Honda’s “Grrr,” out of Wieden + Kennedy, London, lived up to expectations, scoring the Grand Prix at the 52nd annual Cannes International Advertising Festival. “Grrr” is a fanciful, animated ad that tells the story of how Kenichi Nagahiro, an engineer at Honda, hated what were then the standard diesel engines. So he wound up creating a new, more efficient diesel engine, the VTEC. The spot features diesel engines flying through a colorful landscape filled with bunnies and rainbows while a catchy tune, performed by Garrison Keillor, asks: “Can Hate be good?” The answer, in the form of the new engine, is yes.
The team of Smith and Foulkes–Alan and Adam–of Nexus Productions, London, directed the commercial. Going into Cannes, the spot was the odds-on favorite to take the Grand Prix. “Grrr” adds its Grand Prix to an already full trophy case, which includes best of show at the One Show, the Grand Clio at the Clio Awards, two Gold honors–a.k.a. Black Pencils–at the British Design & Art Direction (D&AD) Awards, an honor for international advertising excellence from the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) Show, and the GRANDY at the ANDY Awards.
The film jury, headed up by John Hunt, worldwide creative director of TBWA Worldwide, awarded a total of 18 Gold Lions–the same number as 2004. Hunt noted that “Grrr” is “such a unique spot–the soundtrack is beautiful [as is] the animation. It’s such a simple proposition.” He added that the jury didn’t mind watching the ad more than once, and that the “premise is blindingly simple. It entertains while selling to you.” The London office of bicoastal/international Amber Music created the music for “Grrr.”
Hunt related that the jury went into the process knowing “Grrr” was a top contender, and that during an initial ballot, 17 of the 22 judges selected it as their Grand Prix choice. Among the other contenders were adidas’ “Hello Tomorrow,” directed by Spike Jonze of bicoastal/international Morton Jankel Zander (MJZ) for TBWA/Chiat/Day, San Francisco, and an Olympus campaign from Springer & Jacoby International, Amsterdam, which was directed by Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles. The former features a sleepwalker in a world that unfolds as he runs, while the latter points out that pictures taken with an Olympus digital camera can easily be removed if they come out blurry or with red-eye.
Hunt also addressed those who believe TV to be a dying medium–a proposition that was a focus during several Festival seminars. “The discussion has buried the thirty second [ad],” he stated, “but it’s not dead.” He noted that spots indeed are not the “only game in town,” as they were a decade ago, but that television work is “still the most powerful medium, and still the center of ninety percent of the world’s campaigns. It’s a powerful, creative medium that’s not going away anytime soon.”
On the trend front, Hunt said there wasn’t anything overwhelmingly obvious on display, but that humor, particularly irony, had made a comeback, and he cautioned against over-engineered work that used postproduction and special effects to mask the lack of a good concept. He related that advertising seems to have come to a point where work is either brilliant or bad–“there is not much work in the middle anymore. It’s [either] very good or very lousy, and an average ad is the same as a lousy one,” he noted.
A new film category was added this year: best use of music, which is based on the creative use of music in a spot. A Gold Lion in the category was awarded to the aforementioned adidas ad “Hello Tomorrow,” with a track composed by Sam Spiegel of Squeak E. Clean, Los Angeles. The ad features a sleepwalker who puts on a pair of adidas_1 shoes, and leaps through a just-created door in his bedroom, which leads to a world that unfolds as he runs along. His journey takes him from city streets to a forest, and an encounter with a bear, before he returns to his bed. The spot is backed by a dreamy, ethereal track performed by Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Hunt hopes the category will be expanded to encompass sound design in future years.
PALME D’OR
The Palme d’Or for top production company went to the U.S. office of bicoastal/international MJZ. “I’m thrilled that we won,” said David Zander, president of MJZ. “Although it’s a production company win, it comes down to the directors. … They did some really great work, and I feel lucky to be in business with them.” He also praised the efforts of MJZ senior producers Lisa Rich and Jeff Scruton, as well as his sales team consisting of Steve Monkarsh on the West Coast, Gay Guthrie in the Midwest, and Tim Merjos on the East Coast.
Coming in second for the honor was Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles, followed by the now defunct Large, London. The stateside office of bicoastal/international Hungry Man and Jodaf Mixer International, Sáo Paulo, tied for fourth, while Phenomena Thailand, Bangkok, came in sixth, followed by a tie for seventh between Cobblestone Filmproduktion, Hamburg, and Stink, London. Bicoastal Smuggler came in ninth, while bicoastal HSI Productions and the U.S. office of bicoastal/international Moxie Pictures tied for 10th place.
For the third year in a row, TBWA/Paris was honored as the agency of the year. The award is determined by an agency’s performance in each of the seven awards categories at Cannes. Coming in second and third in that race were DDB London and DDB Paris, respectively. The Advertiser of the Year honor was presented to Sony PlayStation, and was accepted by Ken Kutaragi, president/group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.
