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GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
Guest judge: Graeme Hall, Senior Copywriter, Y&R New York This week's guest judge is Graeme Hall, Senior Copywriter at Y&R New York - the second most awarded agency at Cannes last week.I'm guessing there'll be a few sore heads out there after the rose-fuelled advertising orgy that is Cannes. With that in mind, I'll keep this simple. Maybe not gentle, but certainly simple. Overall: Doesn't really matter what I say here: the real winners were the guys on the shoot for Euromillions. You bastards.... READ MORE Guest judge: Ross Chowles, ECD, The Jupiter Drawing Room This week's guest judge is Ross Chowles, the ECD of The Jupiter Drawing Room, Cape Town.Here are my favourites of what I judged this week: 1st. Vodafone This is a highly watch able and interesting way to bring the Vodafone sponsorship alive. Many clients could learn from this. They think itâs enough to have their logo pasted on what ever they sponsor. READ MORE Guest judge: Tony Granger, global CCO, Young & Rubicam In the lead-up to Cannes, this week's guest judge is Tony Granger, global chief creative officer of Young & Rubicam. He joined Young & Rubicam in May 2008 to partner with global CEO Hamish McLennan. Together they share the mission of creating irresistible brands for every client in the global Young & Rubicam network. Really strong film this week I thought. Love the simplicity of the both Amnesty international films (candle and Russian doll) both flawlessly excited and powerful. But I must say what did it for me was the Dodge film, specifically created to run in the England/America world cup game. READ MORE Guest judge: Mike Spirkovski, joint ECD, Clemenger BBDO Sydney This week's guest judge is Mike Spirkovski, who is about to become joint executive creative director at Clemenger BBDO, Sydney. He is the co-creator of the Earth Hour initiative, which was cited in the Gunn Report as "the best 360 campaign ever", and has now become a globally recognized brand. In 2009, 1 billion people participated in Earth Hour making it the biggest environment movement in history.The penis surfboard in "Make Homosexuals Marry" is classic but anyone who can jam Star Wars, Snoop Dog with a light sabre and Adidas in one room is a genius. Adidas Originals spot of the week. READ MORE Guest judge: David Guerrero, BBDO Guerrero/Proximity Philippines This week's guest judge is David Guerrero, chairman of BBDO Guerrero/Proximity Philippines. The world cup is looming large over the summer. So this column will try to resist the temptation to descend into convoluted footballing metaphors. But the brief is to pick a winner and a runner-up in each category. And comparisons with sporting folklore will be hard to avoid. In the TV final for example it's come down to Dulux vs Sony. Dulux looks ballsy enough. It's a big project and ultimately compelling to view. Arguably, however, it's more fascinating as an execution than an idea. Which means Sony's 3D spot comes out a comfortable winner. READ MORE Guest judge: Prasoon Joshi, regional ECD, McCann Asia Pacific As the executive chairman McCann Erickson India & regional executive creative director Asia Pacific, Prasoon Joshi is recognized for bringing about a paradigm shift in the advertising industry. Prasoon is credited with creating a new code, a new language for advertising in India.Standing head and shoulders over all the spots, is Nike's 'Write the future'. It captures the spirit of the game; the energy; the passion it incites, its sheer bigness, in all its multi-layered glory. Watchable, many times over. READ MORE Guest judge: Paul Brourman, President and CCO, Sponge, Chicago This week's guest judge is Paul Brourman, President and Chief Creative Officer, Sponge, Chicago. Paul Brourman, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Chicago-based Sponge (www.spongechicago.com), designed his agency to deliver one thing above all else: ideas with a relevant edge.This hairy trilogy by Wilkinson Sword turned a potentially repulsive topic into a memorable one. The copywriting is coy and far from subtle in innuendo while keeping you tuned in to each character study. The series really did make me want to hit the URL, which was a cheeky journey as well. If they can turn something so unsettling into something this watchable, it's worth the top slot. READ MORE Guest judge: Pancho Gonzalez, ECD, Unitas/RNL, Chile This week's guest judge is Pancho Gonzalez, executive creative director, Unitas/RNL, Chile.TV: Axe 'Sofaurus' A weird but a funny commercial. Sometime things like this are really welcome on the screen. Entertain and advertising, good mix. READ MORE Guest judge: Mark Roalfe, chairman, RKCR/Y&R, London This week's guest judge is Mark Roalfe, chairman & Founder of RKCR/Y&R, London.Ok, I'm torn on my favourite TV ad. The two I love are at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Xbox slot is epic, it looks like a trailer for a feature. It's probably pretty low on empathy but it is a visual feast. On the other hand the new John Lewis ad is a beautifully observed lifestory that totally manipulates your emotions and gives you great empathy for the brand. READ MORE Guest judge: Angus Wardlaw, CD, Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, Auckland This week's guest judge is Angus Wardlaw, the soon to be new creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand, recently hired by ECD Dylan Harrison. Angus has won over fifty awards for writing national and global advertising campaigns.My pick: Honda. Get's me every time. Awesome track, beautifully shot in an incredible location with a guy who is so cool, he makes me want to grow handlebars and drive my car over a cliff too. However, one thing about this cheeky redux is that I don't quite understand how we all end up in Mike O'sullivan's jacuzzi? ...it doesn't matter. READ MORE Guest judge: Sarah Barclay, ECD, JWT New York This week's guest judge is Sarah Barclay, who is ECD at JWT New York. Prior to joining in 2008, she was at Saatchi & Saatchi NY, and before that, at BBDO NY, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne and The Campaign Palace Melbourne. She has won a bunch of awards over the years and helped make a few brands more famous. Loved everything about Philips 'Darkroom' except the point of it. But as an homage to Bladerunner, and for the very nice bottom, it gets my vote. La Tabla gets my second choice for nice angle on a ball joke. Must be Cannes time. Highly polished films and ads for skateboard mags. READ MORE Guest judge: Alan Russell, creative director/writer, Vancouver This week's guest judge is Alan Russell, an independent creative director/writer, based in Vancouver, Canada.First off, I thought all six TV finalists were of a high caliber. After repeated viewing of each, I can say I'd be happy to view them all again. And in some cases, again and again. In the end, for me it came down to two heavyweights - Nike and Pepsi. It's not just because I'm a football fan that I love the Pepsi 'Africa' commercial. READ MORE Guest judge: Steve Red, CCO, Red Tettemer, Philadelphia This week's guest judge is Steve Red, president + chief creative officer of Red Tettemer, Philadelphia.Winner: Old Spice 'Flex'. Look at this ad, now back at me. The ad, now back at me. This whole campaign is just plain hysterical. Axe who? I'm on a horse. READ MORE Guest judge: Shahir Zag, chief creative officer, Y&R MENA
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
March 31, 2010 04:09 (Edited: February 17, 2023 04:19)
 This week's best spot isn't for beer. It's for bread. That's right, bread! Guy Mainwaring delivers a beautifully realized knockout for Warburton's. This is a profoundly silly yet strangely moving campaign. Neatly done. I can almost picture Hovis taking an urgent meeting with their agency. Old Spice follows up 'The man your man could smell like' with 'Matterhorn'. Well, let's just say this one smells considerably different. I have to mention Dos Equis. I love this work and although this is probably the 20th outing of The Most Interesting Man in the World, he's still got it. READ MORE Guest judge: Marcus Rebeschini, chief creative officer, Y&R Asia This week's guest judge is Marcus Rebeschini, chief creative officer of Y&R Asia. 2008 marked a return to Asia for Marcus, who enjoyed great success during his years at TBWA Singapore. He was part of the team that won the agency various local and regional Agency of the Year citations.Campaign Brief Asia named him Advertising Person of the Year for consistent creative excellence over a two-year period. He also helped TBWA Singapore win their first ever Gold lions - a feat he later repeated for print while working at TBWA/Chiat/Day New York. READ MORE Guest judge: Dylan Harrison, ECD, Saatchi & Saatchi NZ This week's guest judge is Dylan Harrison, executive creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi NZ.After growing up in Melbourne, Dylan fled a respectable career in Law, dabbling in PR before spending the last 10 years at DDB London. There he helped them to be the only agency ever to be named the most creative in the world by the Gunn Report three times, most recently in 2009. READ MORE Guest judge: Harry Woods, partner/CD, WWD&S, New York Making me (or anyone else for that matter) have warm and fuzzy feelings about a natural gas company is at or near the top of the list of tough assignments any creative department could get. But that's what the guys at TBWA Belgium were able to do with their Natural Gas Belgium spot. I don't know if it's crocheting or knitting or how the heck that yarn is covering everything in the house, but the effect works like crazy. It looks amazing, while conveying just the right feelings of home, hearth, family, safety and comfort. I usually like my advertising with a sharper edge, but I'm not ashamed to admit the warmth of this spot rung my bell. First place.READ MORE Guest judge: Gregory Titeca, co-founder/CD, Happiness, Brussels The work this week didn't inspire me a lot.No big ideas. No wow effect. The standard of quality in print and outdoor needs to be higher. Today, digital takes the power, but there is a wonderful playground for great print advertising. So let's move on. Best TV was Department for Transport: Named Riders Think! Think Biker. Because I know a Tom who rides a motorbike... BEST TV Department for Transport: Named Riders Think! Think Biker. Because I know a Tom who rides a motorbike. BEST PRINT MOSFLY Mosquito Coil. Why? Because I hope it will end the cycle of bad print advertising. BEST OUTDOOR John West Salmon River. For the nice abs. *** Gregory Titeca is creative director and head of R&D at Happiness Brussels. He co-founded this independent agency in a breakaway from DDB Belgium in 2005, along with three of his colleagues. At 25 years old, he had already done some cut-through work on accounts such as Volkswagen, Audi and RSF. With his partners he delivered two Gold Lions, one Silver and 18 Shortlists to DDB at Cannes 2005. Gregory is known for challenging the status quo and is a pioneer in breaking the boundaries of above-the-line and below-the-line. Having launched Happiness Brussels with the slogan 'Everything is Media', he is now 'through-the-line' creative director for Toyota, Lexus, Delta Lloyd, Nuon, OVK and others. In the 2009 Cannes Report, Happiness Brussels was ranked the number one agency in Europe and the number three independent agency worldwide. The agency was also awarded Interactive Agency of the Year at the last Eurobest edition. Gregory has won several awards worldwide in categories such as Print, Outdoor, Direct Marketing, Promo, Media and Cyber, including 10 Cannes Lions, 20 Eurobest awards, of which a Grand Prix in interactive. Guest judge: Ari Merkin, CCO, Toy New York
The Budweiser spot is a superbowl-worthy spectacle, but I would single out Stop the Traffik as reigning champ of the week. Sure, we've seen stuff like it before, but the complete lack of response from the girl's teacher and classmates made for a genuinely chilling moment...
