The 13th annual Gunn Report–a compilation and analysis of award show results over the past year–shows that while one production company’s chart-topping streak has ended, an agency network’s went merrily on in 2011. The latter was BBDO which earned Agency Network of the Year distinction for the sixth consecutive year (and nine of the past 13). Meanwhile MJZ saw its run as the most awarded production company halt at five straight years, dropping down to the number four slot. Moving to the head of the class was @radical.media, which finished fifth the prior year. This marked the first time in the history of the Gunn tally that @radical has finished first.
The top five in the rundown of the most awarded agency networks for 2011 were: BBDO followed by DDB, Ogilvy, Leo Burnett and Wieden+Kennedy.
Wieden+Kennedy made an indelible mark in the table for most awarded agency of last year with its Amsterdam and Portland offices taking first and second place, respectively. This marks the first time in Gunn Report history that the same network finished in the first two slots. Furthermore W+K’s London and Tokyo offices made the top 50. Finishing third among agencies in 2011 was AlmapBBDO in Sao Paulo, followed by Del Campo Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, Buenos Aires in fourth place, and Germany’s Jung von Matt in fifth.
Getting back to the production company derby topped by @radical.media, second place went to Independent/Anonymous@ Independent, London, followed by Smuggler at third and MJZ fourth, with Stink/Stink Digital rounding out the top five.
The most awarded director of 2011 was Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu of Independent and Anonymous. It’s no coincidence that he directed the most awarded commercial of last year (and for that matter, in the 13-year history of the Gunn Report), Nike’s “Write The Future” out of ’11’s most awarded agency, W+K Amsterdam.
Second in the directorial rundown was Chris Milk of @radical.media, followed by Thanonchai Sornsriwichai of Phenomena in Bangkok, Henry Alex-Rubin of Smuggler, and Fredrik Bond of MJZ.
After “Write The Future,” the most awarded commercials of ’11 were: Heineken’s “The Entrance” directed by Bond for W+K Amsterdam, followed by T-Mobile’s “Welcome Back” helmed by Smuggler’s Alex-Rubin for Saatchi & Saatchi, London, and Old Spice Body Wash’s “Questions/Boat” directed by MJZ’s Tom Kuntz for W+K, Portland. Tied for fifth place are Google Chrome’s “Speed Tests” helmed by Aaron Duffy of 1st Ave Machine for BBH/Google Creative Lab, New York, and Volkswagen Passat’s “The Force” directed by Lance Acord of Park Pictures for Deutsch LA.
The top five in digital for 2011 were: Old Spice’s “Responses” campaign from W+K, Portland; Zenith Independent Band’s “Sour/Mirror” via Masashi Qanta Saquoosha Hiroki, Tokyo; Google Chrome’s “Speed Tests” out of BBH/Google Creative Lab; Mini Countryman’s “Mini Getaway Stockholm” from Jung von Matt, Stockholm; and Uniqlo’s “Uniqlo Luck Line” for Dentsu, Tokyo.
Tied tallies marked the rundown for All Guns Blazing, the category that encompasses integrated, innovative and the like honors. Three entries tied for first place: Decode Jay-Z with Bing from Droga5, New York; Concert Hall Dortmund’s “Concert Milk” out of Jung von Matt, Hamburg; and the entire integrated Old Spice campaign via W+K, Portland. Tied for fourth were: Nike’s “Write The Future” out of W+K, Amsterdam, and WWF’s “Save as WWF” from Jung von Matt, Hamburg.
Another three-way tie marked the top of the most awarded digital agency chart: AKQA, London; BBH New York and R/GA, New York. Fourth was W+K, Portland, with Dentsu, Tokyo, taking fifth.
The most awarded advertisers of 2011 were Nike, followed by Volkswagen, Google, Old Spice and WWF.
And in the country tally, winning the most awards last year was the U.S. with the U.K. second, Brazil third, Argentina fourth and Germany fifth.
For more Gunn Report results, click here.
“Mickey 17” Tops Weekend Box Office, But Profitability Is A Long Way Off
"Parasite" filmmaker Bong Joon Ho's original science fiction film "Mickey 17" opened in first place on the North American box office charts. According to studio estimates Sunday, the Robert Pattinson-led film earned $19.1 million in its first weekend in theaters, which was enough to dethrone "Captain America: Brave New World" after a three-week reign.
Overseas, "Mickey 17" has already made $34.2 million, bringing its worldwide total to $53.3 million. But profitability for the film is a long way off: It cost a reported $118 million to produce, which does not account for millions spent on marketing and promotion.
A week following the Oscars, where "Anora" filmmaker Sean Baker made an impassioned speech about the importance of the theatrical experience – for filmmakers to keep making movies for the big screens, for distributors to focus on theatrical releases and for audiences to keep going – "Mickey 17" is perhaps the perfect representation of this moment in the business, or at least an interesting case study. It's an original film from an Oscar-winning director led by a big star that was afforded a blockbuster budget and given a robust theatrical release by Warner Bros., one of the few major studios remaining. But despite all of that, and reviews that were mostly positive (79% on RottenTomatoes), audiences did not treat it as an event movie, and it may ultimately struggle to break even.
Originally set for release in March 2024, Bong Joon Ho's follow-up to the Oscar-winning "Parasite" faced several delays, which he has attributed to extenuating circumstances around the Hollywood strikes. Based on the novel "Mickey7" by Edward Ashton, Pattinson plays an expendable employee who dies on missions and is re-printed time and time again. Steven... Read More