Lexus commercials via Team One Advertising, El Segundo, Calif., dominated the TV gold portion of the sixth annual International Automotive Awards (IAAA), held earlier this week (1/10), in Royal Oak.
The IAAA bestowed nine golds in TV categories, seven of which went to Lexus fare. And five of the winning Lexus entries were directed by Noam Murro, who at the time of shooting was with bicoastal HKM Productions. He and partner, executive producer Shawn Lacy Tessaro, have since launched their own shop, Biscuit filmworks, Hollywood.
Lexus copped two golds in the public service/personal safety category for spots directed by Murro: one for "Breakfast," the other for "Changing."
"Changing" was also prevalent in the creative arts category for work budgeted under $100,000. That spot and Lexus’ "Lap Dog," also helmed by Murro, each scored a gold. Those two commercials, teamed as a series with the Murro-directed Lexus ad titled "CD," collectively garnered a gold in the same creative arts category.
Lexus’ "Shoo Fly Pie"—directed by Robert Logevall of Bruce Dowad Associates, Hollywood—took gold for its cinematography. The spot was shot by DP Tobias Schliessler.
And rounding out the field of gold-winning Lexus commercials, in the TV event category, was "IS Projection Media," designed by David Clayton and Matt Tragesser of Imaginary Forces, Los Angeles.
The remaining two IAAA gold TV spots were for Volkswagen, each from a different side of the Atlantic. Scoring in the passenger sports car category was "Milky Way," directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris of bicoastal Bob Industries for Arnold Communications, Boston. The ad actually debuted on the Web and then made its way to television.
The other VW entry to receive gold was "Heaven," helmed by Walter Stern via London-based Academy Commercials for agency BMP DDB, London. The IAAA also bestowed silver and bronze awards, as well as certificates of merit, on assorted other commercials.
Television, however, failed to take the IAAA Best of Show honor for 2000. That, instead, went to a VW print campaign out of Arnold Communications.
