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.
Effie UK and Ipsos Report Concludes Marketing Industry Should Do Its Part To Heal Societal Divisions
Society has never been more divided, according to a new report Healing the Divide in which Effie UK and brand and advertising experts from Ipsos explored brands’ role in shaping society and healing societal divisions.
The report details how instability, inflation, and COVID recovery —the convergence of multiple interconnected crises around the world that coincide with and amplify each other, causing hard to resolve systemic challenges, have become the norm over the past few years. As a result, the use of division as a weapon is now a major theme in today’s culture and politics, and sadly 47% of the UK and 49% of the US agree with the statement that “Within my lifetime, society in my country will break down,” according to Ipsos Global Trends 2024.
While some brands have tried to respond to this, the report finds responsible marketing is now threatened by weaponized division. It points to the World Federation of Advertisers’ decision to shut down the Global Alliance for Responsible Media following an antitrust lawsuit filed by Elon Musk’s X, combined with DEI rollbacks, as significant setbacks.
The report says these setbacks underline the importance of marketing in solving collective problems, such as climate change, food security, and harmful online content. It also points to a need for marketers to take more interest in and more responsibility for healing divisions.
Research claims marketers are ideally placed to build and rebuild the antidote to division (trust, empathy, a sense of control, connection and collaboration). According to the Ipsos Veracity index of trusted professionals, society is becoming more trustworthy of advertising executives. Additionally, 57% of Britons agree that brands should communicate their... Read More