Microsoft Xbox 360’s “Jump Rope” directed by Frank Budgen of Gorgeous, London, and bicoastal Anonymous Content for McCann Erickson, San Francisco, and 72 and Sunny, El Segundo, Calif., scored a precedent-setting twin coup at the American Advertising Federation’s (AAf) ADDY Awards competition. For one, the spot copped the national ADDY Best of Show honor. And “Jump Rope” then made history as the first Best of Show winner to garner the ADDY Mosaic Award for multicultural advertising.
The high-energy “Jump Rope” shows people of all ages, ethnicities and skill levels participating in double Dutch jump rope. The feel-good spot is an invitation to viewers to “Jump In,” join in and enjoy games on Xbox 360.
“The extreme double Dutch jump rope jam metaphorically captures the excitement and social aspect of the new generation Xbox 360,” said Mark Tutssel, worldwide chief creative officer, Leo Burnett, and chairman of the 2006 ADDY Awards. “It was shot completely in camera in one take. This is a beautifully crafted piece of work, and the soundtrack is inspired.
Scott Duchon and Geoff Edwards from McCann were group creative directors on “Jump Rope,” along with 72 and Sunny’s John Boiler and Glenn Cole. Duchon and Edwards additionally served as copywriter and art director, respectively.
TAXI
The other big winner at the ADDY competition, taking the coveted Best of Show International honor was a Viagra campaign for Pfizer Canada consisting of the spots “Golf,” “Office,” “Coach” and “Elevator,” out of Toronto agency Taxi.
The humorous Viagra commercials were directed by Joachim Back via The Partners’ Film Company, Toronto. (Beck, who’s based in New York, is repped in the U.S. by Park Pictures, New York.) The Viagra fare is no stranger to the industry winners’ circle. Last year the spots “Golf,” “Office” and “Couch” collectively garnered a Gold Lion at the Cannes International Advertising Festival.
The spots feature people in relatively normal situations, such as playing golf, taking a coffee break and speaking at a press conference. In each scenario, the dialogue turns into what we assume is talk about the speaker’s sexual prowess. We’ll never know exactly what the character is saying though as his voice is replaced with a long beep and a Viagra pill superimposed over his mouth.
The ADDY Awards were bestowed upon recipients during a gala ceremony on Sunday, June 11, in San Francisco. For a full list of honorees, log onto www.addycompetition.com.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AAF trade association represents 50,000 professionals in the advertising industry. The AAF maintains a national network of 200 ad clubs located in communities across the U.S.
“Overnight Success” Has Been More Than A Decade In The Making For Meghann Fahy and Eve Hewson
Meghann Fahy and Eve Hewson, two of the stars of Netflix's whodunit "The Perfect Couple," have news for you if you want to call them breakouts: They've been working in this business for more than a decade.
Fahy made her TV debut in 2009 in an episode of "Gossip Girl." Hewson's first big film role was in 2011's "This Must Be the Place." They do concede, however, that it's recent TV roles — "The White Lotus" for Fahy and "Bad Sisters" for Hewson — that have led to new frontiers of opportunity.
Susanne Bier, who directed "The Perfect Couple," says both Fahy and Hewson are "going to be big stars."
"They certainly have proper, profound star quality, Both of them in very different ways," Bier says. "Both are incredibly creative, incredibly smart, and also have a impressive insight as to who they are. You can be a great actor or actress and not necessarily really know who you are yourself. And they do."
Hewson, 33, whose dad is U2 front man Bono, may have grown up in a famous family but she's now in demand in her own right. She will next be seen in a second season of "Bad Sisters, " out in November. She's in Noah Baumbach's next film, alongside Adam Sandler, George Clooney and Riley Keough. She's also been cast in Steven Spielberg's next production and is set to star opposite Murray Bartlett in a racing series for Hulu.
Fahy, 34, is in production on a limited series with Julianne Moore and Milly Alcock called "Sirens," written by Molly Smith Metzler ("Maid") for Netflix. She also has two films in the can with Josh O'Connor ("The Crown," "Challengers") and Brandon Sklenar ("It Ends With Us").
The two actors spoke candidly about this phase of their careers. This interview has been condensed for clarity and... Read More