Donald Gunn—the former head of Leo Burnett Company’s Creative Exchange Resource Department, Chicago, and prior to that, president of the International Advertising Festival—is back on the industry awards circuit. But this time, his awards province isn’t confined to Cannes.
Gunn has released The Gunn Report, a compilation of awards show results over the past year. From this research, which covers 22 TV/cinema competitions, he has named the top production houses, ad agencies and campaigns of ’99. However, the production company derby was based solely on global and regional shows. The strictly national shows from the world’s eight key markets, which are counted in Gunn’s other categories such as agencies, commercials and campaigns, were not included in the final production company tally, in order to make it a fairer contest for those houses and directors based outside these markets. As a result, 11 different cities are represented in The Gunn Report’s 20 most awarded production companies of ’99.
Tying for the top position were Gorgeous Enterprises, London, and bicoastal/international Hungry Man. Finishing third—just a point behind the joint winners—was bicoastal/international @radical.media. Fourth place went to Buenos Aires shop 2001. Rounding out the top five was London-based Academy Commercials.
The Gunn tally also ranked the most awarded directors: Frank Budgen of Gorgeous in first place; John O’Hagan of Hungry Man in second; Pucho Mentasti of No Guns Pictures, Buenos Aires, in third; Jonathan Glazer of Academy Commercials, fourth; and in a three-way tie for fifth were Ray Lawrence of Windows, Sydney, Felix Herngren of Efti Mainstream, Stockholm, and Suvinit Pornnavalai of Sky Exits Company, Bangkok.
The production company and director rankings were corroborated to some extent by Gunn’s breakout of the most awarded campaigns or commercials. Finishing first was the Outpost.com package of "Band," "Forehead" and "Cannon," directed by O’Hagan of Hungry Man for Cliff Freeman and Partners, New York. Grabbing the second slot was Sony Playstation’s "Double Life," helmed by Gorgeous’ Budgen for TBWA GGT Simons Palmer, London. Placing third was the lauded "Litany" for British newspaper The Independent, directed by Rob Sanders of Helen Langridge Associates, London, for Lowe Howard-Spink, London. Fourth place went to Nike’s "What are you getting ready for?" campaign. Nine different spots from this campaign were winners at major shows, and five different production companies and seven different directors worked on them. (i.e., Jhoan Camitz of bicoastal/ international Satellite helmed "Meat" and "Rejection"; Mike Mills of Hollywood-based Directors Bureau, directed "Mountain Man.") Garnering fifth place was Sony Stamina Camcorder’s "The Unexpected," directed by Budgen for BMP DDB London.
The agency rundown, which includes awards in TV/cinema and print, found BMP DDB at the top, which was based largely on different Volkswagen campaigns, as well as on "The Unexpected." Second was Cliff Freeman and Partners, which scored the most points in TV/cinema with work for Outpost.com, Fox Sports. com, Hollywood Video and Fox Sports TV. The third most awarded agency was TBWA GGT Simons Palmer, with such entries as Sony PlayStation’s "Double Life." Fourth was Abbott Mead Vickers/ BBDO, London, for its Guinness work. And fifth was Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore., primarily on the strength of its television work for Nike, Miller Beer and ESPN.
Earning the most awards of any advertiser was Volkswagen. Its campaign spanned 12 agencies around the world, most notably BMP DDB, and Arnold Communications, Boston. VW notched twice as many winner points, both in TV and print, as the second-closest client.
This first annual installment of The Gunn Report covered awards shows through Oct. ’99. Since so many of the world’s top shows are concentrated in the spring and autumn, and with the first stars of next year’s harvest appearing in autumn, Gunn reasoned that he should start his compilation’s awards contest year with the November and December shows. He projected that each annual report will come out in October.
However, he acknowledged that some spots may get short shrift in a given year based on this calendar. Gunn explained that because so many of the major shows in the world take place between March and June, 80 percent of commercials and campaigns are competing "throughout our awards show year. But there are some that only pop up at the end." A prime example of such a spot is Guinness’ "Surfer." The points that this latecomer collects are thus going to be split between two Gunn Report years, which Gunn recognized as being "a flaw in our system for the commercials perhaps, but good news for the agencies, production houses and directors, who’ll score points from them in two different years."
"Surfer" was directed by Glazer for Abbott Mead Vickers/ BBDO. Indeed, right after the awards period elapsed for year one of The Gunn Report, the spot scored at the London International Advertising Awards in the alcoholic beverages category (SHOOT, 11/19/99, p. 1).
Gunn is secretive regarding the 22 TV/cinema awards shows on which he bases his compilation. Among the global shows referenced in The Gunn Report are the Cannes International Advertising Festival, The One Show in New York, the British Design & Art Direction Awards and the Clios.
