Donald Gunn–former president of the Cannes International Advertising Festival (1998 and ’99) and, prior to that, the head of Leo Burnett’s Creative Exchange Resource Department, Chicago–has released the seventh annual Gunn Report, a compilation of award show results over the past year. From this research, which covers 34 TV/cinema competitions, the Gunn Report has named the top production houses, directors, ad agencies and commercials of 2005.
Topping the field of most-awarded production companies by a wide margin was Bangkok-based Phenomena based on work for such clients as the Thai Health Promotion Board, Ford Ranger Opencab, Unif Green Tea, Thailand’s Energy Policy and Planning Office, and the Thailand Yellow Pages.
Ranked second was bicoastal/international @radical.media (which finished third last year). The @radical rundown of award-winning work included ads for Fed Ex, Pepsi, Toyota, Virgin, Visa, Volkswagen, and INPES Passive Smoking Awareness. The latter–out of @radical’s Paris office–garnered the most recognition on the awards circuit this past year.
By placing second, @radical is in select company–literally. Only seven houses have been among the world’s top 25 production houses for all seven years of the Gunn Report: @radical; Gorgeous Enterprises, London; bicoastal/international Hungry Man; Matching Studio, Bangkok; and bicoastal/international Partizan.
In the ’05 Gunn tally, two shops tied for third: Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles, and Nexus Productions, London. The Nexus showing was primarily on the strength of its lauded Honda “Grrr” spot out of Wieden+Kennedy, London. Meanwhile Biscuit earned inclusion thanks to work for a mix of clients, including Bud Light, adidas, Axe Deodorant, eBay and the California Milk Advisory Board.
Taking fifth place in the Gunn derby was London-based Large, a company which shut its doors last year after partners, directors Daniel Kleinman and Jeff Stark, decided to go their separate ways. Prominent among Large’s award-winning endeavors was the Kleinman-directed “Ventriloquist” for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. (Kleinman is now with Kleinman Productions, London.)
DIRECTORIAL DERBY
Heading the ’05 Gunn Report’s directorial rankings was Thanonchai Sornsrivichai of Phenomena. This marked the second time that the Bangkok-based helmer finished first. He initially attained that lofty status in ’03, tying with the aforementioned Kleinman.
Two directors tied for second in the Gunn rundown: Biscuit’s Noam Murro and the duo of Adam Foulkes and Alan Smith from Nexus. Foulkes and Smith helmed “Grrr” which was the most awarded commercial of the year, per the ’05 Gunn Report.
Meanwhile there was also a tie for fourth in the Gunn directorial derby between Suthon Petchsuwan of Matching Studio, Bangkok, and Kleinman. Petchsuwan, who is repped stateside by TWC, Santa Monica, finished first in the ’04 Gunn Report rankings. His notable work in the ’05 Gunn tally included spots for Soken DVD via Euro RSCG Flagship, Bangkok, and Unif Green Tea out of BBDO Bangkok.
Petchsuwan is a perennial top Gunn director. He and Frank Budgen of Gorgeous Enterprises are the only two helmers to make it into the top 25 in directorial rankings for all seven years of the Gunn Report. (Budgen is repped in the U.S. via bicoastal Anonymous Content.)
COMMERCIALS
As alluded to earlier, Honda’s “Grrr” topped the list of most awarded spots per the Gunn tally. This corroborated the strong showings by production company Nexus and the directing team of Foulkes and Smith in Gunn’s production house and directorial breakouts for ’05,
Coming in second among commercials was adidas’ “Laila” directed by Lance Acord of Park Pictures, New York, for 180 Amsterdam. The Gunn ’05 directorial rundown had Acord ranked sixth.
Third place went to a Canadian Short Film Festival campaign–“Good Cop/Bad Cop,” “Special FX” and “Love Story”–directed by Tim Godsall of untitled, Toronto, for Taxi, Toronto. (Godsall, who finished seventh in the ’05 Gunn director rankings, is repped in the U.S. by Biscuit Filmworks.)
And two spots tied for fourth: Lynx 24-7’s “Getting Dressed” and Peugeot 407’s “Toys.” The former was directed by Ringan Ledwidge of Small Family Business, London, for Bartle Bogle Hegarty, London. (Park Pictures reps Ledwidge in the U.S. Ledwidge finished in a tie for 13th place in the Gunn director rankings. ) “Toys” was helmed by Philippe Andre of Wanda Productions, Paris, for BETC Euro RSCG, Paris. (Bicoastal Villains handles Andre stateside. Andre was in a tie for 17th place in the Gunn helmer rankings.)
AD AGENCIES
Gunn’s rundown of individual ad agencies based on TV and print work found Almap BBDO, Sao Paulo, Brazil, finishing first, followed by TBWA, Paris, then Dentsu, Tokyo and Osaka, DDB London, and Crispin Porter+Bogusky, Miami. However, when judging just in terms of television points earned, Dentsu took first place, followed by Wieden+Kennedy, London, 180 Amsterdam, TBWA/Chiat/Day’s offices in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, and Saatchi & Saatchi, Bangkok.
According to the TV tally, the top five global agency networks are ranked as follows: TBWA Worldwide; BBDO Worldwide; Saatchi & Saatchi; DDB Worldwide; and Euro RSCG.
The TV numbers tab adidas as the most awarded advertiser this year, followed by Volkswagen, Honda, Sony and Axe deodorant.
Also per TV points, the U.S. is the most awarded country this year. Next is the U.K., followed by Thailand, Argentina and France.
Gunn remains secretive regarding the identities of most of the 34 TV/cinema awards shows analyzed for the final report. Among those competitions that are referenced in the Gunn Report are the Cannes International Advertising Festival, the One Show, The Clios, and the British Design and Art Direction (AD&D) Awards.
