CANNES, France—Two Grand Prixs were awarded at the Cyber Lions, held June 17 at the 50th annual Cannes International Advertising Festival. Sharing top honors were: a Web site for Nike, titled "Panna Ko," created by Framfab Denmark, Copenhagen; and the Volvo Launch Integrated campaign out of Forsman & Bodenfors, Gothenburg, Sweden.
In addition to the Grand Prix, Nike scored several other Lions. "Goddess" and "Lab," two sites created by R/GA, New York, won, respectively, a Bronze and Silver Lion, both in the e-commerce category. "Lab" also won a Gold Lion in the fashion and luxury products category, while "Goddess" earned a Bronze in consumer products and services. "Nikebowerman," for the running range of Nike products, earned a Silver Lion; the site was created by AKQA, London.
Earning a Silver Lion in the fast-moving consumer good category was a site created for Axe Deodorant via Bartle Bogle Hegarty, New York. General Electric’s "Pen," created by Atmosphere BBDO, New York, garnered a Silver Lion in the consumer products and services category. Also scoring Silver in the same category was a site entitled "Unboring" for Ikea, created by Circle, Boston, which also earned a Bronze Lion for automaker Mini Cooper, titled "Mini USA."
A "Truth" anti-smoking site for the American Legacy Foundation scored a Bronze for Arnold Worldwide, Boston. A Web site for the film Identity, created by Big Spaceship, New York, scored Bronze in the sport, entertainment and leisure category.
Saatchi’s Global Mix At Cannes: 27 New Directors
13th Showcase Highlights Comedy, Directing Collectives, Talent From Argentina.
CANNES, France—Unveiled Wednesday, June 18, during the Cannes International Advertising Festival, the 13th annual Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors Showcase of up-and-coming directorial talent featured 27 helmers—three more than last year—from around the globe.
Bob Isherwood, worldwide creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi, introduced this year’s Showcase, noting that the theme for this year’s event was out with the old, in with the new. To that end, several scenarios were mentioned in which A-list directors of today were presented as going into entirely new professions. For instance, a promotional postcard for the event features director Daniel Kleinman of Spectre, London, offering his services as a plumber.
Prior to unveiling the reel of 27 up-and-coming helmers, who were selected out of 500 reels screened by the 138 offices of Saatchi & Saaatchi, Isherwood had a surprise in store for the audience. Tarsem, of bicoastal/international @radical.media, who had appeared in the first-ever Saatchi Showcase, was introduced. He proceeded to conduct an orchestra, proving that if his commercial career stalls, he has a viable alternative.
"The standard is really, really high [for the Showcase]," noted Isherwood, who is based in New York. "Just like last year, because we’re in a continuing recession … the top guys are getting the work, and there’s less work to go around for the new people. The few new directors that actually get the chance, they are generally high standard."
David Perry, executive VP/director of broadcast production at Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, concurred with Isherwood, noting that there isn’t as much of a trickle-down effect in a difficult economy. Perry also noted that he saw fewer bad directors during the selection process for the reel. "Some people are really waiting to hone their skills before they jump in," he said. "They’re really timing themselves better."
Isherwood was particularly pleased with the performance of directors from Argentina, given that the country is still in the midst of a depressed economy. Argentina fielded three directors. Chanel of Numero 5, Buenos Aires, earned recognition on the strength of two spots, "Boomerang" and "Hammock," for amusement park Parque de la Costa. Nicolas Kasakoff, of Nunchaku, Buenos Aires, scored with "Shouts" and "Birds," also for Parque de la Costa. The latter features a man who needs to have a canary extracted from his mouth—seems the bird got there because the man was screaming so much on one of the park’s roller coasters.
Rounding out the Argentinean contingent was Paula Hernandez of Wasabi Films, Buenos Aires, whose entry was a Tren de la Costa ad, which featured a man in his car behaving as though he were on a train.
Isherwood noted that the performance of the Argentineans was "really impressive" because the country is "in such a terrible economic situation." He added that one explanation for the high level of creativity in Argentina is that bad financial times "force people to reflect more carefully on the idea, since you don’t have a lot of money to throw at the screen. You look at the content a bit harder."
Prevalent in this year’s Showcase, noted Isherwood, were several directing collectives. Acne, who are represented in Sweden by Acne Film, Stockholm, and in the United States by bicoastal transmission@RSA, is comprised of six helmers. The team was selected based on NYT’s "Nytists," which promotes a magazine called Now, and a promo spot for Six Feet Under.
Also from Sweden is the collective StyleWar, which maintains an eponymous production company in Stockholm; they work stateside via Refused TV, Los Angeles. StyleWar was selected on the basis of a Moby music video called "Aliens." Rounding out the collectives is Pleix, a group of digital artists, musicians and graphic designers. Pleix, which directs via Chased By Cowboys, Paris, was selected for a mixed media promo called "Plaid."