The Journalists’ Award was given to “Grrr.” During the film ceremony, the first Radio Lions were presented–winning the Grand Prix for the inaugural radio competition was the long-running “Real Men of Genius” campaign out of DDB Chicago.
THE ROAR OF GOLD
This year’s jury awarded 18 Gold Lions, several for campaigns. The U.S. led the Lion gold rush with five honors. A trio of spots for Altoids Sours–“People of Pain,” “Mastering The Mother Tongue,” and “Fable of the Fruit Bat”–teamed to score a campaign Gold Lion in the sweet foods category. Craig Gillespie of MJZ directed the package for Leo Burnett USA, Chicago.
TBWA/Chiat/Day, San Francisco, scored several honors for adidas. In addition to the aforementioned music honor, “Hello Tomorrow” won a Gold Lion for corporate image. “Unstoppable,” directed by Brian Beletic of Smuggler, was also honored with a Gold Lion in the category.
Mini Cooper’s “Counterfeit,” out of Crispin Porter + Bogusky (CP+B), Miami, scored a Gold Lion in the cars category. Bryan Buckley of Hungry Man directed the spot, which was shot in Brazil and co-produced with Jodaf Mixer. The spot was part of a larger integrated effort that also included Web components and a DVD; the entire package scored a Titanium Lion. (See separate story, p. 1.)
Agencies in the U.K. fared well, earning three Gold Lions. A Sony PlayStation package comprising the ads “Golfers,” “Athletes,” and “Traders” won a campaign Gold Lion in the entertainment and leisure category. Daniel Kleinman, then with now defunct Large–he has since opened Kleinman Productions, London–were created by TBWA, London.
Rexona’s “Stunt City,” out of Lowe, London, won a Gold Lion in the cosmetics and beauty category. Ivan Zacharias of Stink, London, directed the spot–he’s repped stateside via Smuggler.
In the fundraising and appeals category, “Ventriloquist,” out of Saatchi & Saatchi, London, for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), won a Gold Lion. Kleinman directed the spot through Large.
France and Thailand each scored a pair of Gold Lions. A campaign Gold in the publications and media category went to L’Equipe newspaper for the spots “Mother” and “Child,” both out of DDB Paris, and directed by Jonathan Herman of 75, Paris. In the public health and safety category, an AIDS awareness spot called “Vibrators” out of TBWA/Paris Boulongne-Billancourt, and directed by Erik Vervroegen of Wanda Productions, La Plaine Saint-Denis, France, won a Gold Lion.
A three spot campaign from Saatchi & Saatchi Thailand, Bangkok, comprising the ads “Lost Money,” “Mouse Trap,” and “Madam,” for the Energy Policy and Planning Office of Thailand, won a campaign Gold Lion for public awareness messages. Thanonchai Sornsrivichai and Tweesak Kumpati directed the spots out of Phenomena, Bangkok.
A Ford Ranger spot called “King Kong,” out of JWT Bangkok, and directed by Sornsrivichai and Kumpati of Phenomena, won a Gold Lion in the other vehicles, auto products and services category.
Agencies from Peru, The Netherlands, Canada, Germany, and Brazil each scored one Gold Lion. A four-spot campaign comprising “Cropped Tourists,” “Distorted Dogs,” “Red-Eyed Baby” and “Blurry Boy” for Olympus won a campaign Gold Lion in home electronics and audio-visual. Agency Springer & Jacoby International, Amsterdam, created the spots, which were directed by Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks, and co-produced by Tony Peterson Film, Hamburg.
A trio of ads for Viagra, “Golf,” “Office,” and “Coach,” out of Taxi, Toronto, scored a campaign Gold Lion for toiletries and OTC pharmacy. Joachim Back directed the spots through The Partners’ Film Company, Toronto. (Back is repped stateside via Park Pictures, New York.)
A Mercedes-Benz spot called “Sounds of Summer,” out of Springer & Jacoby, Hamburg, won a Gold Lion in cars. Ole Peters and Timo Schadel of Sehsucht, Hamburg, directed the spot. In fundraising and appeals, a spot called “Magic,” for Ponle Corazón’s Mothers of the Heart Campaign won a Gold Lion. Created by Leo Burnett Del Peru, Lima, the ad was directed by Tito Köster and Alvaro Velarde Beto Gutiérrez of El Clan, Lima. “Braille,” for Dexia’s Axion Youth Banking won a Gold Lion in the banking, investment and insurance category. The ad, out of Duval Guillaume, Brussels, was directed by Lionel Goldstein of Czar.BE, Brussels. (Goldstein is handled stateside by Czar.US, New York.)
A spot for Kleenex out of JWT, Sáo Paulo, scored a Gold Lion in the toiletries and OTC pharmacy category. The spot, “Jinxed,” was directed by Jarbas Angelli of Ad Studios, Sáo Paulo.
