Charles Stone-Directed Commercial Takes Best Of Show.
By Kathy DeSalvo
DDB Chicago was the overall winner in the television competition at the inaugural Windy Awards—formerly known as the Addy Awards—which was sponsored by the Chicago Ad Federation (CAF).
DDB won the Best of Show trophy in television for the Anheuser-Busch Budweiser spot "Whassup/True," directed by Charles Stone of New York-based C&C Films and its newly launched division Storm, at the March 2 awards ceremony held at the Hotel Inter-Continental, Chicago. DDB also took Best of Show in the print and radio categories.
The popular "Whassup/True" is based on Stone’s two-minute short True, which he wrote and directed. It garnered attention at the Music Video Production Association (MVPA) Director’s Cuts Film Festival in Los Angeles in ’98. Stone also appears in the spot in which he and his friends greet each other with "Whaassuuuup!" The line is repeatedly and enthusiastically exchanged among them—on the phone, in person, through an apartment intercom—to the point of absurdity.
"Whassup/True" also earned a Windy in the regional/national, single consumer products/alcoholic beverage category, as did the spots "Whassup/Call Waiting" and "Whassup/Pizza Guy" (regional/national campaign, consumer products). DDB also won a Windy for the Bud Light spot "Rough Choice" (regional/national, single consumer products/alcoholic beverages), and for the Pep Boys spot called "Weekend Plans" (regional/national, single consumer outlets/retail dealers).
Leo Burnett Co., Chicago, picked up Windy awards for its Kellogg spots "Pacific & Marsupials" (regional/national, single consumer products, food) and "Gramps" (regional/national, single consumer products, food). It also won a Windy for the Toys R Us spot "Rain Check" (regional/national, single consumer outlets, retail stores).
Other winners for TV include Young & Rubicam/Chicago, which won three Windy awards for its H&R Block spots "Dog" (local/single :30), "Worried About Bill" (local/single :60), "Please Be Quiet/BBQ," "W-2/Another Baby," and "Dad, Can I Have Some Money?" (local/campaign).
Lowe Lintas & Partners, Chicago, won a Windy for its Ameritech spot "Saturday Snooze" (regional/national, single consumer services, communications). Publicis & Hal Riney, Chicago, won a Windy for the Serta spot "Sweetheart" (regional/national, single consumer services, retail products).
The show’s judges were Brian Murphy, art director at Minneapolis-based Fallon McElligott; Robert Giaimo, creative director at Grey Advertising, Los Angeles; John Schofield, associate creative director at Seattle-based WongDoody; Bob Thacker, president/CEO at BBDO Minneapolis; Walt Burns, associate creative director at Portland, Ore.-based Cole & Weber; Bob Moore, creative director at Portland-based Wieden & Kennedy; Mike Connell, co-creative director at Boston-based CGN Marketing and Creative Services; and Yvonne Durant, a New York-based consultant.
There has been a contentious dispute over the past few months between the CAF—which was granted the rights to the Addys name—and Chicago’s Art Directors and Copywriters Club (ADCC), which has traditionally hosted the Addys/The Chicago Show. Reportedly at issue were the control of the selection of judges and the amount of money CAF was willing to share from the show. The ADCC initially refused to co-sponsor the Windy Awards, but the two groups have since settled their differences and plan to collaborate on the show next year.
The Long and Short of The IDA Documentary Awards’ Shortlists
The lineups are set as 20 feature-length and 20 short documentaries have been shortlisted for the 40th IDA Documentary Awards.
This year, the IDA Documentary Awards shortlists and nominees are selected by independent committees of 300 documentary makers, curators, critics, and industry experts from 40-plus countries. More than 700 total entries were submitted for all categories from 77 countries.
Additional IDA Awards will be presented in the following categories: Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Writing, Best Music Score, Best Curated Series, Best Episodic Series, Best Limited Series, Best TV Feature Documentary, Best Music Documentary, Best Audio Documentary, the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award, the ABC News VideoSource Award, and the Pare Lorentz Award.
All nominees in the above categories will be announced on November 19.
The 40th IDA Documentary Awards Ceremony will be held on December 5 at The Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles.
Here’s a rundown of the feature and short film IDA Documentary Awards’ shortlists.
FEATURES SHORTLIST
Agent of Happiness
Black Box Diaries
Brisa
Dahomey
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found
Hollywoodgate
Igualada
Kamay
Mediha
Motherboard
My Sweet Land
No Other Land
Queendom
Seeking Mavis Beacon
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane
Tell Them You Love Me
The Last Journey
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
Water For Life (Agua Es... Read More