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- The Radio Advertising Bureau has revealed its shortlist for the 1998 Aerial Awards, to be judged at the final ceremony on 22 October.

A panel of 13 judges chaired by Chris O'Shea, the joint creative partner of Banks Hoggins O'Shea, have whittled hundreds of entries down to 16 ads in six categories.

Advertisers include COI Army, Marston's Pedigree, One2One and Volkswagen. As well as the traditional product/sector categories, a new category, for craft skills, has been created this year, and will award prizes for direction, sound design and casting.

Billy Mawhinney, one of the jurors and a creative director at Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper, said: "The hardest job in advertising is making a cutting-edge radio ad. With radio being treated as wallpaper, an ad needs to really stand out. This year, some of the work was excellent, and had an irreverence that set it apart. The one thing that a good radio ad has is character, and not a well-known celebrity overacting."

The full shortlist is as follows: Health Education Authority, COI Army, Samaritans, Martson's Pedigree, Holsten Pils, Marmite, Hamlet, One2One, British Airways, Eurostar, Sunday Times, Woolworths, Ringways Ford, McDonald's, Volkswagen and Seat. The awards ceremony will be held at Bafta.

Andrew Ingram, the account planning director at the RAB, added: "Everyone now knows what an Aerial Award is. Both senior and junior creatives recognise the awards, and picking one up can help get you a job. This year's work was of a higher standard and it appears that creatives are realising that there is an open playing field for good radio ads, as many people don't try hard enough."