 per cent positivity in us and not the one per cent negativity that is destroying us and Nigeria will be greater”.

Chief host of the event, Shola Adeyemi said the recipients were carefully selected as models of success. On the long-term award category, the recipients were Kola Omisore Ahmed, Chris Parkes, with over 40 years of experience in advertising, Sir Victor Johnson and Prof. Idowu Sobowale.

Olugbodi started his career at The Guardian as a freelancer, only to return as an editor. He was described as one who believes in possibilities against all odds, and who lives life to the full.

According to him, “I believe there is a lot for us all to do as citizens”.

The awardees for the advertising agencies were Centrespread Advertising agency, New Crystal Communication Limited, which won the Outdoor Advertising Agency of the year 2015, Starcoms Media Limited, Accelerate Media, and Keskese won the Inspirational Agency of the Year.