This week’s guest judge is Rob Lenois, global chief chief creative officer at VaynerMedia.
BEST TV
Winner: Doritos 'The Greatest Gift'.
I take zero shame in sharing with you all that I am a crier. This one
slayed me. Yes, I was just crying. But this piece also did something
else for me. It reminded me once again of the true power and scale of
what we do every day. The power of advertising. Yes, our job is to
help sell products to the world, but it can also make us see things
differently and maybe just change the world itself.
As a father
of two young boys who I will accept and love for exactly who they are, I
know for some this might not always be the case. I also know in my own
experience as a man that asking for help or seeking advice can be seen
as a weakness and failure. This film goes right at acceptance through
understanding with strong beautiful results. A loving father seeks the
advice of the community to help him let his gay son know that everything
is okay. The result? Through understanding he connects. That's the
point. Simple. Powerful. Real. There is nothing the inner critic in me
would change. Thank you for this, Doritos. While this is a father and
son lesson during this past holiday, it's also a powerful lesson for all
and for everyday in between as well. The world can thank you for that.
Runner Up: Science Moms 'The Experts'.
As I jumped into the film category, I made a rule for myself to watch
each piece at least twice. I've watched this one at least six times. Each
time appreciating a new animation bit or gag. We all like to make funny.
I mean who doesn't appreciate a skinny body builder's arms popping off
and blood spurting out? But this isn't just funny. It's smart. I've
always believed that humour is the great equaliser and I loved that the
seriousness of climate change was met with such a humorous touch. No
matter what side of the fence you are on with climate change, you can't
help but nod and laugh along the way.
The animation here is
fresh and the gags spare no expense to land the points. By the time you
get to the punchline even the most hardened critic has got to be at
least thinking; "You know these science Mom's might be on to something
with this climate change thing-a-ma-jig." This is humour and smart at
work people. Well done.
BEST PRINT
Winner: Blackboard 'Just for Awards'.
I loved this piece but couldn't help but hate that we are still part of
an industry where this piece needs to exist. The lack of Black
leadership is very real and needs to change. This powerful smart piece
seeks to do that.
The provocative headline with the familiar
"running ads once for awards" pulls you into the real point of the
piece. Talking directly to those that can institute change. Talking
right to the likely all-White jury here is smart. Asking and empowering
them to be part of the change is powerful and hopefully effective. May
it only run once for awards and be seen by those that can and will help
be part of the change. That would be the real win here.
Runner up: Karstan 'Lucky Number'.
I might be taking license but let me imagine the brief here. "People
need our phone number. Get the phone number out there." Makes sense,
right? Without the number, how the hell are people going to order the
beer. Putting the number out there in a way to make people really care
about the numbers - like the winning numbers of the lottery? Sticky and
smart. But will people be annoyed by your marketing trickery? Nah. With
beer, and in this case, Karstan, it's all part of the fun. While not the
ticket to millions, beer and hopefully Karstan's certainly does make
people happy. Well played.
BEST OUTDOOR
Winner: Volkswagen 'Toureg Sabbatical'.
Launching a car, in this case an SUV, giving people time to explore
their idea and bring it to life felt smart and different for me. I must
admit I couldn't help but long to make more of a connection to the
Toureg and the brand's DNA beyond just time and travel. As the case
study is written this could have been for any car. One thing you can't
debate though are the powerful results of this original launch. Sales
were up and the Keep Safe School App became a reality. The idea of
Rufaro came to life over the Toureg Sabbatical. A different way to
launch a car launched something even bigger. It made a difference in our
world. I really celebrate that.
Runner up: FitTrack 'Live your True Health'. I really like the message here. Live your true health.
In
society today, it's all too true that we associate weight with our
image and overall health. I do wonder though if there are other ways to
bring this to life beyond billboard headlines. A scale that measures
your happy and not just your weight comes to mind. But either way
staying true to who we are and not what others think, and spreading that
through a message of body positivity is a win for me.
BEST INTERACTIVE
Winner: Burger King 'Whopper to the Future'.
It seems that during Covid-19 we were smothered with sad piano music
and talk of what companies are doing to help save the world. This goes
in the exact opposite direction and looks at the end of the world to
great effect. The dinosaurs rule again made me laugh. Oh, how far
we've come. Really loved this fun, simple nod to what could be the
ensuing apocalypse. That definitely calls for a Whopper. Eat up.
Runner up: Dettol Laundry Sanitiser 'Fe-Cal Fashion'.
I love a good punk, and with one child in diapers and another just out
(read: the occasional oopsie) this one landed squarely with me. Despite
what you think, faecal germs remain on our children's clothes and Dettol
Laundry sanitiser gets them out. Clear. Simple. Smart.
High Fashion meets the poop world. No matter how old we get I never tire of a good poop joke. Fun one.