BEST TV The Budweiser spot is a superbowl-worthy spectacle, but I would single out Stop the Traffik as reigning champ of the week. Sure, we've seen stuff like it before, but the complete lack of response from the girl's teacher and classmates made for a genuinely chilling moment. BEST PRINT How do self-respecting creatives get themselves excited about a campaign that promotes crowd-sourcing? Check out this ad for Doritos. It manages to cleverly convince its audience that this is a contest they could actually win. Still, I would challenge any of those submissions to be half as good as this ad. BEST OUTDOOR Blackcaps vs. Australia. This is clearly an insider campaign. I confess to not completely understanding or appreciating all the jokes. Yet it's easy to see that this is a sharp idea with plenty of legs.  This week's guest judge is Ari Merkin, chief creative officer, Toy New York.In 1993, Ari began his career as a copywriter, working for advertising legends Roy Grace and Diane Rothschild. Five years later, he moved to Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Miami, where he was a part of many of the agency's great success stories, including the launch of the MINI, the Truth 'Body Bag' campaign, and the Grand Prix winning IKEA 'Lamp' spot. In 2003, he became ECD of Fallon New York, where he met his partners, Anne and David. Together, they delivered record-breaking sales years for clients like Starbucks, Brawny and Virgin Mobile, and led the mere 35-person shop to become one of the top 10 most awarded agencies in the world. Ari has been seen on many creative 'Top Ten' lists, was named to the AAF's Hall of Achievement in 2009, and was one of Ad Age's '40 Under 40'. His work has won 'Best of Show' honors from The One Show, Cannes, Clio and the Effies. Ari may well be the only creative ever to win 13 One Show Pencils in a single year. He is currently a member of The One Club Board of Directors. Ari sees advertising as a business of understanding human beings. In fact, he and his wife, Roneet, have produced four of their own. He's proud to say it's his best work to date. Guest judge: Josh Moore, ECD, US, Sydney
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
AUSTRALIA
February 16, 2010 22:40 (Edited: February 17, 2023 04:19)
 This week's guest judge is Josh Moore, Executive Creative Director and co-owner of US Sydney.Founded in 2008, US Sydney was the last piece of the Agency Group that make up the Razor Group. A triumvirate of media, strategy and creative agencies. Now two years old US Sydney boasts 35 staff and creates campaigns utilising digital, mobile, augmented reality, broadcast, print, radio, outdoor and installations for an impressive client list including SBS, Fairfax Digital, H&R Block, Tresemme, Ricoh, Match.com, Cisco Systems and Tab Corp. Before founding US Sydney, Josh was the ECD of Lowe Worldwide NZ and before that a senior member of the team at both Publicis Mojo and Saatchi & Saatchi NZ. Winning numerous Effectiveness and Creative awards across clients such as Vodafone, Cadburys, Toyota, Coca Cola, Hewlett Packard, Amnesty International, Goodman Fielder, Lion Nathan and NZ Lotteries. Josh firmly believes that creatively connective brands reap the greatest financial rewards. Josh has won at Cannes, Clio, D&AD, The One Show, Young Guns and just last year has led US Sydney from an AWARD creative ranking somewhere in the hundreds in 2008 to 11th in APAC in 2009. *** Puma is a great watch, brilliantly cast. But for me it has to be Google, the simple story telling and wee smiles along the way build to an endearing ending that deftly hammers home how big a part of life Google has become.... BEST TV TV this week is superb and it's very hard to choose between Puma and Google. They are both about love and both exceptionally charming in their own ways. Puma is a great watch, brilliantly cast. But for me it has to be Google, the simple story telling and wee smiles along the way build to an endearing ending that deftly hammers home how big a part of life Google has become. Old Spice was also a brilliantly written spot but of a type. Nike Human chain was great too but I somehow feel the technique came first and the idea was attached. I just can't feel the love for a broke Mr Burns and can't see him being happy with a Coke, he's not that kind of guy. And whilst I admire what they've tried to do with Alice the camel girl she's just not my flavour of weird. BEST PRINT My top pick is Penguin, I love these ads, they capture perfectly what it is to be immersed in a brilliant book. Next favourite is Big Babol stretched gum - for some reason I can't help but smile at bubble gum print - when it's done well it's always stupid funny. Heinz is nice, but the rest I don't love especially Yeladim - which sounds suspiciously like "yell at them" then says that shouting at your parents is abnormal. BEST OUTDOOR Outdoor this week is slim pickings. My first pick, whilst it's not the prettiest looking campaign, is Centraal Beheer Achmea. I admire the bravery of asking your customers to get involved in an accident. It's intriguingly and mad, but creates positive conversation in a desperately boring category. No.2 would be Jung Von Matt's Gullwing is coming. It has that elegant simplicity that really makes me want to see the car. The rest I feel are either a little expected or far too complicated. Guest judge: Martin Beauvais, ECD, zig, Toronto This week's guest judge is Martin Beauvais, executive creative director of zig, Toronto.Since Martin joined zig in 2006, the agency has repeatedly placed in the top five in Canada's agency of the year awards, due in large part to his influence on the agency's creative. One of the only Francophone ECD's in Toronto, Martin has been named the most influential bilingual creative in Toronto by Strategy magazine and included as one of the 100 Most Important People in Marketing Communications in Canada by Marketing magazine. Most recently at zig, he's led award-winning campaigns for IKEA, Best Buy and Pfizer, among others. Prior to joining zig, Martin was partner and executive creative director at BBDO in Montreal, following a stint as Creative Director at Taxi Montreal. He worked on clients including Pepsi, Chrysler, Parmalat and Pillsbury, as well as a wildly popular milk campaign that became a pop culture phenomenon, spawning two platinum music releases for the songs used in the commercials and increasing milk consumption in Quebec - the only milk campaign in the Western world to meet with such success. Martin's work has earned countless international accolades from Cannes, The One Show, AIGA and others. *** Cadbury picnic. It's no picnic is by far my fav of the lot. I like the idea, I like the media and how it all worked together. It is a smart and simple idea.... BEST TV Cadbury picnic. It's no picnic is by far my fav of the lot. I like the idea, I like the media and how it all worked together. It is a smart and simple idea. Yet, not extremely fresh, consumers have been asked before to be or make the ads, but at least, here it serves a point, it's not just consumer created for the sake of it, it delivers something for the brand. I do wish the people did not have to say It's no picnic at the end. It's already enough that people went out of their way to be part of this ad campaign. It should have been left there, it lacks a bit of credibility at the end, How did people know exactly when they needed to say the line It's no picnic?... which sounds so very cheese when said. It would have been better and far more elegant to leave it as a super. It was very charming without it. After seeing one ad, I went on the website and looked at other entries and ads. I guess this is a sign of success for this campaign. Well done. Runner-up: Match.com. Interesting, I like it, somewhat Grrrr derivative but still nicely written. BEST PRINT I have not found anything here that I would consider stellar, all ads are ok, but none stand out. It seems they are all good visual interpretations of the brief. They don't go a little further. They are also all somewhat familiar, I have seen that kind of work before... that kind of print work that is done to win awards, simple visual metaphors, juxtapositions. They all answer a brief, a real problem, but they lack the brilliance and freshness a great print ad these days has to have to stand out. BEST OUTDOOR Definitely Nokia here. This is a smart non-traditional idea and it delivers in a very creative way a solution to a real business problem. Sometimes non-traditional does a great job at being non-traditional and a terrible job for the brand. In this case, it is a smart solution, fun and engaging, I would have done it, I would have stood under that arrow for a while and read the different messages... I wish it was not on a crane, I wish it was standing there on a proper post. It would have been far more spectacular, the crane feels a bit clunky and amateur. Guest judge: Michael Simons, CCO, draftfcb, New York
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
AUSTRALIA
February 03, 2010 06:25 (Edited: February 17, 2023 04:19)
 As chief creative officer at Draftfcb New York, Michael Simons is responsible for leading the agency's creative assignments across its client roster which includes Kraft, United States Census Bureau, Fisher Price and Pinnacle Foods. Michael joined the New York office in November 2008 after serving a dual role as regional creative director for Draftfcb in Asia Pacific and executive creative director/MD of Draftfcb Sydney.*** My favorite, of course, is the latest ludicrous installment from Skittles. It's just a crazy piece of thinking, celebrates the product and, I suspect, will stand out in a crowded ad break. Unimpeachable credentials.... BEST TV I've noticed that Judges in the past have begun by saying something like "I didn't really like anything..." but I think I got lucky this week. There are some nice spots here. My favorite, of course, is the latest ludicrous installment from Skittles. It's just a crazy piece of thinking, celebrates the product and, I suspect, will stand out in a crowded ad break. Unimpeachable credentials. I also very much liked the Slam Dunk Sprite spot. BEST PRINT Thank God for the Juicy Fruit ad. I was ready to wheel out the "I didn't really like anything..." line. Mr Eastwood and Mr Harricks combine to great effect... again. If pushed to name a runner up, I guess I'd go for the Ansell glove ad. But geez, why didn't they make a damn cup with the finger holes instead of getting the junior art director to do the re-touching? BEST OUTDOOR I didn't really like anything. Damn it. I was hoping to not have to use that line. The Ambi Pur nose / Toilet visual is a bit of a fudge to my mind. I so wanted to like it because it's such a simple visual but hmmmmm, it's not quite working for me. The Meiji Milk doors are a good use of the space but I wish they hadn't put a different athlete on each door - if it had just been the Sumo, I would've liked it more I think. The aging Billboards are solid but nothing special, the AAA Malcolm McLaren poster way too freakin' complicated, the Faber Castell 'A bicycle rider at night is like a word in a book' got lost somewhere in translation and the Vline jazz poster, whilst well executed, seemed pretty familiar to me. *** As chief creative officer at Draftfcb New York, Michael Simons