Seen and noted

BEST TV
Winner: Skyn 'Explore Uncensored Pleasures'. When in doubt, show the product in its element. This is a staple of the conventional and the cookie-cutter in advertising. But, the one set of products to which one would dare not apply this is the set of products being advertised here. What gall. What brilliance!

Runner-up: CANAL+ 'The Secret of Wakany'. Many of us can relate to the unique rage of arriving at the end of a lengthy TV show, only to find that it is bad enough to retroactively ruin the entire experience. This spot does the opposite. The film threatens to overstay its welcome, but ultimately redeems itself thanks to its ending. So, the point is made through the content, and then once more through the form of the execution. The latter is likely unintentional, but in this case, intention does not matter.

BEST PRINT
Winner: Bescherelle 'A Sole Singer On A Stage'. Advertising can be a little too eager to latch onto trends and hype, often resulting in a cascade of desperate work. Only very rarely are attempts to connect a brand's USP to the cultural moment as successful as they are in this work. It is an extremely funny utilization of the hype around generative AI. Crucially though, the work is executed far enough down the line from the launch of these AI tools that not only are people aware of the power of the tools, but they also know how humorously these tools can misunderstand human intentions. And this is where the brilliance of the work, as well as the advertiser's USP lies

Runner-up: Tamedia 'Tank'. The execution here is somewhat familiar in form, but the urgency and seriousness of the matter and the potential value the advertiser brings to the context as a source of reliable journalism gives the work a sombre, moving quality.

BEST OUTDOOR
Winner: McDonald's New Zealand 'Ferret Oh Fish'. The photo behind the words in this execution is familiar, unremarkable and intentionally so. It is there to let the copy elevate this work into the domain of the memorable. Here we have clever writing that invites a double-take, resulting in a realization that puts a smile on one's face. This will stick even when it is late and one has had a few. That is precisely the point.

Runner-up: Second Home 'It’s an Office, Really, LA 1'. What makes this work effective is the sad realization that very few people can imagine a place of work as beautiful and inviting as the one used in the advertisement. The execution is not just an ad for this advertiser's space, but for more such spaces in general.

BEST INTERACTIVE
Winner: McDonald's 'Deals Stuck in Time'. It is obvious that any feature update of a major tech platform is a big deal for millions around the world. But nowadays, these updates also mark the start of a frantic race between creatives everywhere to find the perfect, most memorable activation for their clients. For the latest update from Google Street View, I think we have a winner.

Runner-up: Saatchi & Saatchi 'All AI Want For Xmas'. Who, in this business - and for that matter, many other businesses - hasn't read and reread chunks of cutting feedback in the vain hope of turning it all into more palatable, life-affirming bits? This one comes from the heart, and that's enough.




This week's judge is Saffaan Qadir, creative director at Paulus in Seoul, South Korea.

At one time a student of philosophy at the London School of Economics, he left his native Pakistan once more in 2016 to pursue a career in the fields of video production, advertising, and media empowerment.

Saffaan has worked with clients as diverse as Hyundai, Zespri, Celltrion, Maeil, Dot, Babitalk, UNDP, International Olympics Committee and Good People International. His work has won multiple awards at Cannes Lions, the Clios, and the One Show. He has served as member of jury at the One Asia Creative Awards and sits on the organizing committee of AdAsia Seoul 2023. Eons ago, two of his short films were selected at the Cannes Film Festival.