T-Mobile’s “Welcome Back” scored Best TV Commercial of the Year honors at the 2011 British Arrows Awards (formerly the BTAAs) held at Battersea Evolution in Battersea Park on Wednesday (3/16). Directed by Henry-Alex Rubin of Smuggler for Saatchi & Saatchi London, “Welcome Back” additionally scored two gold awards for telecommunications services and best over 90 second TV commercial.
“Welcome Back” also helped Smuggler tie with Academy for Arrows’ Most Successful Production Company of the Year. Additional work helmed by Rubin (a Sony Ericsson Experia X10 phone campaign that earned three bronze awards and three finalists) spurred Smuggler to earn the distinction.
Meanwhile Academy’s strong showing was propelled by gold award wins for Ikea’s “Kitchen Party” directed by Kim Gehrig and Match.com’s “Piano” helmed by Si & Ad, as well as a silver award recipient, Kick Racism out of Football’s “Unacceptable” helmed by Walter Stern.
Mother was named Advertising Agency of the Year, in part on the strength of the aforementioned “Kitchen Party” and “Piano” spots, among other work. This marks the third time Mother has copped the ad agency honor. Only three other shops have won three or more times: BBH London with five, and DDB and Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO with three apiece.
Volkswagen received The Chairman’s Award recognizing outstanding contribution to the industry. This is only the second time an advertiser has been selected, Hamlet being the first. The award is usually given to an individual.
To view the full list of winners, visit the British Arrows here.
Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey Launch Production House 34North
Executive producers Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey have teamed to launch 34North. The shop opens with a roster which includes accomplished directors Jan Wentz, Ben Nakamura Whitehouse, David Edwards and Mario Feil, as well as such up-and-coming filmmakers as Glenn Stewart and Chris Fowles. Nakamura Whitehouse, Edwards, Feil and Fowles come over from CoMPANY Films, the production company for which Cicero served as an EP for the past nearly five years. Director Wentz had most recently been with production house Skunk while Stewart now gains his first U.S. representation. EP Clancey was freelance producing prior to the formation of 34North. He and Cicero have known each other for some 25 years, recently reconnecting on a job directed by Fowles. Cicero said that he and Clancey “want to keep a highly focused roster where talent management can be one on one--where we all share in the directors’ success together.” Clancey also brings an agency pedigree to the new venture. “I started at Campbell Ewald in accounts, no less,” said Clancey. “I saw firsthand how much work agencies put in before we even see a script. You have to respect that investment. These agency experiences really shaped my approach to production--it’s about empathy, listening between the lines, and ultimately making the process seamless.” 34North represents a meeting point--both literally and creatively. Named after the latitude of Malibu, Calif., where the idea for the company was born, it also embraces the power of storytelling. “34North118West was the first GPS-enabled narrative,” Cicero explained. “That blend of art and technology, to captivate an audience, mirrors what we do here--create compelling work, with talented people, harnessing state-of-the-art... Read More