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.
Netflix Series “The Leopard” Spots Classic Italian Novel, Remakes It As A Sumptuous Period Drama
"The Leopard," a new Netflix series, takes the classic Italian novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and transforms it into a sumptuous period piece showing the struggles of the aristocracy in 19th-century Sicily, during tumultuous social upheavals as their way of life is crumbling around them.
Tom Shankland, who directs four of the eight episodes, had the courage to attempt his own version of what is one of the most popular films in Italian history. The 1963 movie "The Leopard," directed by Luchino Visconti, starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, won the Palme d'Or in Cannes.
One Italian critic said that it would be the equivalent of a director in the United States taking "Gone with the Wind" and turning it into a series, but Shankland wasn't the least bit intimidated.
He said that he didn't think of anything other than his own passion for the project, which grew out of his love of the book. His father was a university professor of Italian literature in England, and as a child, he loved the book and traveling to Sicily with his family.
The book tells the story of Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, a tall, handsome, wealthy aristocrat who owns palaces and land across Sicily.
His comfortable world is shaken with the invasion of Sicily in 1860 by Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was to overthrow the Bourbon king in Naples and bring about the Unification of Italy.
The prince's family leads an opulent life in their magnificent palaces with servants and peasants kowtowing to their every need. They spend their time at opulent banquets and lavish balls with their fellow aristocrats.
Shankland has made the series into a visual feast with tables heaped with food, elaborate gardens and sensuous costumes.... Read More