Seen and noted

BEST TV
1st Dick's Sporting Goods: Every Snap. In an era of hard hitting, reality checking, get off your ass sport related advertising, this ad cuts through it all. It conveys a believable and ownable approach for Dick's Sporting Goods by not being laden with highly paid endorsement athletes, not having the VO that shouts, "you can do it", with a backdrop of inspiring music.

It simply and incredibly captures, in a single shot, a period of time that could be in any game; the chaos, the hustle, the drama, leading right up to the snap. It puts you in the play in a way that reveals a shared understanding and passion for the game, what it takes to play and where you should go to start. The ad is honest, clear in its messaging and really well shot.

2nd Amstel: The Chef. Well-crafted storytelling, however not as unique in its "how" as Dick's Sporting Goods: Every Snap

BEST PRINT
1st Museum: Stone. Architecture is a fascinating and complex form of creativity, it has a lasting ability to evoke and shape civilization, which is extremely powerful and Paris is a city rich with architectural history. Today, I personally find myself in awe of the detail and craftsmanship that is captured in most pre-modernism architecture and this simple print ad evokes that art in a tangible way.

It tells a story from the complex beauty of the final structure, to the foundation of the building material and the simple tools used to create it. It keeps the message simple, and understandable for all, regardless of language.

2nd LG: Big-in Combo. Bold and graphically simple, however missing the story that the Museum: Stone print captures.

BEST OUTDOOR
1st Heineken: Departure Roulette. "Open your world", is actually what this outdoor experiential campaign challenged people with, it brings to life the current Heineken brand advertising positioning more so, than the highly stylized TV spots. It gets the audience to participate in what it means to open your world, by giving them a simple choice... one that has unknown adventure as an option. It challenges people to think about the decisions they can make, and positions Heineken well in terms of being associated with broader possibilities, creativity and adventure.

It is simple, well crafted, effective and gives the brand the ability to share what happens when you "open your world". Hopefully there are some follow up stories of the folks that decided to choose adventure.

2nd Deutsche Akademie fur Akupunktur: Foot. Simple, clever, graphical and useful, however the experiential component of the Heineken: Departure Roulette did more to bring the brand idea/value to life.

BEST INTERACTIVE
1st Boris Dlugosch: Back to Vinyl, The Office Turntable. The combination of digital and analog forms and interactivity in this simple, yet compelling idea is what makes it effective as a self-promotion. It takes one limited reach, yet very much loved form, Vinyl, and reshapes how you can engage with it, though the use of today’s dominant technology. This offers a more experiential and interactive way for people to sample the music and for the brand to express itself, vs. the usual static self-promotion.

It also creates a unique, ownable and ongoing platform for future engagement and marketing, regardless of musician, which broadens its value for the Cantor brand.

2nd Hyundai: Superband. Good use of interactive channels to drive social engagement and participation, however the Boris Dlugosch: Back to Vinyl, The Office Turntable offers something new.




This week's guest judge is Anthony Yell, executive vice president and executive creative director of MRM East including New York, Princeton and Detroit.

Anthony spearheads the creative craft for MRM East and partners with our technology craftspeople to bring ideas to life while leading ongoing evolution of our creative product. He brings a wealth of experience and focus on creativity to help drive breakthrough programs and effectiveness for MRM's stellar world-class client list.

Anthony has 20 years of experience in branding, design, marketing and ecommerce, spanning a wide range of industries including automotive and aviation, travel and leisure, financial services, retail, consumer electronics and media entertainment. A few of these brands include Nissan/Infiniti, Hondajet, Disney, Vail Resorts, Activision, Bare Escentuals, Sony, ESPN and Coca-Cola.

Throughout his impressive career, his peers and the industry have recognized Anthony with numerous awards, from the Ad Club, IAB MIXX, AIGA, AIA, W3 to Creativity, OMMA and Cannes.

Prior to MRM, Anthony was based in SapientNitro's Los Angeles office serving as vice president, executive creative director for seven years. He was responsible for the creative leadership and management of their largest U.S.-based Idea Engineering Team, including people in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Toronto. Anthony also spent time working with the agency's worldwide CCO in Miami to develop and expand their North American creative footprint. In addition, he was the western regional creative lead from 2002 to 2008, where his focus was on strategic business growth.

Before joining SapientNitro in 1999, Anthony worked for Studio Archetype in San Francisco, an interactive agency, led by renowned digital pioneer Clement Mok. It was in this position that Anthony developed his passion and expertise for creating meaningful and valuable digital experiences that promote brand advocacy.