is responsible for leading the agency's creative assignments across its client roster which includes Kraft, United States Census Bureau, Fisher Price and Pinnacle Foods. Michael joined the New York office in November 2008 after serving a dual role as regional creative director for Draftfcb in Asia Pacific and executive creative director/managing director of Draftfcb Sydney. There were many highlights during his 10 years in the Sydney agency, including: winning Nike and introducing the client as a principal sponsor of the Sydney Olympic games, winning Harley Davidson and Panasonic, launching AOL in Australia, relaunching WHO magazine, and winning and working with Greenpeace. Prior to joining Draftfcb, Michael was a creative director on the Nike account at Wieden & Kennedy in the U.S. Among the notable campaigns he created there was 'Roo Boy' for Nike Australia, which won Best Campaign two year's running at the Australian AWARD awards. Having secured the Nike business upon his return to Australia with Draftfcb, The New York Times' annual 'Year in Ideas' issue singled out his Nike 'Ban the Boot' campaign as a "groundbreaking display of corporate jujitsu". Throughout his career, Michael has globe-trotted between New Zealand, Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. Other agencies he's worked for during that 20-year period include D'Arcy, KHBB and Y&R. Guest judge: John Merrifield, TBWA\Asia Pacific This week's guest reviewer is John Merrifield, Creative at large, TBWA Asia Pacific.Having failed to enable his surfing to finance an enviable lifestyle, John emerged in Singapore, where an initial foray into adland was highlighted by six years at Batey Ads. His debut as CD followed, a stint at Saatchi's Jakarta that was aborted prematurely when tanks rumbled past the office. Dave Droga made him ECD of Saatchi's Hong Kong and within two years the office had won their first Kam Fan (Grand Prix). Persuaded to open a new Saatchi's in Tokyo, he created an environment that was a radical departure for agencies in Japan. Its art gallery established a number of new artists, while the agency itself received the ultimate accolade: it was taken to the public prosecutor's office in July 2002. (It's not often entire shops get arrested.) John joined TBWA Japan as Chief Creative Officer on April 1, 2003. Within five months, his 'Vertical Football' billboard for adidas had earned worldwide acclaim. A year later, the adidas 'Impossible Sprint' took the spectacle of the Olympic games to death-defying heights in both Hong Kong and Osaka. He took on his current position as 'Creative at large' of TBWA Asia Pacific in September 2006. His remit includes everything from attracting top talent and spearheading regional and global pitches, to hot-housing with the network's young bloods and inculcating a culture of creative innovation. He continues to work intimately with TBWA's showcase clients, adidas chief among them. Judges have awarded John multiple gold lions at Cannes, multiple gold pencils at The One Show, the grand clio and multiple golds at the Clios, best of show (twice) plus multiple gold, silver and bronze lotuses at AdFest, multiple gold and silver spikes at the Asian Advertising Awards, multiple pencils including gold at AWARD, the ADC prize (gold) in Tokyo, multiple acceptances in D&AD, Communication Arts and The Work book, as well as gold, silver and bronze awards in lesser shows around the world. He was named Asia's Creative of the Year 2004. He topped the Campaign Brief 2004 Creative Rankings in Asia/Pacific. He was named Chairman of the Print, Innovative and Integrated jury for the 2006 Clios. He was a member of the 2007 D&AD jury and has been asked to pass judgment on the work of others in Asia, America and Europe. He would give it all back for more time in the water. *** The Rethink Scholarship is a nifty little video promo. I like it. But I'm not sure they bought air time. It feels a little unfair to judge it as a television spot.... BEST TV I don't buy into the thinking of "the best of a bad lot". Near enough is not enough. It's either distinctive and memorable - a worthy and deserving best - or it's not. There's no point rewarding effort. We all work hard. And we all know how difficult it is to deliver world class work. I'd rather move on than be coerced into rewarding something that doesn't really deserve it. None of the television really deserves it. The Rethink Scholarship is a nifty little video promo. I like it. But I'm not sure they bought air time. It feels a little unfair to judge it as a television spot. Peugeot is a television spot, it's just not a particularly good one. Their payoff is "motion & emotion". There's plenty of the former, none of the latter. Wrangler is as self-indulgent as it gets (lighten up garcons, it's a pair of jeans)and it reminds me that I should've been more persuasive in arguing against the same campaign for last year's print Cannes Grand Prix. I wanted the Miller High Life work. I was in a minority of one. The Star spot is perhaps the 283rd homage to the Nike ad of a decade ago. You know the one. A variety of basketball stars create a percussive soundtrack through syncopated dribbling and squeaky sneakers. The Sony Vaio spot is the first one I've seen where the end logo starts the film. Turns out to be the wrong end logo. Finally, you'd think that adidas + Star Wars + Snoop Dogg + Beckham + Daft Punk would equal a pretty amazing effort. You'd be wrong. But the shoes are wicked cool. BEST PRINT Again, nothing stood out enough to be considered the best. Most, in fact, had that familiar whiff about them. Designed more for award juries than people who actually buy things. The Fujipix ad looking for a smile at a funeral (I can imagine many Japanese marketers giving the thumbs up to that one). The don't drink and fly ad for The Pilot Tavern. The salmon in a tin that's actually an oil drum for Skeena Wild. The chemical elements as scrabble pieces for the Environmental Recycling Insititute. The Birthday candles that you don't blow out for Amnesty International. And what must be the swiftest ad ever to go from helping the world to being judged by it, the tear in the map earthquake work for AMI Haiti. (Frankly this last one is the most insidious as I can't help but think that the desire to aid humanity runs a distant second to the desire to aid award shelves in reception.) So far, perfect score: two categories, zero bests. BEST OUTDOOR Shield Security is a brilliant bit of audience targeting. It's a shame the company's remit is confined to the Netherlands. They need to be recruiting for airports in the States. Every one of them. A very clever piece of work. Full marks. The Metropolitan Police is a bit of classic outdoor as is Kiwi Shine. The upside-down crosses is this week's best use of tree and I'm sure those who shoot flying foxes in NSW will have fun putting a few holes in the new woodwork. The World Press Photo work was a nice attempt to bring attention to world press photos, though it took perhaps a few too many steps to connect the dots. It did generate some nice publicity, though, which is kind of the whole point. For me, however, the best was the Coca-Cola Happiness Machine. I know it may not have been the first to combine humans and vending machines (think Uniqlo, think Flossie.com) but in this case I don't think it matters. Its potency is established as you watch each customer gather more and more bottles from their original dime. The human stuff later on is a bonus. And even if it was done just once, in one obscure college campus it's still great. It's joyful. And it delivers the brand promise in an interesting and memorable way. It's a worthy best. Shame the same couldn't be said of the other categories. Guest judge: Ali Shabaz, regional CCO, Grey Group This week's guest judge is Ali Shabaz, chief creative officer for Grey Group Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.Previously from JWT Singapore, Shabaz served as associate creative director in 2005. Within a year, he was promoted to creative director and honoured 'Advertising Professional of the Year' at The Singapore Advertising Hall of Fame Awards. He was ranked the 11th 'Hottest Creative' for two years in Asia and voted one of 'Singapore's Most Influential Creative Directors' by the Institute of Advertising Singapore (IAS) for three consecutive years since its launch. Under his watch, the agency ended 2007 as the best performing JWT office and third most awarded WPP office in the world. In 2008, Shabaz rose to the position of executive creative director, the same year that the office was ranked as the sixth 'Most Creative Agency' in Asia. Formerly, Shabaz help build BBDO Singapore's creative reputation over his five-year tenure to become the second most creative agency according to Campaign Brief Asia. Under his helm, the agency's print campaign for Pizza Hut was acknowledged as the eighth most awarded print campaign globally in the Gunn Report. A 17-year advertising veteran, Shabaz has worked in India, the Middle East and Singapore on a diverse range of local and international brands like Visa, KFC, FedEx and ICI Paints which won him a slew of awards at Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Clio, Effies, AdFest and Spikes Asia. When he's not occupied with work, he lectures for the IAS, AWARD School and contributes his views on advertising to leading industry publications. *** I will pick Amnesty as my top pick for consistently producing work that makes us think about the world we live in. This spot is worth a see.... BEST TV I'm faced with the same dilemma every judge is faced with when looking at a body of creative work - be honest or be kind? I flip a coin. Honesty, wins. Best TV: Disappointing overall. I will pick Amnesty as my top pick for consistently producing work that makes us think about the world we live in. This spot is worth a see. The Listerine spot comes a close second. BEST PRINT Print has nothing new to offer, it seems nothing great. Not even good. Almost. Fortunately, in a sea of mediocrity one stood out by making me smile: 3 Chanchitos Supermarket. It's an old gag but still has steam. I would have made the boy scowl instead. More subtle and powerful. But that's just me. BEST OUTDOOR If the whole idea of outdoor is to grab your attention, then the Alfa Romeo work is an eyeball popper. Putting an expensive car in a supermarket trolley to say it's now affordable is amazing. Creative people who moan about doing 'price-off' ads should look and weep. Good as that is, the Metservice billboard walks away with the top prize for showing us what good outdoor can do - lift your spirits as you make your way to another boring day at the office. Guest judge: Roger Baldacci, ECD, Arnold, Boston This week's guest judge is Roger Baldacci, EVP, Executive Creative Director at Arnold, Boston. Roger is a Creative Director on all of ESPN's interactive business including fantasy football, fantasy baseball and ESPN360.com. While Roger manages teams of creatives, he also serves as a senior writer who works on several of Arnold's accounts.Prior to joining Arnold Roger worked at Fallon in Minneapolis. At Fallon, Roger worked on many high-profile national brands including BMW, Miller Lite, Nikon, Starbucks and International trucks. A Boston native, Roger began his career working at several New England