By Sandra Garcia
BBDO agencies worldwide were the big winners at the New York Festivals’ 42nd Annual International Television/ Cinema Advertising Awards show, held on Jan. 28 at the New York Hilton Hotel & Towers. The agency collected five Golds, as well as the Best of Show Grand Award for best commercial.
CLM/BBDO, Issy Les Moulineaux’s "Customs," for France Telecom, was named best commercial and won a Gold for best corporate image. Peter Smillie of Smillie Films, Venice, Calif., directed the spot, in which a wo-man scores an imaginery goal by sneaking a soccer ball across a country’s border. She conceals the ball under her frock, appearing as if she were pregnant.
The same agency also earned a Gold in the telecommunications category for Wanadoo/ France Telecom’s "The Beach," directed by Eden of bicoastal/ international The Artists Company, London. (Eden is now represented by bicoastal/international @radical.media.) CLM/ BBDO scored another Gold single in the soft drink category for Pepsi Cola/Pepsico’s "Jump Cut," helmed by Traktor of bicoastal/international Partizan.
Almap/BBDO, São Paulo, won a Gold for "Stop Watch," a Volkswagen Passat spot directed by Fernando Meirelles of 02 Films, São Paulo. And BBDO New York was awarded a Gold for best broadcast media promotion for HBO’s "Germs," directed by Joe Pytka of Venice, Calif.-based PYTKA.
An additional Best of Show Grand Award, this one for best campaign, went to Morton Jankel Zander, Los Angeles, for FOXsports.com’s "Feet," "Old Man" and "Kids," directed by Rocky Morton. The campaign, which was created by Cliff Freeman and Partners, New York, also struck Gold for best broadcast media promotion campaign.
The best creative/production achievement Grand Award went to Shalmor Avnon Amichay/ Young & Rubicam, Tel Aviv, for an IBS Israel Radio campaign called "Radio Advertising Works." The production company was Ishay Hadas Production Company, Tel Aviv.
Dieste & Partners, Dallas, copped a Grand Award for best public service announcement and a Gold in the health and hygiene category for Nelson Tebedo Clinic’s "Dad," directed by Roberto Snider of Milagro Films, Los Angeles. In the PSA, a surly father catches his daughter fooling around with her boyfriend on the couch. The father is ready to wield his fists on the young man, who pulls out a condom to prove that at least he’d planned on being safe. The super: "Condoms—they could save your life."
London-based GGT Direct Advertising/TBWA took home a Grand trophy for best cinema commercial for "Date Rape," created for the Women Against Rape organization. The spot, which highlights the fact that the majority of date rape victims know their assailants, also took a Gold in the best copywriting category.
The Gold award for best direction went to Bob Ebel of Ebel Productions, Chicago, for an Internal Revenue Service spot called "(I.R.S.) Bank of Kids," out of Emmerling Post Advertising, New York. The commercial features a world where everyone, from investment bankers to policemen, is a kid.
Bicoastal Headquarters was the only production company involved in work that copped six medals, including three Golds and three Silvers. Two Gold medals were earned for Sega Dreamcast’s "Apocalypse," directed by Headquarters’ John Moore via Foote, Cone & Belding, San Francisco. The spot won for best cinematography (DP Brendan Galvin) and best special effects (Sight Effects, Venice, Calif., Rainmaker Digital Pictures, Vancouver, B.C., Sea Level, Venice, and Pacific Data Images, Palo Alto, Calif.). Headquarters copped a third Gold for the Snapple spot "A Part of the Family," created by Deutsch, New York, and directed by Joe Public. Silvers were earned for adidas’ "El Duque Dance," directed by Joe Public via Leagas Delaney, San Francisco; and a Cracker Jack campaign, including "Search," "Sizes" and "Fall," out of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, also helmed by Joe Public. A single Silver was awarded for an Allianz spot called "The Promise," directed by Headquarters’ David Cornell via BBDO/Dusseldorf.
Bicoastal Epoch Films also had a big night, boasting four Golds, three of which were helmed by Phil Morrison: an adidas package, "Mascots," "Shaved" and "Football," via Leagas Delaney, San Francisco, which won for best fashion apparel campaign; Volkswagen’s "Crazy Guy," created by Arnold Communications, Boston, took a single in the automotive products category; and a Lee Jeans campaign, "Buddy Lee: Actress," "Buddy Lee: Fans," and "Buddy Lee: Blues Guy," through Fallon McElligott, Minneapolis, won for best casual/fitness/sportswear campaign. A fourth spot directed by Epoch Films’ director Dewey Nicks for Ameritrade, called "Let’s Light This Candle," copped a single Gold in the banking/financial services/insurance category.
Industrial Light+Magic Commercial Productions, Los Angeles and San Rafael, Calif., was honored with two Gold medals. The first was for best special effects in a campaign for First Union Bank’s "Noise" and "Cityscape," directed by Steve Beck through Publicis & Hal Riney, San Francisco. The second was for a Pepsi spot via BBDO New York, called "Playacting." Directed by Joe Pytka of PYTKA, Venice, Calif., the spot was a tie-in with Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace.
The New York Festivals received more than 12,000 entries from 64 countries. Of the 54 Golds awarded in the Television/Cinema Advertising competition, 26 went to agencies and production companies in the U.S. France and Japan tied for second place with four Golds each. The Netherlands won three Golds. Argentina, England, Germany and New Zealand each earned two Golds. Australia, Brazil, Chile, Finland, Israel, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Uruguay received one Gold apiece.
The Gold winners are listed below: (for Silver and Bronze, go to www.shootonline.com):
Endeavor Group Sells Professional Bull Riders, On Location and IMG To Parent of WWE and UFC
The parent company of WWE and UFC is buying Professional Bull Riders, On Location, and IMG from Endeavor Group in an all-stock deal valued at $3.25 billion.
The deal is part of Endeavor's efforts to shed some of its assets as it looks to be taken private in a proposed transaction with private equity firm Silver Lake, which was announced in April. Ariel Emanuel, who serves as CEO of Endeavor, is also executive chair and CEO of TKO.
Professional Bull Riders is a bull riding league that has more than 200 annual live events, approximately 1.25 million fans, and reaches more than 285 million households in more than 65 territories. On Location is live event company for more than 1,200 sporting events, such as the Super Bowl, Ryder Cup and NCAA Final Four. IMG is a distributor and producer of sports content, packages and sells media rights and brand partnerships, and provides consulting, digital services and event management to clients such as the National Football League and National Hockey League.
Parent company TKO Group said Thursday that the acquisition from Endeavor Group will complement its existing businesses as well as broaden its reach in the premium sports market.
"PBR, On Location, and IMG are industry-leading assets that meaningfully enhance TKO's portfolio and strengthen our position in premium sports globally," TKO Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro said in a statement. "Within TKO, they will help power the growth of our revenue streams and position us to capture even more upside from some of the most attractive parts of our sports ecosystem: media rights, live events, ticket sales, premium experiences, brand partnerships, and site fees."
As part of the deal, Endeavor will receive about 26.14 million common units of TKO... Read More