SILVER STARS
A total of 32 Silver Lions were awarded this year, with nine going to U.S. ad agencies. A campaign Silver Lion for audio-visual and home electronics was awarded to the Virgin Mobile campaign comprising the spots “Shower,” “Thing,” and “Call Waiting” out of Fallon, New York, and directed by Kuntz & Maguire–Tom and Mike, respectively, of MJZ. (Maguire is now a creative at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, while Kuntz continues to direct via MJZ.)
Two adidas spots, “Improvisation” and “Made to Perfection,” from TBWA/Chiat/Day, San Francisco, won Silver Lions in the corporate image category. “Improvisation” was directed by Jake Scott of bicoastal RSA USA, while “Made to Perfection” was helmed by Rupert Sanders via now defunct Omaha Pictures. (Sanders is now with MJZ.)
Energizer’s “Mano Japonesa,” out of Grupo Gallegos, Long Beach, Calif., won a Silver Lion in the household category. Favio Ucendo of Flip Films, Santa Monica, directed the spot. Axe’s “Residue,” out of Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), New York, won a Silver Lion for cosmetics and beauty. Noam Murro of Biscuit directed the spot. “Ping Pong” for Showbound Naturals pet food out Grey Worldwide, New York, won a Silver in the miscellaneous category. Nelson Cabrera of bicoastal HKM Productions directed the commercial.
VH1’s “Parents’ Day,” out of la comunidad, Miami, won a Silver for publications and media. Andy Fogwill and Agustin Alberdi of Landia Republica, Buenos Aires, helmed the ad. “Voice,” for the American Legacy Foundation, out of Arnold Worldwide, Boston, and CP+B, won Silver in the public health and safety category. Christian Hoagland of Redtree Productions, Boston, was the director.
And Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats scored Silver for “Fibre Cycle” directed by Santiago Suarez of Santiago, New York, out of agency Lapiz, Chicago.
U.S. BRONZE LIONS
The film jury gave out 52 Bronze Lions, with 15 going to work produced by U.S. ad agencies. A trio of ads for Mountain Dew–“Canopy,” “Hallway” and “Helicopter”–out of BBDO New York, scored a campaign Bronze Lion in soft drinks. Traktor of bicoastal/international Partizan and Santa Monica-based Traktor directed the ads.
A campaign Bronze Lion in the sweet foods category went to a package of spots for Skittles out of TBWA/Chiat/Day, New York. The spots, “Eric,” “Rainbow Sitting,” and “Sheepboys,” were directed by Ulf Johansson of Smith & Jones, Hollywood.
Agency Ground Zero, Los Angeles, won two campaign Bronze Lions, both in the publications and media category. One for an ESPN package comprising the spots “Decision Time,” “Mysterious Breakdown,” and “The Final.” Laurence Thrush, who was then with bicoastal Headquarters, directed the spots. (Thrush is now with Fools and Horses, Los Angeles.) Ground Zero also won for a History Channel campaign which included the ads “Hindenburg,” “Berlin” and “Normandy.” Patrick Murphy of A52, Los Angeles, directed the spots. Ground Zero also scored a Bronze in the category for “Uncle Matt Dies” for ESPN, a Headquarters-produced ad that was directed by Thrush.
The Ameriquest Mortgage campaign comprising the spots “Surprise Dinner,” “Parking Meter,” and “Mother-in-law” won a campaign Bronze in the banking, insurance and investment categories. Craig Gillespie of MJZ directed.
The American Legacy Foundation’s “Gumballs” “Fat Boys,” and “Decal Conscious” won a campaign Bronze for public awareness messages. The spots, via CP+B and Arnold Worldwide, were directed by Martin Granger of bicoastal/international Moxie Pictures. “Squished Locker Room” and “Squished Concert,” for the RCA DLP TV out of Publicis, New York, won a campaign Bronze Lion in home electronics and audio-visual. Lionel Goldstein of Czar.US, New York, helmed the spots.
“Carry” for adidas out of TBWA/Chiat/Day, San Francsico, and directed by Murro of Biscuit, won a Bronze Lion in corporate image. Murro was also behind a Bronze win in travel, transport and tourism for the Holiday Inn spot “The Noses” out of Fallon Minneapolis.
Nextel’s “Dance Party,” out of TBWA/Chiat/Day, New York, and directed by Jim Jenkins of Hungry Man, won a Bronze for commercial public services. Nike’s “Scary House” scored a Bronze Lion for corporate image. Traktor of Partizan and Traktor directed the spot. Glad Press ‘n Seal’s “Pool,” out of DDB San Francisco, won Bronze in the household category. Clay Williams of MJZ directed the ad. Axe’s “Evidence,” out of BBH won Bronze in the cosmetics and beauty category. Joe Public of HSI helmed the spot.