agencies. Roger has devoted much of his career to working on youth-oriented brands. At Arnold, Roger ran the 'truth' anti smoking campaign for three years and has written some of truth's more iconic spots such as the Emmy-winning 'Shards O' Glass' Super Bowl spot and 'Singing Cowboy'. Roger has also worked on VW, Timberland, and TAG body spray. Roger is the most awarded creative at Arnold. His shelf is full of Communication Arts, One Show pencils, Cannes lions, Clios, MPA Kelly Awards, New York Art Directors Club, British Design & Art Direction, Radio Mercury awards, London International as well as several goofy props from past commercial shoots. Best TV: Leica Anti Shake cameras. I'm a sucker for simple. When everyone else is trying to invent new media and project their tweets on a live manatee, Leica comes out with a brilliantly simple product demonstration.... BEST TV Best TV: Leica Anti Shake cameras. I'm a sucker for simple. When everyone else is trying to invent new media and project their tweets on a live manatee, Leica comes out with a brilliantly simple product demonstration. Runner Up: Twix 'Crooked Face'. I was going to go with Praja.org spot for the craft of it alone, but I knew where it was going straight away and didn't feel rewarded at the end. For Twix, I had no idea where it was going so I was captivated til the end. Love the way it was filmed and it's just a really interesting way to sell a goofy candy bar. BEST PRINT Best Print: Magielle lingerie. Just when you thought you've seen all the lingerie ads, you get this. I love this because it's conceptual, simple, well photographed, and features a hot model with an amazing rack. Runner Up: Scitech 'Bed of Nails'. I wanted to like the Cannon ad but didn't really get it. If it's the Playboy icon from a different angle, I like it - but where's the bow tie? So that left me with 'Bed of Nails'. It must be an award show season for a junior team somewhere. But this 'pro bono' effort is still funny and well executed. But better make sure it ran before you enter it into The One Show, otherwise you're screwed. BEST OUTDOOR Best Outdoor: McDonalds 'Steam Transit Shelter'. Simple. Captivating. Brilliant. My only complaint is that there's a bit too much 'steam' - making it feel like a smoke-filled coffee shop in Paris. But very memorable. Runner-up: Heineken 'Stadium of Dreams'. I'm not exactly sure what was going on here, but these people seemed to go through a lot of effort and they used the web to make a live sculpture of sorts, so this must be great. It would probably be more clear to me after shot-gunning a few Heineken keg cans. Guest judge: Steve Henry, creative director, London This week's guest judge is Steve Henry, who was a founder and creative director of Howell Henry Chaldecott Lury, the legendary advertising agency voted Campaign's Agency of the Decade in 2000.Their most famous work included campaigns for: Tango, Pot Noodle, The Automobile Association, Egg, First Direct, Go, Mazda, Fuji film, Marie Claire magazine, and many others. After HHCL, Steve spent two years as executive creative director at TBWA/London, where he oversaw multi-platform campaigns for clients like Playstation, Adidas, Apple, Starburst, Skittles and Nissan. In his career, Steve has won most of the major creative awards, including the D&AD Gold Pencil, the Grand Prix at Cannes, the Grand Prix at the British Television Awards, the President's Award at the Royal Television Society awards, and the President's Award at Creative Circle (twice). He has spoken at over 35 advertising conferences all around the world. In 2007, he was included in Campaign Magazine's Hall of Fame, a collection of the 40 most influential people in British advertising over the last 50 years. (He was probably most proud of the fact that he was the youngest person there ...) Outside of advertising, Steve has been involved in various writing projects, including a best-selling book called Change the World for a Fiver, which sold over a million copies worldwide. He is currently engaged in various projects, including working with the best digital agencies in London. He also writes a blog on the Campaign web-site about innovations in marketing or anything else which catches his eye. *** To be frank, there are no ideas here I haven't seen before. So I'm left looking at just executions. And, in the TAC execution, I can see one of the most powerful bits of film you're ever likely to see, in any medium, anywhere in the world. This film alone makes me proud to be part of the ad industry.... BEST TV I like to see ideas that I haven't seen before. But when you've been around as long as I have, that's rarer than a hen with an impacted rear molar. To be frank, there are no ideas here I haven't seen before. So I'm left looking at just executions. And, in the TAC execution, I can see one of the most powerful bits of film you're ever likely to see, in any medium, anywhere in the world. This film alone makes me proud to be part of the ad industry. I nearly dislocated my neck flinching from the images, I shouted out loud at one point, and if you can watch it without crying, you're a psychopath. It's "just" a compilation of previous ads, but it's devastating, and as powerful in a few minutes as virtually anything you'll ever see. It gets under your skin and hangs around in your brain. In two words, it's fucking outstanding. If you want one word, outfuckingstanding. If more people knew how to make ads like this, tv ads would be around for ever. Second best is the Orangina ad from Fred and Farid which borrows the old Tango strategy but delivers it in an execution that's totally out there. In its own way, this film makes me proud to be part of our industry too. Go, boys. BEST PRINT I'm sorry. I can't find anything here. Maybe it's me, maybe I'm missing some subtlety. But these all look like old ideas - old ideas in an old medium. It used to be that you dreaded getting put on the radio jury, but now I think I'd find an excuse to get out of judging print, too. Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying it's impossible to get a great print ad out. But it's bloody difficult. And these days, when you can watch tv on your mobile or give multi-media presentations off your iPod, this all looks like an exercise in nostalgia. If Michael was going to twist my arm I'd say the Mitsubishi ad. And if he threatened me with a crowbar to find a runner-up I'd say Masterlock. But honestly Michael, violence isn't the answer you know. BEST OUTDOOR Outdoor is always fresher than print. Maybe it's like your Mum always used to say - go outside and play, it'll do you good. (In Australia maybe your Mum didn't say that. Because it's always sunny. But in Britain, when it's just above freezing and it gets dark at 3 o'clock, the backyard looks a little less enticing.) The Kids' Company ad is interesting - I've wanted to do the site-specific idea for ages, and they've done it very well. Easy Home Center has a good line, IOM is an old idea but I think it would really cut through, and Doctors of the World is again a variation on an old idea but top marks for trying. But over all these, I love the cheekiness of Fentiman's. I'm gonna pick Fentiman's, as it happens, because most brands are too scared to pick a fight. And most agencies are too scared to fight for good work. And in the absence of agencies fighting for good work, I'd like to celebrate someone who is at least pushing another brand in the chest and saying "Oi, did you spill my pint". It's worth remembering that virtually every purchase happens in a competitive environment, so it's always useful to say what your brand ISN'T - to find an enemy for your brand. And I think Coke, in all its happy-clappiness, is a good, fat target. (If you're going to get into a fight at any time, make sure you pick someone slower and fatter than you are.) Second up? Kids' Company. It feels like an exercise in scam, but what the fuck. It's Christmas, isn't it? And that's a good time to think about kids. As the bloke said, loading crates of booze into the back of his car, if it wasn't for the kids, we wouldn't bother. Guest judge: Derek Green, CCO, Saatchi & Saatchi Switzerland
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
SWITZERLAND
December 09, 2009 23:34 (Edited: February 17, 2023 04:19)
 This week's guest judge is Derek Green, chief creative officer at Saatchi & Saatchi Switzerland for both Geneva & Zurich offices.Previously from Sydney, Derek first started his career at Saatchi New Zealand, left the network and then returned to Saatchi 10 years later, this time in Switzerland. Derek has called Geneva home for the past 4 years. He heads a unique office that is almost the United Nations of Advertising with over 18 nationalities, creating campaigns throughout Europe for P&G, Novartis, Orange, CPW & HP. He's been recognized at all the usual award shows around the world. *** It definitely comes down to the ridiculous yet fun Energy Australia ad and the Silver Ferns Farms ad.... BEST TV In the past I've been called heartless and my partner honestly believes I'm "dead inside" but I'm sorry if offend someone, the MasterCard ad is jumping on the African World Cup bandwagon. If you're going to partner up with a great organisation like Right to Play, don't do a brand ad and tack the logo at the end, tell people what the charity stands for and how you're supporting it! The Vittel ad is nice but unfortunately the Weetabix ad from the UK is exactly the same. So it definitely comes down to the ridiculous yet fun Energy Australia ad and the Silver Ferns Farms ad. It's like the Bledisloe Cup, Aust vs NZ. It pains me to say this but the result is the same as the rugby, the kiwis are going to take it out again. It's fun and well directed. Ps. I can't wait until the All Blacks choke in their home World Cup. BEST PRINT The paper cut Apple idea is ok but I wish it didn't need the headline to explain the idea. So my runner up goes to Vodafone. I feel like I have seen the idea before but it is strong. (I'm interested to know why the media placement was in the highly acclaimed Parent's Inc magazine.) So my favourite is the Handi-C Hand rub ad. Well done to Gongpan Uphathumprungpong and his team. It's simple and visually arresting. BEST OUTDOOR This was tough because the winner was so outstanding. My runner up goes to the Lotus Awards, only because I got flashbacks from the many festive award shows that I have attended. My winner is not exactly a poster but more of an event. In fact, it's a brand experience. I don't recall seeing an ad in the video but the Gatorade 'replay' idea is great. It got loads of people to be part of the brand... I just wanted to know who the winner was! Guest judge: David Angelo, CCO, David&Goliath, Los Angeles This week's guest judge is David Angelo, chairman & chief creative officer of David&Goliath, based in Los Angeles.David has a BFA in Advertising from the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. He began his career in 1989 at DDB New York as a Junior Art Director. There, he created award winning work for Michelin, Seagrams Crown Royal, Seiko and most notably, the "Hey, you never know" campaign for the New York Lotto. In 1992, he was tapped as a Creative Consultant for the Clinton/Gore Presidential Campaign and was responsible for creating the anthem spot that ran on election