For the first time ever, the executive jury for the New York Festivals International Advertising Awards selected only one outstanding entry to receive the coveted title of “World’s Best Idea®”: Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam was honored for its integrated campaign “Write The Future” on behalf of client Nike.
The objective of “Write The Future” was to weave Nike into conversations taking place around the World Cup. The winning entry celebrates the participating Nike athletes by giving a glimpse into their future based on their success and failures on the World Cup stage. Jason Clement, director of emerging platforms at Wieden+Kennedy New York, accepted the award on behalf of W+K Amsterdam during a gala ceremony for the 54th annual awards show held at Skylight West in New York City.
Nike was also presented with the New York Festivals 2011 Advertiser of the Year Award for its commitment to creativity and innovation. In addition to being awarded the “World’s Best Idea®,” Nike earned one Gold World Medal, seven Silver, one Bronze, and seven Finalists.
BBDO was honored with the title of Network of the Year, receiving three Gold World Medals, 18 Silver, 38 Bronze and 72 Finalist Certificates.
“We’re humbled by this recognition,” said David Lubars, chairman/chief creative officer, BBDO North America. “We want to thank our many clients for demanding our best.”
Leo Burnett Sydney was awarded the Agency of the Year Award for its stellar work, earning four Gold World Medals, five Silver, two Bronze and 10 Finalist Certificates.
The New York Festivals Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to legendary advertising executive Keith Reinhard, chairman emeritus of DDB Worldwide, for his contributions to the advertising industry. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes prominent industry leaders whose accomplishments and contributions have advanced the field of advertising and made a lasting impression on the creative community.
Meanwhile two NYF Living Legend Awards were bestowed. The honor recognizes prominent industry luminaries, whose personal excellence and extraordinary contributions have advanced the field of advertising, made a lasting impression on the creative community, and who continue to influence the profession in a significant way.
This year NYF honored iconic director Bob Giraldi of Giraldi Media with one of the first ever NYF Living Legend Awards. JD Gargano, former student of Giraldi and broadcast designer/motionographer for Tribune Creative Group, presented the award along with fellow Giraldi students. A second NYF Living Legend was awarded to Bob Carr, award-winning commercial film editor with Red Car. Larry Bridges, founder of Red Car Inc., presented the award to Carr.
The United States received a total of nine Gold World Medals. This was followed by Australia with seven six for Germany, three each for Argentina, France and Sweden, two for Japan, and one apiece for England, Finland, Singapore and The Netherlands.
Each year New York Festivals, in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Public Information, appoints a panel to select work that exemplifies the aims and ideals of the United Nations. The 2011 UNDPI Jury honored the following entries: the Gold Award went to Lowe Brindfors of Stockholm, Sweden, for “The Lottery of Life,” the integrated media campaign produced for Save the Children Sweden. DDB Budapest, Hungary received the Silver Award for “Slow Download” for Amnesty International Magyarorszag. The digital and interactive campaign calls for pressure on world leaders to deliver on the promises of the Millennium Development Goals. DDB Shanghai China was awarded the Bronze Award for “Green Pedestrian Crossing,” for the China Environmental Protection Foundation. The outdoor campaign was produced to encourage a reduction in automotive traffic.
Winning entries of the 2011 New York Festivals International Advertising Awards were selected by NYF’s Executive Jury. Award winners were selected from a short list of finalists chosen by the Grand Jury, comprised of 320 senior creative directors from 56 countries around the world, representing the largest and most diverse jury of any advertising competition in the world.
For a full rundown of winners, click here.
Hwang Dong-hyuk On Season 2 of “Squid Game,” Wrapping Production on Season 3; What’s Next?
Viewers may gasp, cringe or cry out watching characters die on Netflix's "Squid Game," but those simulated deaths have a different effect on its creator, writer and director. Instead, Hwang Dong-hyuk feels happiness seeing them go.
The show has a huge cast and Hwang says it was "really difficult" to manage everyone on set.
As characters would die, Hwang recalls saying to the actors on their last day, "'Oh no! How sad! I won't see you tomorrow,' but I was always smiling inside."
"Squid Game" season two premieres Thursday. It once again stars Lee Jung-jae and centers around a secret competition in South Korea that targets people in debt and the winner gets a big cash prize. What they don't know is that losing the game is deadly.
Hwang originally conceived of the show 15 years ago as a two-hour film but it failed to gain traction with financiers or even interested actors. He put it aside and worked on other films instead. He then had the idea to make it a TV series instead and took the project to Netflix. There, it could reach a wide audience.
"I never in my wildest dream thought it was going to be this huge," said Hwang, who spoke about the show and what comes next. Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
Q: What have you learned from "Squid Game"?
HWANG: I learned that I shouldn't give up. If you love something and if you want to create something, it might not work now, but the time might come later. Or that idea could be the source of inspiration for something else.
Q: You've already finished filming season three of "Squid Game." Have you thought about what your next project will be?
HWANG: I'm afraid to talk... Read More