This year’s big winner at the 14th annual London International Advertising Awards (LIAA), held earlier this week (11/15) at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, was the much-heralded spot "Litany," created by Lowe Howard-Spink, London, for England’s non-partisan daily newspaper The Independent. The :30 earned the Grand Prize as best of show in the television/cinema category, and two additional trophies for best visual direction and media promotion.
Directed by Rob Sanders of Helen Langridge Associates (HLA), London, the commercial features a series of grainy black-and-white images, each accompanied by a voiceover that intones the prohibitory phrases, "Don’t talk. Don’t drink. Don’t think. Don’t be fat. Don’t be thin," which leads to the final phrases: "Don’t buy. Don’t read."
"Litany" won both the Grand Prix and the Journalists’ Award at the 46th International Advertising Festival in Cannes earlier this year. More recently, the spot took top honors at the ’99 Cresta Awards, winning the Consumer Grand Prix.
Among the 44 awards handed out at this year’s LIAA, HLA took home the most with four. In addition to its three awards for "Litany," the London production company garnered a trophy in the utilities category for a Yellow Pages spot entitled "Cleaners," directed by Tom Vaughan of HLA and created by London agency Abbott Mead Vickers• BBDO.
But overall, U.S. companies had the strongest showing at the LIAA, winning 18 of the 44 television awards. Of the American agencies awarded, Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore., was the only one to score two statues. The agency won best campaign for a four-spot Nike package tagged "What Are You Getting Ready For?" Three of the commercials—"Boardwalk," "Marathon Man" and "Rejection"—were directed by Jhoan Camitz of bicoastal/international Satellite. The fourth spot, "Mountain Man," was helmed by Mike Mills of The Directors Bureau, Hollywood, a satellite of bicoastal HKM Productions. Wieden also won in the apparel category for Nike’s "Boardwalk."
Other stateside agencies honored included Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, which topped the confectionary/snacks category for Cracker Jacks’ "Sizes" helmed by directing team Joe Public of bicoastal Headquarters. Dweck!, New York, won best low-budget campaign for an irreverent four-spot package for Top Driver Driving School. "Donut," "Mailbox," "Coffee"and "Body Bag," were helmed by bicoastal/international Hungry Man director Bennett Miller. Two Michigan-based agencies were also presented with awards. Doner, Southfield, Mich., won in the automotive products category for a BF Goodrich spot entitled "Chooser II," directed by Bob Gordon of bicoastal Flying Tiger Films. Campbell Ewald, Warren, Mich., took one in the best home entertainment equipment category for DirecTV’s "Shopping," helmed by Peter Darley Miller of Stiefel & Company, Santa Monica.
Two U.S. production company entrants scored multiple awards. Industrial Light + Magic Commercial Productions (ILMCP), Los Angeles and San Rafael, Calif., took two for a First Union spot entitled "Noise" via Publicis & Hal Riney, San Francisco, in the special effects and computer animation categories. "Noise" was directed by ILMCP’s Steve Beck. Tate & Partners, Santa Monica director Baker Smith topped the dairy products category with a spot called "Ice Fishing" for Dairy Management via Leo Burnett Co., Chicago. Baker won a second award for best humor for Heineken’s "Austin Powers," created by Lowe & Partners/ SMS, New York (now Lowe Lintas & Partners).
The award for best dialogue direction went to director Jeff Gorman of JGF, Hollywood, for a Florida Department of Health anti-tobacco spot called "Cinema." The agency was Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Miami.
American trophy winners were not limited to production companies and advertising agencies. Best editing went to Sony Discman’s "Subway," cut by Michael Saia of Jump, New York, and directed by Jeff Preiss of bicoastal Epoch Films via Young & Rubicam, New York. Volkswagen Jetta’s "Synchronicity," out of Arnold Communications, Boston, topped the original music score category. The composer was Peter DuCharme of Master Cylinder, North Cambridge, Mass. Crushing Music, New York, took the prize for best original music score with lyrics for Foxwoods Resort Casino’s "Wonder Of It All," directed by Allan Charles of Charles Street Films, Baltimore. The agency was Trahan, Burden & Charles, Baltimore.
In addition to the Grand Prize, U.K. shops won in seven television/cinema categories. London-based Loose Moose director/animator Ken Lidster won in the stop-frame animation category for Lipton Brisk’s "Dojo," via J. Walter Thompson, New York. A Guinness spot entitled "Surfer," created by Abbott Mead Vickers•BBDO, and shot by Academy Commercials, London director Jonathan Glazer (repped in the U.S. by bicoastal Propaganda Films), earned two awards in the alcoholic beverage and cinematography categories. Best public service announcement went to a PSA for Help The Aged called "What Do You See?", directed by Malcolm Venville of London-based Malcolm Venville via Leo Burnett, London.
Canada topped four television/cinema categories. Australia and Brazil each won two LIAA TV honors. Other countries with single winning TV/cinema entries included Argentina, China, Germany, Japan, Norway, Peru and Spain.
A total of 151 winners in commercial, print, radio, package design and interactive media received awards. The U.S. copped both grand prizes in the interactive competition. Red Sky Interactive, San Francisco, won the Grand for its Absolut "D.J." Web site. And Ogilvy Inter-active, New York, took the Grand for an IBM e-culture interactive banner, "Grammys." This year, the LIAA’s television/cinema competition drew 6,817 entries, down from last year’s 6,923 entrants. Judges deemed certain categories not to be worthy of awards recognition. Awards were not given out for cel animation, director’s cuts, entertainment, home furnishings/appliances, pet products and public service campaigns.
The following is a list of all the 1999 LIAA television/cinema winners.