eve. He then moved to the New York office of TBWA Chiat/Day to steer the Reebok and MTV accounts before heading West to manage the Lexus and Adidas accounts at Team One Advertising. Next, David joined Cliff Freeman & Partners in NY as Executive Creative Director. There, he worked on accounts for Coca-Cola and Fanta Global, Little Caesar's Pizza, Sauza Tequila, Prodigy Online and the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Over the years, David has created a memorable body of work that has garnered more than 300 of the industry's most prestigious awards, including Cannes Lions, Clios, One Show Pencils and Andys. In addition, David was inducted into the American Advertising Hall of Achievement for people under 40 and was described by Adweek as "one of the most prolific Art Directors of his generation". Upon this recognition, Kia Motors of America approached him in 1999 with the opportunity to start his own agency, David&Goliath. His agency has expanded its roster of brands to include Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Orlando Resort, Bacardi Rum, Mattel, MGM Casinos - Monte Carlo and NY/NY, Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort, Red Bull Cola and Marc Ecko Enterprises. David currently serves on the Board of the Los Angeles Ad Association and the Art Directors Club. David is married with two daughters, and is unfortunately a die hard Oakland Raiders fan. *** JC Penney. Normally I'm not a big fan of ad sequels, however with this one I'll make an exception.... BEST TV As though I don't have enough to do, critiquing this week's bestadsontv.com takes priority over everything. Why? Because you and I both know that everyone whose work is represented here is waiting with breath that is bated, in hopes for my ultimate validation. And unfortunately kids, I'm in rare form today. After all, most of you egomaniacs have already stopped reading this intro copy and have moved on to see who I've picked as this week's best ads. So without further snarky babbling, let's open the gifts: JC Penney. Normally I'm not a big fan of ad sequels, however with this one I'll make an exception. I love the fact that you, JC Penney (a place my mom would take me and my six siblings for bargain sneakers), had the balls to not only approve and produce last year's breakthrough piece, but follow it up with this year's gem. I love the format, the review board, and the beer making kit. Bottom line, it does what no advertising or marketing campaign has done over the last several decades and that's make me feel different about a brand called JC Penney. Oh yeah, congrats to the creative team for allowing the client to show their balls. BEST PRINT Science World. Great print is always simple and to the point, that's why my vote goes to Science World, hands down. And that's why my comment here is simple and to the point. Moving on. BEST OUTDOOR Stella Artois. I have to say, this category had very slim pickings but if I had to choose one, the nod would go to Stella Artois for The Ritual Project. For starters, it's true outdoor (not a print ad posing as an outdoor piece) with an inclusive component to it: 21 days of hand painting to demonstrate the ritual of pouring a glass of Stella. The only question I have - Is it like watching paint dry? So there you have it, my honest take on this week's bestads. For those of you who I have chosen, congratulations, you have been validated. Guest judge: Eric Quennoy, CD, Wieden & Kennedy, Amsterdam
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
NETHERLANDS
November 25, 2009 07:27 (Edited: February 17, 2023 04:19)
 This week's guest judge is Eric Quennoy, creative director at Wieden and Kennedy, Amsterdam. Eric has been at W+K Amsterdam since April 2006 after working in New York for 8 years, his last post working with David Droga at Publicis, where his work was recognized at Cannes, Clio, and D&AD. As Creative Director on the Nike business, Eric has recently overseen Nike's highly awarded 'Here I Am' women's campaign and is also behind Nike's current World Cup 2010 effort.*** Just for the simple, one-take, post-free ambition of the director alone, I'm giving the Golden Zoloft to Toyota Hybrid. It harkens back to a sweeter, gentler, pre-flame time, and I'm feeling wistful right now.... BEST TV Last time I did a review here on Bestads, my colleagues all accused me of being 'kind of a dick'. So this time, in order to imbue my critique with a healthy dose of positivity, I've popped 800mg of Zoloft and had just a little nip of Macallan (18 year, 2 ice cubes). By the way, it's an absolutely gorgeous day here in Amsterdam. Okay, here I go, diddly-o. TV. Just for the simple, one-take, post-free ambition of the director alone, I'm giving the Golden Zoloft to Toyota Hybrid. It harkens back to a sweeter, gentler, pre-flame time, and I'm feeling wistful right now. Runner up is the Toshiba space chair spot. Man, I'd love to be sitting up there. BEST PRINT Coolio, onto print. Since all of these ads are a gag I have to go with the ones that made me the happiest. Extra happy prize goes to Sky Movies Tintanic, with Axe Snow Angel close behind. BEST OUTDOOR I like the beautiful Faber Castell Toy ad the best. Makes me want to spend the afternoon drawing. Hachette Evidence Bag as runner up. Have a wonderful day. Guest judge: Guillermo Vega, ECD, Y&R Latin America
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
November 18, 2009 17:24 (Edited: February 17, 2023 04:19)
 This week's guest judge is Guillermo Vega, regional executive creative director of Young & Rubicam Latin America.Last year, under his creative leadership, Y&R Argentina got the 5th position in the WPP worldwide ranking, amongst 1000 agencies in the group. Furthermore, the agency is for the first time occupying a position in the top 10 of The Gunn Report. During his career, he has won more than 300 national and international awards in the most important ad festivals, achieving in the last years 4 Cannes Lions and 10 Clio awards. Guillermo has participated as a jury in national and international festivals such as D&AD, Clio, FIAP, New York Festivals, El Ojo de IberoamÃérica, El Sol, among others. I think the best TV this week is The Burden for Casa Do Menor from Nico & Martin and McCann Erickson Milan.... BEST TV I think the best TV this week is The Burden for Casa Do Menor from Nico & Martin and McCann Erickson Milan. I really like the tone of the spot. I like the casting and the music, both really good. It's a sad metaphor that you can feel thoroughout the entire spot. Nicely done. As runner ups, I enjoyed Mirror from Johnnie Walker, although it is not the best we've seen for the brand, which has a high creative standard; and the Sister in Law for Pepsico from BBDO Argentina and Rebolucion, I like the idea and the insight. BEST PRINT I would say that the best is Easy Home Center Toys. As a runner up, I like Spid from DDB New Zealand. I don't like the print very much. I've seen better work in previous weeks. BEST OUTDOOR I like The Bloody Ruin It's a good idea. I like it a lot, well done guys! The best outdoor. And one of the best this week. I like the sensibility in this idea and the super simple execution. Runner up is Collision from BBH London. Elegant and nice. It really communicates the idea. Guest judge: Tay Guan Hin, Asia Regional ECD, JWT This week's guest judge is Tay Guan Hin, JWT's Asian regional executive creative director.His creative flair played a significant part in Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore being named International Agency of the Year in 1998 by Advertising Age. And his inspiring leadership saw Leo Burnett being ranked by Campaign Brief as 5th hottest agency in the Region in 2004. Since joining JWT in 2005 as regional executive creative director, Guan Hin has made history by being the first South-East Asian creative to be inducted into the JWT Worldwide Creative Council for his outstanding work. Not surprisingly, he also steered the agency to Adfest's Network of the Year. Not once, but twice in a row - in 2008 and 2009. Spikes Asia naming JWT as Network of the Year 2009 is yet another testament to Guan Hin's potent leadership. The awards that line his office shelf include Cannes Gold Lions, One Show Gold Pencils, Clio Gold Statues; as well as numerous awards from D&AD, AdFest, Award and Spikes. His most recent accolade is the New York Festival's Creative Achievement Award which recognizes Guan Hin as one of the most talented and respected creative leaders in Asia who consistently pushes creative standards in the Asia Pacifi industry. Guan Hin is also the Global ECD of Lux, Unilever - a role where his boundless imagination continues to push boundaries. *** Favorite: Guinness 'World'. My God... How did they bring this to life? Besides the stunning cinematography and flawless special effects, I'm amazed that Guinness is able to maintain their level of creativity year after year.... BEST TV Favorite: Guinness 'World'. My God... How did they bring this to life? Besides the stunning cinematography and flawless special effects, I'm amazed that Guinness is able to maintain their level of creativity year after year. Even though this is the first time I've seen work from the new tagline: "Bring it to life" they have not lost track of Guinness's epic brand identity during this current economic crisis. They could have easily done a less ambitious spot. The beauty of this spot doesn't just lie on the epic scale alone but on the small intimate moments that capture the humanity in each sequence. For example the scene of tough guys pulling turf across the barren land is contrasted by a small lone ladybug hanging onto a grass. Also an absolutely memorable soundtrack that leaves a lingering effect. God created the world in 7 days. Guinness shows that a group of men can create it in 90 seconds. Runner up: Subaru 'Crowd Rider'. Another epic production, but with a lot more charm. I don't remember a good ad for Subaru before but this one really made me like the brand for the first time. A very simple spot that manages to take you on a journey from the perspective of a driver. The human wave makes for a remarkable metaphor! An entire company committed to ensure that the ride is as personal and smooth as possible. What I really love are all the small interaction between the Subaru employees and the drivers. There's also a scene where one of them flirts with a woman in a building. All these little touches (pun intended) make this one of my favorite commercials to date. Music played a huge role in elevating the charm factor. I just hope that when I visit a Subaru showroom in the future, the salesman doesn't start touching my butt. BEST PRINT Favorite: Life Yoga 'Sweat'. If only sweat could look this beautiful. The trend of putting visuals on a white background seems outdated, but when you have a visual as arresting as this it seems like a reasonable thing to do. The art direction looks pretty straightforward but I'm sure the team must have spent months or years trying out different body sizes and placement within the page. What works well is the balance between the negative and positive space to form the body. For print to succeed these days, simplicity is key. However, it's always tougher to craft a simple idea. So well done to the team for not overcooking the ad. You kept it fresh and "wet". Runner