BEST TVVideo game trailers often try to immerse you in the storyline of the game with real world footage only to have the emotional rug pulled out from them when they showcase the actual game footage. This week's best ad,
Call of Duty: Ember teaser, resists that temptation and instead uses the power of our imaginations to keep us locked into the plot of the game. This very convincing portrayal of what the future may be like had me wanting to dust off my PS3 in anticipation.
The runner up for me was
Condor: Official Sources. Normally with a historical tribute book you would want official sources to be involved in the writing to ensure you have your facts right, but this ad turns that notion on its head in a powerful way.
BEST PRINTThe print this week is very strong with most ads being well crafted to be graphic and simple. The winner for me is
Greenworks: Panda. This ad walks the line of being subtle enough to draw me in yet the message is loud and clear.
The Volkswagen: Rear view Rafa and
BMW 0-100 in 3 seconds - Office are a close tie for second place in my opinion. Both ads are demonstrating the vehicle attributes in emotionally clever and memorable ways.
BEST OUTDOOR My favourite outdoor idea is the
Game of Thrones Dragon eggs as well as the three-eyed Raven signs that point the way to iconic filming sites around Northern Ireland and Belfast. It's an inventive way for Tourism Ireland and HBO to leverage their partnership with each other.
The runner up for me is
The Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence: Unforgotten. We used a similar tactic to draw attention to the homeless situation in Vancouver and raise awareness for the United Mission. Before our stunt, Mark Jenkins made this body-less clothing sculpture technique famous with his creative street art projects. All that said, what I found unique about this execution was having the actual victims clothing as an integral part of the project and the name tags that when scanned telling a deeper story. A very emotional case study with the victim's parents weighing in also makes this idea outshine the work it reminds me of. As a parent it's hard not to help promote this message even though it may not be the most original.
BEST INTERACTIVEMy pick for this category is
Skip washing powder: Dance. This interactive video allows the detergent brand to deliver useful washing tips while being entertaining at the same time. The choreography of the dancers holds the viewers attention, the switching of outfits keeps the viewer curious enough to watch the video several times and the tips make this piece a fun way to learn how to take better care of your clothes.
The runner up for me is
Toyota's Fueled by Bullsh*t. The video isn't the most entertaining but I like the idea behind it and the site where the video drives us. Although the site is well designed and visually interesting to scroll through, I hope the other pieces that follow ramp up the storytelling in more compelling ways to demonstrate how Toyota is fueled by everything
This week's guest judge is Dean Lee, executive creative director at DDB Canada, based in Vancouver.
Dean has been consistently ranked as one of Canada's top creatives. His work has been showcased in many national and international advertising award shows including Cannes, the Clios, Communication Arts and The One Show.
In his current role, Dean is an Executive Creative Director helping to guide the creative product of the Vancouver office. His efforts have helped DDB Canada consistently win at Strategy's agency of the year competition with 16 podium finishes in the last 19 years.
The agency has also dominated the Creative Report Card with his help, landing in the top three since 1996.
Beyond his day job, Dean participated in developing and co-chairing The James Lee Foundation to help aspiring creative talent break into the business. He is also a regular guest at portfolio review events in Vancouver, providing constructive feedback and advice on the work of the people who will one day steal his job.
Client experience includes Netflix, The Canadian Tourism Commission, The Strategic Milk Alliance, BC Hydro, Labatt's, McDonald's, and Pepsi Co. to name just a few.
