Ad agency Ground Zero, Los Angeles, scored the top two honors–the Sweepstakes and Best Book prizes–at the 39th annual Los Angeles Advertising Club’s Belding Awards last week (5/26) during a gala ceremony in Hollywood.
Ground Zero took the best-of-show Sweepstakes kudo on the strength of The History Channel’s “Normandy,” in which a contemporary French woman and child are seen at the beach, playing in the water. Pictured in full color, the mother and child–who’s holding a pail–are soon surrounded by black-and-white documentary footage of the World War II Normandy invasion. The combination of modern-day life with an event of historic significance is then put into proper context with the supered slogan, “Know where you stand,” followed by The History Channel logo.
“Normandy” was directed by Patrick Murphy, a visual effects supervisor at A52 Los Angeles, which produced the spot and handled special effects. The Ground Zero creative ensemble consisted of executive creative director Court Crandall, copywriter Tom O’ Connor, art director Jeff Lable, and producer Monique Veillette.
Meanwhile the Best Book win came on the basis of Ground Zero’s body of work, which included The History Channel’s “Know Where You Stand” campaign as well as efforts on behalf of ESPN, Best Buy, Virgin Mobile, and Atlantic/Kerner. “Know Where You Stand” was also named best complete campaign, as well as best TV campaign (at under $50,000 per spot in production expenditures), receiving a Belding Bowl in each of those categories. Also garnering a Belding Bowl in the TV commercial (less than $50,000 in production costs) category was “Normandy.”
The History Channel TV campaign additionally included “Hindenburg,” which had the same directorial and creative team credits as “Normandy.” In “Hindenburg,” a man walks his dog. But it turns out this slice of current Americana life is taking place at the site of the horrific crash of the Hindenburg. Black-and-white footage of the dirigible’s crash with it bursting into flames is then meshed into the spot. Among other alluded to Ground Zero fare helping the agency to garner the Best Book honor were Virgin Mobile’s “Gift Envy,” directed by Jared Hess of bicoastal/international Moxie Pictures, ESPN Winter X Games’ “Deegan” directed by the Joe Public duo of bicoastal HSI Productions, ESPY Awards’ “Family History” helmed by Christopher Guest of bicoastal Go Film, and ESPN’s “LAX,” directed by the Jacobs/Briere team via bicoastal HKM Productions.
Copping Belding Bowls in the TV campaign category were Ground Zero for varied ESPN Fare, and TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles, on the basis of work for Ballpark Franks and Sony PlayStation. The latter consisted of the spots “Lava Gun,” “Sheepinator” and “Shock Blaster,” directed by Peter Darley Miller of bicoastal/international @radical.media. Ballpark Franks’ “Mardi Gras,” “Veggie Dog” and “Small Weiner” were directed by Joe Pytka of Venice, Calif.-based PYTKA..
Among the Belding Bowl honorees in the TV commercial category were: Crispin Porter+Bogusky, Los Angeles, for Borders’ “Reference” directed by Jim Sheridan via Moxie Pictures; davidandgoliath, Los Angeles, for Bacardi’s “Vegas” and “Mardi Gras,” helmed by Brian Beletic of bicoastal Smuggler, and Bacardi’s “Fly,” directed by Smuggler’s Happy collective; TBWA/Chiat/Day for the aforementioned PlayStation spot “Sheepinator” and Ballpark Frank’s “Veggie Dog”; and Young & Rubicam, Irvine, Calif., for Land Rover’s “Hitchhiker,” directed by John O’Hagan, who at the time was with Hungry Man. (O’Hagan has since joined bicoastal RSA USA.) Y&R was also recognized for a Next Level Fitness spot, “Escalator.”
Besides “Normandy,” the TV commercial category for spots that cost less than $50,000 to produce included work for Full Tilt Poker via DDB Los Angeles, Toshiba Copiers from DGWB, Santa Ana, Calif., and Red Tail Ale’s “Art” out of Colby & Partners, Santa Monica. The latter spot–which was honored earlier this year in SHOOT‘s “The Best Work You May Never See” gallery–was directed by Timothy Kendall of Effigy Productions, Los Angeles. (Kendall has since joined bicoastal HKM Productions.)
Referring to this category as well as the History Channel’s stellar showing, this year’s Belding chairman, Rob Schwartz, executive creative director at TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles, noted, “Where creativity seemed to flourish was in the under $50,000 TV production category–This is compelling proof that a big idea doesn’t require a big budget.”
Ground Zero and WongDoody, Los Angeles, won Belding Bowls in the miscellaneous category; WongDoody for work on behalf of client Andiamo, and Ground Zero for the joint ESPN/Miller Brewing Co. project “The Squeeze,” which was directed by Laurence Thrush who at the time was with bicoastal Headquarters. (Thrush is now with Fools and Horses, Los Angeles.) Copping interactive Belding Bowls were Animax Entertainment, Culver City, Calif., for Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation’s “Coping With Chemo,” and Saatchi & Saatchi LA, Torrance, Calif., for Toyota Land Cruiser’s “Land Cruiser Heritage.” A Belding Bowl was also bestowed in the public service category for Volunteers of America’s “Truck,” out of TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles. “Truck” was directed by Craig Tanimoto of production house Japanese Monster, Los Angeles.
The Belding Awards recognize the best advertising creative in Southern California. Judges serving under Schwartz included: Tom Cordner, co-president/executive creative director, J. Walter Thompson, Detroit; Jim Ferguson, chairman/chief creative officer, TM Advertising, Irving, Texas; Greg Ketchum, senior partner/creative director, Ogilvy & Mather, New York; Rob Rich, senior VP/group creative director, Publicis, Seattle; Phillip Squier, senior VP/creative director, Arnold Worldwide, Boston; and Franklin Tipton, copywriter, Crispin Porter+Bogusky, Miami.
Interactive judges included Curt Collinsworth, creative director, Saltmine, Seattle; Jason Reilly, partner/copywriter, Ogilvy One World, New York; Keith Anderson, director of design/associate partner, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco; and Miami-based creative director Juan-Carlos Morales.