up: James Boags Draught 'Swim'. Talking about being "wet", James Boags Draught came up with a nice, simple yet funny print work called 'Swim'. This is a good follow up from the tvc that launched the same idea that Tasmanian waters improve things. An interesting and brave strategy using better water to sell better beer. What I understand is that this elderly man, who probably struggling to swim well, can now swim as well as a duck. Or he can swim as long as a duck. Whatever the takeout the message of making things better comes out clear with certain wit and charm. I like the entire campaign in this series and see lots of longevity in this direction. BEST OUTDOOR Favorite: VicRoads 'CityGT'. I've seen many attempts to get people to stop talking on their mobiles while they drive but none as effective as this. A fully 3D racing game called City GT that uses an iphone as a steering wheel, which sets the situation up beautifully before hijacking the game. So what better way to reach a younger audience than thru a free iphone apps game but with an unexpected twist? I can imagine the shock if I had to pick a call while playing the game to witness my car crashing on a huge interactive screen in Melbourne's Federation Square. In my opinion, great outdoor is simple, makes perfect use of the environment and creates talk-ability. This one has all three! Runner up: IOM 'Supermarket trolley'. Who would not stop to see this outdoor installation? An upside down trolley trapping people is powerful way to showcase human trafficking in the production process of the goods we normally buy. It was so intriguing that I went to the website to find out more. The website was supported with stories and facts which reinforced the concept. There's even a TVC that brought to life the installation piece. Not exactly sure where this was placed. But if it was in front of a major supermarket in Switzerland it would make a much more potent statement. Guest judge, Jonathan Kneebone, co-founder, The Glue Society This week's guest judge is Jonathan Kneebone, writer/director at The Glue Society, an independent creative collective he co-founded over 11 years ago with Gary Freedman.The Glue Society now features 10 writers, designers and directors working out of offices in Sydney and New York. The company's work encompasses everything from broadcast entertainment, print and television advertising, film direction and graphic design to art exhibitions, installations and sculpture. The various directors in the collective are represented by Revolver Film in Australia, Park Pictures in America and Academy in the UK. Among other awards, The Glue Society counts a Cannes Titanium and Direct Grand Prix, several Gold Lions plus D&AD Silver Pencils and are twice winners of Australian Creative magazine's Hotshop of the Year. They are also the only exhibitor to have collected both the public and children's prizes at Sydney's Sculpture by the Sea. As artists, they have been commissioned again to show at the upcoming Pulse, Miami Art Fair. This year, they will be showing a film-based work covering the longest eclipse this century, which occurred in Shanghai this July. *** Nothing particularly to my taste, I'm afraid, but if I had to pick one (which I do) then I think Carling would be the idea that most likely hits a nerve. It is well made, performed and likely to stand the test of time. Something that none of the others quite manage... BEST TV If you shut your eyes for a moment, you could be forgiven for thinking it's the eighties all over again. (Well actually if you shut your eyes, you wouldn't see any of the work, so that's not strictly an accurate statement.) But whether this week's work is a reaction to the pressure of creating a million touch points out of a single thought or a real re-embracing of the old school adland activities of yesteryear, I guess only time will tell. If it's possible, retro might be making a comeback. There's a Weetabix ad that feels like an old Lowe/Heineken spot. A live cinema stunt just like Saatchi's used to do. A gimmicky ambient outdoor stunt or two. A print ad with a mass of white space and a minute logo. The television section would appear to be one of the stronger collections of work for a while. Nothing particularly to my taste, I'm afraid, but if I had to pick one (which I do) then I think Carling would be the idea that most likely hits a nerve. It is well made, performed and likely to stand the test of time. Something that none of the others quite manage. Runner-up: Weetabix 'Steeplechase'. BEST PRINT Print-wise, I guess I have to pick the Natural Confectionery Company's topical ad. It is relevant at least - and no sign of any razor blades. Though as Fallon (who really invented this campaign) proved, this would have been better in film than in print. Runner-up: Tulipan 'Bra'. BEST OUTDOOR For outdoor, I'll pick the HOT cable TV posters. Simply because one suspects people really did like stealing fridge magnets of their favourite TV stars. Runner-up: The Economist. Guest judge: Duncan Marshall, ECD, Droga5, New York This week's guest judge is Duncan Marshall, executive creative director and founding partner of Droga5, based in New York. After law school, Duncan was convinced that the world needed more creative people. He traded his fountain pen for a crayon, and so began his advertising career. For over 10 years, he worked as a group head at Saatchi & Saatchi, London, producing award-winning work for clients such as Sony, T-Mobile, the NSPCC, the British Army, Virgin and Procter & Gamble. Winner of the UK's 2002 TV Commercial of the Year Award, he helped Saatchi & Saatchi win Agency of the Year at the Cannes International Advertising Festival that same year.In 2003, Duncan moved to New York City to take up the post of executive creative director at Publicis New York. That first year saw the agency become New York's most-awarded agency at Cannes. It also won major awards at D&AD, as well as Clio and Andy Awards. Duncan has been named one of the world's top ten Art Directors by Boards magazine. To date, he still likes nothing more than a blank sheet of paper and a crayon. *** TAC: The Ride. Really well put together, the last shot is shocking. One Pommie whinge: don't bike riders see this POV every day though? Still, makes you sit up, whoever you are.... BEST TV Some arresting production in the spots this week but I was left with a few questions on many of them, like: How can you get away with showing a dog, much less a human, driving like it's on crack in an alcohol ad? Can you call an ad 'viral' before it's actually gone viral? Did the team cut a version of the squid spot where the Thai girl punched her bloke in the eyeball at the end? Would have preferred it I think. Also, Did that New Zealand family ignore the cancer because they thought it was a Direct Mail stunt for Hubba Bubba? Anyway, best two for me were: TAC: The Ride. Really well put together, the last shot is shocking. One Pommie whinge: don't bike riders see this POV every day though? Still, makes you sit up, whoever you are. Cadbury: Squid. This beat the Breast cancer spot to second place because of the details. I love that they made the squid blink and put coriander and ginger on the quivering tentacly bits. Like so much of the work from Thailand it's mad as a split snake but it does draw a crowd. BEST OUTDOOR Just a couple of quick questions... Is there a danger in doing an ad for a TV show that involves people having a great time in a cinema? Does the Weak Shop take the weak US Dollar? I've been in Sydney for a few weeks and it's bloody expensive. Okay, so my favourites were: The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation: The Blob. Even though I'm sure Hubba Bubba sales in New Zealand rocketed after this stunt, there's no doubt it also did what it was supposed to and got people thinking. Btw I liked how the police just cruise on by. I wonder what was more unusual in the town that day than a forty foot pedestrian hazard. Toyota Hilux: How to clean a Hilux. Nice to see a classic visual and headline poster again. Rare these days. Art direction could have been pushed a bit but it's a simple idea that's right on the button tonally. Like many good posters it'd make a nice little 15" spot. Look out for it on this page in a couple of weeks eh? BEST PRINT One question only: Does anyone else think we should have a whip-round and hire someone to firebomb DDB New Zealand? They're doing some great work and should be stopped. I realise I had my chance when I worked with Toby Talbot years ago in London and could have blamed it all on the lunatic who was running the place. Favourites were: Arts Channel: Rothko. Well considered art direction and depressingly good copy. Sky Television: Fast and Furious. Made me look. Made me laugh. Made me want to watch it. Toodlepip. Guest judge: Roger Camp, Publicis & Hal Riney, San Francisco This week's guest judge is Roger Camp, chief creative officer of Publicis & Hal Riney, San Francisco, who oversees all creative for renowned brands including U.S. Cellular, Hungry Man, Vlasic, Blue Cross and Blue Shield (Wellpoint) and AAA. Just prior to taking the creative helm at Riney in 2007, Camp was creative director at Fallon where he developed acclaimed work for Holiday Inn brand and led the agency's latest foray into branded content with the Brawny Academy reality show.Previously, Camp was creative director at Wieden and Kennedy overseeing the agency's Coca Cola business which included Diet Coke and Powerade, earning top honors in its category at the EFFIES and becoming a provocative case study for the agency. Camp also served as CD on the Miller Brewing business including Miller High Life, and Nike Lab and ACG division of Nike, Electronic Arts, Amazon.com and others. Before Wieden and Kennedy, Camp was principal and creative director of CampArbues in San Francisco, a shop he founded with former client Eileen Arbues. Clients included E! Entertainment Network, Gordon Biersch Brewing and Critical Path. Some of Camp's other award-winning work includes the launch of Adidas and Cnet while at Leagas Delaney, The Discovery Channel for Publicis & Hal Riney, as well as Cherry Coke, Little Caesars, Staples and the highly acclaimed work for Fox Sports and Outpost.com while at Cliff Freeman and Partners. Camp's work has been regarded as some of the best of the last decade. Along with winning every major creative award many times over, including Best of Show at the Clios for an unprecedented two consecutive years, Camp has had the honor of winning more British D&AD awards than any American art director in the show's 45 year history. He has also been named top art director in the country by Boards magazine and been featured on Fox and VH1's Greatest Commercials of All Time. *** For some reason the one piece that stands out most after watching all of them was the simple line in the CalciYum Cat spot that said "kids aren't that smart". That's a great line.... BEST TV First I have to give some big props to the peeps at Fallon for having 3 spots in here this week. The Travelers spot was beautifully produced and great music. The Sony spot was a cool idea but I couldn't get over how annoying the speakers seemed to be to ultimately sell the superior sound experience. There were some entertaining, but easy jokes in the June spot. And for some reason the