While last year’s Showcase contained several short films, the ’03 reel had only two: Cupid, directed by Arran Bowyn of The Business, London, and Playin’ Hard to Get, directed by Timothy Bullock of Prodigy Films, Paddington, Australia. The latter features a jazz quartet in a nightclub playing their hearts out, attempting to get the attention of a beautiful woman, but she remains impassive. A fellow patron comes up behind her, and she ignores him as well. It’s only when her companion arrives, and the two begin conversing in sign language, that the viewer realizes the woman is deaf. Bullock is a former account executive at Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand, Auckland, who has since left the agency to pursue directing full time, noted Isherwood.
The United States had the most directors in the showcase, with eight. Rawson Thurber, of F.M. Rocks, Santa Monica, was selected on the basis of "Terry Tate," for Reebok, out of The Arnell Group, New York. The ad, which was produced via bicoastal Hypnotic Films, premiered during this year’s Super Bowl telecast.
The directing duo of Carter & Blitz—Mack and Jeff, respectively—of bicoastal Anonymous Content was selected on the basis of the Mill Valley Film Festival’s "Happy Ending." The ad, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the film fest, features stock film characters attending a reunion of past festivals.
David Slade of bicoastal Black Dog Films, the music video division of bicoastal RSA USA, earned inclusion in the showcase on the basis of "Clubbed to Death," a music clip for Rob Dougan.
Brewster MacWilliams of Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles, was selected for two humorous spots, one for Nike and the other for FOX Sports. The former features a kid on a beach jumping over a hole he’s dug in the sand—the catch being that he must clear the sand trap or be impaled by the spikes he’s placed in it.
Rafael Fernandez of Rock Fight, Los Angeles, was selected for an anti-smoking spot that features an adolescent having her teeth replaced with the teeth of a 50-year-old. The tag: "You wouldn’t want their teeth. Why do you want their lungs?"
Anthony Antanasio of Naked Project, New York, was selected for Eurovia’s "Above & Beyond." The English director signed with Naked Project earlier this year in an effort to break into the stateside market.
Rounding out the U.S. directors in the showcase are two former agency creatives: CJ Waldman, who now directs spots via Harvest, Santa Monica, and Bob Kerstetter, who directs through the recently formed Lushadelic, San Francisco.
Kerstetter, one of the founders of Black Rocket Euro RSCG, San Francisco, was last year’s winner of the Directors Guild of America Award for best commercial director of 2001. He was chosen for the Saatchi Showcase on the basis of two spots—"Diner" and "Monkey" for FusionOne.
Waldman, formerly a creative with Lowe, New York, was selected on the strength of New York Sports Club’s "Mugger." While both directed spots while on the agency side, Perry noted that they were still eligible for inclusion in the Showcase because they have only recently become available to helm spots full time—Waldman in late ’01 when he joined Harvest, and Kerstetter earlier this year, after he teamed with executive producer Stelio Kitrilakis to form Lushadelic.
Following the United States with six directors (including a team) was the United Kingdom. Blue Source—a.k.a. Leigh Marling and Rob Leggatt—out of Blink, London, was selected for Smirnoff’s "Trainer." The ad examines the comic possibilities when the master of ceremonies at a dolphin show takes over for the mammals.
Also in the U.K. mix was the aforementioned Bowyn of The Business, London. The mono-monikered Thor of Stink, London, was selected on the basis of Nike’s "Autograph," which features a man so determined to get a runner’s autograph that he trains to compete. Marc Swadel of Nerve Films, London, was selected for Visa’s "Dirty Cash," which promotes the Visa debit card by showing exactly where money has been.
Richard Anthony of Method Films, London, was selected based on a PSA depicting the plight of the homeless, called "How to Rip Off the British Public," which shows how a man descends into homelessness and winds up begging on the street.
Countries with two directors represented at the showcase were Brazil and Sweden. The Brazilian directors were Fabio Soares of Conspiracao Filmes, Rio de Janerio, and Jarbas Agnelli of Ad Studio, Sao Paulo. Soares was selected on the basis of Fiat’s "Storm," while Agnelli earned inclusion for the music video "Dancing Man." Representing Sweden were the aforementioned collectives Acne and StyleWar.
Rounding out the Showcase were: Yann Malka of Garlic Films, Madrid; Steven Diller of Radke Films, Toronto; Marc R. Wilkins of Big Fish Filmproduktion, Berlin; Nathan Price of Silverscreen Productions, Wellington, New Zealand; and Chuk Chuk—the team of Maciek Kowalczuk and Bartek Ignaciuk—who come from Poland.
As in years past, a number of directors’ entries had a comedic bent. "Humor is just one way of making an emotional connection, and it’s [often] universal," related Isherwood. "That’s why, particularly with global reels like this, you can connect with humor."