one piece that stands out most after watching all of them was the simple line in the CalciYum Cat spot that said "kids aren't that smart". That's a great line. The spot was ok. Went on a bit too long. But I watched and waited. I feel like there are a million fun ways to play out that line. In this overly PC world where parents and marketers love to talk about how darned clever kids are these days... it was wildly refreshing to present the opposite. BEST PRINT Hmmm. The print this week is ok. I found that the best way for me to judge work is if it makes me jealous. And theres nothing here I'm OVERLY jealous of. The Forte Camel spot is ok. The AnyLock is solid. I guess the one I like best is the "There's Wally" for Tropicana. But again... not CRAZY about this week's crop. BEST OUTDOOR Nice outdoor. I like the VW stairs execution. The premise of "getting people to choose the stairs for health" is flimsy, and I've seen other "take the stairs for health reasons" executions... but I still enjoyed the way this one was pulled off. I also liked the Clorets work and VW GTI thought bubbles. Again, I've seen the planted thought bubbles (or speech bubbles) before, but I liked it being over the cars. My favorite of the bunch was the Economist ad. Maybe I'm a sucker for Economist ads, but I thought this one was another very simple, thought provoking iteration of the campaign. Guest judge, Peter Majarich, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Boulder Pete Majarich works as a writer at Crispin Porter + Bogusky, in Boulder. After getting his start at Leo Burnett Sydney, he traded boardies for a wooly coat and moved to the Colorado Rocky Mountains, where he most recently bagged a Silver Clio. In between working long hours in a dark warehouse, he spends his spare time as an editor over at http://BannerBlog.com.au and explaining to Americans that Foster's ads aren't an accurate depiction of Australia.*** The Film Festival category is obviously not short on some killer spots. But the VIFF stuff is no exception. Creepy direction. Surreal mood. Good fun. For me, they're the winners here... BEST TV I watched the awesome 'Best in Show' last night and in keeping with that theme, I planned to review all this week's submitted advertisements in the manner of a dog show adjudicator. But time restraints and good sense prevented it. Some nice work out there, especially in TV... The Film Festival category is obviously not short on some killer spots. But the VIFF stuff is no exception. Creepy direction. Surreal mood. Good fun. For me, they're the winners here, but CANAL+ Wardrobe was a close second thanks to the nice end line. Anything by Goodby for The Milk Processor Board is worth a watch too. Huge kudos for not only selling in a 20 minute extravaganza but getting Tom Kuntz to direct it. Special mention also to the recent Coates spots from IdeaWorks which I thought were pretty fun. Showing 25 seconds of a fat bloke in a tiny earth mover before anything happens deserves credit. BEST PRINT One Spark is a pretty powerful visual. Way to get the timely message about bushfire preventative maintenance across without the use of grim pictures of burning Aussie landscapes. Publico Design was fun too, but probably not that far off from a Perrier campaign from a few years back. BEST OUTDOOR Toby Talbot has the Midas touch. Although there's nothing more enjoyable than seeing an annoying audience member get shot down by a professional comedian, the Crunchie Laughtones are an awesome idea to prevent just that from happening. Fresh too. First ever non-annoying use of ringtones? Good stuff. BMF's work for BPAY is solid and effective. Real client also. Job done. Guest judge, Rob Martin-Murphy, ECD, The Furnace, Sydney This week's guest judge is Rob Martin-Murphy, executive creative director of The Furnace, with offices in Sydney and Melbourne. He started his career at Leo Burnett, then worked at JWT, The Ball Partnership and BAM SSB in Sydney, before taking up the role as ECD at Euro RSCG Singapore/Malaysia in 2000.After five years he left and, between stints of lying on the couch watching TV, helped Tiger Beer launch their global experiential marketing platform called Tiger Translate. In 2006, he came back to Australia and took up the ECD role at The Furnace looking after both the Sydney and Melbourne offices. Along the way he's helped many great brands grow and had work recognised at Cannes, D&AD, The One Show, Clio, AWARD, London, NY Festivals, Adfest, Spikes and the Effies. Apart from working in advertising this year he cycled from Sydney to Melbourne in 9 days helping to raise over $750,000 for Muscular Dystrophy and was lucky enough to represent Singapore in both 15 and 7-a-side rugby from 2003 to 2006. Says Rob: "In fact, if you're ever in Sydney and fancy a beer, let me know. I'd love to tell you about all the great players that have run around and/or over me." I loved the New Zealand Lotteries spot. Great little story, well told. Well Done... BEST TV Ok, a fast game's a good game. Either this week's selections moved me in some way, shape or form, or they didn't. Simple really. So, here goes... I loved the New Zealand Lotteries spot. Great little story, well told. Well Done. Runner-Up: It's a tie between Kettle Chips and 'Cracking A Woody' for Independent Liquor. In fact, viewing one may have led to the other. BEST PRINT Sitges Sci-Fi & Fantasy Festival. Some might say it's a gimme of a brief, but what the hell, it's great. Awesome image, made me laugh and I'm sure a few Spanish punters will too. Runner-Up: Finding the next best wasn't easy. If I had to pick one it would be the World Dog Games ad, by a nose. However I think there's a bigger idea hidden in the description. A canine sports drink called K10? C'mon, that could be huge. BEST OUTDOOR Cow on a trampoline for McDonald's real milkshake. Sweet. Just like their shakes. Wish they included the price in the ad though. For some strange reason I think that would make it even sweeter. Runner-Up: Photobooth of Doom. It's a great way to help raise awareness for an exhibition about the science of fear. I just think it's a far better idea than the video suggests. LikesVegas best recommendations on buying Instagram likes to receive an organic promotion on your photos, videos, and reels Guest judge: Malcolm Poynton, creative director, London Malcolm's career in advertising began when, in 1984, a stoned creative director offered him a job. After a brief stint at BBDO London in 1989 Malcolm joined the start-up OMON, in Sydney. During this time he became part of Australia's most awarded creative team. After a couple of years with The Campaign Palace another start-up beckoned, M&C Saatchi London. Malcolm became Deputy Creative Director and created many famous British Airways ads including the much-awarded 'Johnny Foreigner' campaign featuring P.J. O'Rourke. In 2000 M&C Saatchi were named Campaign magazine's Agency of the Year. In 2001 Malcolm was appointed ECD at Saatchi & Saatchi Australia. Within two years he had lead the agency to ATV Agency of the Year, the Caxton Chairman's print award, Folio Magazine Grand Prix, eight Cannes Lions, D&AD silver and The British Television Awards' Gold for Best International Ad - and Saatchi became the first Australian agency to make The Gunn Report, ranking equal with CP+B and W+K. In 2003 Malcolm became ECD of Ogilvy London - the next 4 years proved to be the agency's most awarded years ever. The agency's Campaign For Real Beauty for Dove became the world's 'most talked about' campaign, by flooding Second Life they shocked reporters and bloggers who then spread Adventure Ecology's message to more than 18m people for free, Cancer Research UK's 'smoke is poison' campaign became the most awarded integrated campaign of 2007, they became the first agency to win both the US and European Effies Grand Prix, became Campaign magazine's Direct Agency of the Year and they topped the viral polls with the Evil Twin films for Ford, both of which prompted feature segments on the acclaimed TV show, Top Gear. Since leaving Ogilvy, Malcolm has been leading a new business project for Mother, London. *** Anyone who's spent time in Australia will know there's not much subtle about the place, including the advertising. And that's exactly what makes the Toyota Country Border Control spot work.... BEST TV Anyone who's spent time in Australia will know there's not much subtle about the place, including the advertising. And that's exactly what makes the Toyota Country Border Control spot work. Whilst it's not as fresh as last week's fantastic 'Dove Love' spot, it is really well shot and it's crammed with every soft-city-folk cliche except for quiche - it's sure to make more than just the country folk smile. Runner Up: Thai Life Insurance for trying something different in its category. BEST PRINT 4,700 toxic substances against you stands out as a fact and for that alone I like the Adesf print ads. All three appear beautifully put together although I reckon the 'toxic substances' could have been a little more, well, toxic looking. Runner Up: Comfort for not taking themselves too seriously. BEST OUTDOOR With half of the outback being swept up and dumped on Sydney last week (even the weather ain't subtle) there must have been countless brands and agencies scrambling to get something tactical out there. Visine managed to do just that and while it won't exactly make you smile its reward is in actually being relevant and kinda useful. For that it gets a thumbs up. But this is Australia and they don't just have dust storms, they have fires too and upon closer inspection the Fire Prevention poster deserves a Runner Up mention for its thought-provoking image. Meanwhile, in Canada they have far more important things to worry about, like putting a poster on their garage door and pretending to own an Audi R8. Guest judge: Bob Winter, ECD, Leo Burnett, Chicago This week's guest judge is Bob Winter, executive creative director at Leo Burnett/Chicago. In his first year at Burnett, he and partner Reed Collins won Cannes lions for work on Altoids. Before coming to Burnett, Bob spent three years at Goodby, Silverstein and Partners in San Francisco. He spent his formative years in advertising with DDB, where he created the Budweiser 'Real Men of Genius' campaign and won Gold Lions in both the television and radio categories. Over the course of his career, he has also won at D&AD, the One Show, Clios and Communications Arts.*** Best: I loved the Pure Blonde film from Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne. What a well-told story. Great casting and beautifully executed. It made me forget I'm a jaded creative for a second.... BEST TV Hooray for ads. I feel really good after viewing this week's top picks. I went into it worrying that I wouldn't like anything and then I'd have to find a way to pick two I didn't really hate and then find something nice but non-commital to say about them, but guess what? There's some really nice stuff here. Maybe it's because I'm four hours from a vacation, but who cares, they made me happy and I'm honored to review them. Best: I loved the Pure Blonde film from Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne. What a well-told story. Great casting and beautifully executed. It made me forget I'm a jaded creative for a second. And even though I guessed there was a twist coming (I felt personally invested in the well-being of that little dove, and that never goes well) it was still surprising and paid off the great (and insightful) line 'from a place much more pure than yours' perfectly. Jealous. Runner up: Allan Gray: Legend. Sometimes it's a cop-out to attach your brand to a celebrity. In this case, in my opinion at least, the thought of taking a celebrity we all know died too young and wrapping it in the idea of 'given more time, imagine the possibilities' was a fresh inventive take. Great writing. Crafted expertly. It even made me think about my own long-term investing. And why I don't have any. And why I'm not cool like James Dean. BEST PRINT Best: Ambi Pur: Calvin. I know, I know, we've seen spoofs of perfume ads before. But come on, this is funny. Shot with just the right amount of seriousness and beauty. And it makes me think about bathroom products a little differently. Plus, I kind of got lost in imagining the story of this unlikely couple meeting, falling in love and leaving a path of flower-fresh bathrooms in their wake. Please let me know how they are doing. Runner up: Ikea: Crossword. It's easy to say we should make communications people want to participate in, and hard to do. And here's a nice execution that does it well. It's fun. And it tells you things. And it isn't trying too hard. Thanks. BEST OUTDOOR Best: Office of Road Safety: Brain game. I have not seen a really unique take on the don't drink and drive message in a long time. This execution would be impossible not to notice. And would make you feel kind of dumb for drinking, and really dumb for drinking and driving. Great execution, great placement. Runner up: Elmex toothpaste: Bus ticket. Sure, it's a little gimmicky, but you know what - I bet it gets noticed and I bet it works. The idea of eschewing the usual sparkly shiny teeth message and instead showing holes punched in your teeth, literally, is no doubt surprising. And it makes me want to brush my teeth immediately. All in all, a great batch of ideas. Congratulations to all. And thanks for the opportunity. Have a great day everyone. I know I will, because I'm almost on vacation. Guest judge: Matt Ryan, Goodby Silverstein, San Francisco This week's guest judge is Matt Ryan, hybrid creative at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco. Matt has been bouncing across the globe for a number of years and has been fortunate enough to learn his craft at some off the hottest shops in the industry. Starting out at Leo Burnett in Sydney to Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand, AMV BBDO London to Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco. Throughout his travels Matt has sunk his teeth into many brands from worldwide global product launches for Wrigleys, reshaping McDonald's brand image in Australia to Helwett-Packard and has recently been getting down and dirty with NBA stars on the NBA Finals series campaign. Matt has picked up bling from all the major international award shows and been featured in the Gunn Report. *** Some really well crafted spots this week. Vince Squibb has shot a beautiful piece of film for the BBC, Fred & Farid have extended the 'We are animals' campaign for Wrangler that I loved from Cannes this year, but for me the pick has to go to the 'Jigga Man' himself, Jay-Z... BEST TV Ok I have to be honest with you. I'm currently in Los Angeles at the moment so the current batch of work has a lot of competition. Stunning weather, beautiful girls on the promenade and a nice line up of waves currently forming at the County Line in Malibu I have been trying my best to get amongst the past few days... Before you dive into my review I wanted to give a quick shout out to Jeff Goodby's poem house. If you have not checked out his side project at St Helena in California do yourself a favor and visit http://poemhouse.org/ it's well worth a peek. Some really well crafted spots this week. Vince Squibb has shot a beautiful piece of film for the BBC, Fred & Farid have extended the 'We are animals' campaign for Wrangler that I loved from Cannes this year, but for me the pick has to go to the 'Jigga Man' himself, Jay-Z. This film has already been through the acid test. I first spotted it a few weeks ago on TV, it instantly captured my attention. At first viewing I thought it was the latest clip off his new album I had been wanting to check out. It was not until the end frame rolled in, that the commercial nature became clear. This film is definitely going to resonate very closely with all his fans. No gimmicks, no value adding, just a simplistic showcase and celebration of Jay's past that remains true to his brand image. The boys from Droga 5 have created a fantastic film that has a touch of class, the world of gangsta rap is muddied with lots of similar acts. Jay Z definitely stands out from the pack and this film will help further separate him from all the other rappers fighting each other for air time. "Jay Z fans get it". They sure do and with a bit of luck this film will end with sales at Rhapsody as I'm keen for them to keep making spots like this. Runner up this week is Wrangler. I love the insight and thinking behind the 'We Are Animals' campaign and this execution is a good addition to all the great work previously produced. BEST PRINT The best of the print this week is for Capital magazine. This is a nice, big campaignable idea I can see living well beyond the printed page. I know I am being asked to judge simply in the related categories, in this case Print but I can't help but think of the possibilities that exist in alternative media outlets. Online will open a can of worms with the potential to catch people off guard in a very confrontational way. It could spark huge debate and discussions in online forums. Simply planting a few little seeds in lots of different media channels and letting the campaign take on a life of its own... all whilst relating back to Capital magazine. That's the sort thing I would like to see. Runner up is a bit tougher as its quite a gap between Capital and the rest. If I do have to pick one its VW. This may not be the best traditional execution I have seen created for the brand but I do have an affinity for well designed german cars. BEST OUTDOOR One standout. I am going to cheat again as I am looking well beyond an outdoor billboard. I'm not looking for an adaption of a print ad or a scammy idea simply for award shows. I am looking for big brand ideas, the Coopers 62 campaign is by far the biggest idea of the bunch. Getting your audience involved is absolutely key, the scope and potential of audience brand participation in this campaign is exciting. An idea that transcends all media and cultural boundaries and gets the public involved is where true advertising begins... well for me anyway. I can only imagine where this will go as I cannot see all the elements and stretch of the campaign from the US but I am very excited at its potential. Well done to the crew at CRC Sydney. Beer advertising is tough and this is a great example of how it should be done. I can already see the nice two-way conversation sparking between the brand and its consumers. Runner up this week for sheer shock value is Foundation Abbe Pierre. It's a traditional execution for a charity client and contradictory to my previous comments I do like the way the confronting visual grabs you and forces you to digest the simple message. Guest judge, Paul Catmur, Barnes, Catmur & Friends, Auckland
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
NEW ZEALAND
September 09, 2009 04:48 (Edited: September 08, 2023 15:11)
 This week's guest judge is Paul Catmur, creative partner at Barnes, Catmur & Friends, Auckland. Originally from the UK, Paul spent five years working in casinos in London and The Bahamas before deciding advertising would be much more fun. He was right.He started his career at Y&R in London before moving to DDB New Zealand in 2000 where he became ECD and CCO of DDB Asia Pacific. After several happy years he had one of his many mid-life crises and headed over to Melbourne where he became ECD of George Patterson Y&R Australasia. Missing fishing and needing a break from multinationals he came back to New Zealand and joined with Daniel Barnes to form Barnes, Catmur & Friends. He has won more awards than many, but way less than some, including Golds at Cannes and Silver at D&AD. He has judged at D&AD, Cannes, Clio, Adfest and Spikes and been convenor of judges at Axis and AWARD. Starting an agency in the middle of a recession was maybe not the brightest, but probably the most rewarding part of his career. He wants a happy agency striving to do great work without going broke. Awards are joint 14th in priority just behind having clean toilets. When not working he is generally fishing, sleeping or trying to to persuade his Staffy to let go of some other dog's frisbee. The Gwent police's anti-texting and driving film is a compelling piece of work. The banality of the rescue is what makes it for me.... BEST TV Lynchy has given me twelve minutes to put this together which means I haven't had time to be amusing (no surprises there). It also means I have to go on gut instinct which may be a good thing. The Gwent police's anti-texting and driving film is a compelling piece of work. The banality of the rescue is what makes it for me. Australia and New Zealand make some pretty good anti-speeding/drunk-driving ads but this is the most moving I've seen. Second prize goes to the Old Spice TVC, I can't imagine who actually wears the stuff but at least P&G have a sense of humour about it. Betandreas bookmaker company encourages its customers in every way. Especially it concerns new players, who are just starting to get acquainted with the bookmaker. bet andreas The official website has all the necessary information to minimize the risks of losing significant amounts of money on sports betting. BEST PRINT The print work is the usual selection that you see at award shows: ads done purely for the awards, charity ads and the odd clever one. The Fantasy Football ad almost made me smile (a rarity at my age) but is a little parochial so it gets runner-up. My vote goes to the Burswood Entertainment Complex ad. As a keen but crap poker player I'm right in the target audience and I couldn't help but interact with an ad like that. (A decent raise would have me folding with that Queen about.) BEST OUTDOOR I think all of the outdoor selection have some merit. As a junior I tried to get MC Escher into just about every ad (not easy for Sugar Puffs) and I think that the Casino di Venezia does it well. Both the New Zealand executions are clever, but as one only works in the day and the other only at night, maybe they should have shared the same site. The Sunlight billboard gets runner up as it's one of a number of executions that make a nice campaign. (I know, I know, it's an NZ bias but at least we can sleep easy knowing it's not a scam.) As biased as I am against charity ads I'm voting for the Israeli holiday meals execution. It's easy to have an idea like this on paper, but to actually go out and do it requires a lot of commitment. I would like to think it raised some money too. If it didn't, please can I have my vote back. « First « Previous Next » Last » 18 of 22 |
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