High Five: Celebrating Young Lions and Young Directors
Strike Anywhere succeeds thanks to talent, and I’ve always loved reviewing up and coming creative work. The value of finding talent early was engrained in me during my time at Anonymous Content. For this High Five, I want to highlight the four pieces of work from the Young Lions Film competition and one from Shots 2023 Young Directors Award. Both competitions unveiled winners at Cannes, and helped to stoke a refreshing lens on the world of creativity for me. The Young Lions Film competition aims to create beautiful work that is impactful. The brief for this year’s Film competition focused on raising awareness amongst mothers in India to take charge of their young children’s education through Rocket Learning...
Rocket Learning - 'Piece It Together'
Agency: Milestone Integrated Marketing
Copywriter: Cory Hansen
Motion Designer: Anthony Curran
The design and music choices were immediately spot on. I loved how the spot didn’t need any dialogue to succeed. The copy played perfectly with the concept and helped drive home a memorable message with ease.
Rocket Learning - 'The Tale of a Tiger'
Agency: Publicis Conseil
Copywriter: Morgan Carrio
Art Director: Edgar Heusch
Although we’ve seen the style done well over the years, most recently by Google and NY Times, this spot rises to a special place thanks to a story well told in an unexpected voiceover. The juxtaposition of visual stills of mothers and children while the spot and script plays out sets the final line up. It’s one that perfectly uplifts the brief’s target audience, right before reminding them of the power they hold when using Rocket Learning. It’s simple, yet smart and sophisticated without being too cool in the best of ways.
Rocket Learning - 'Mommy Knows Best'
Agency: Windfor's Tbilisi
Senior Creative Copywriter: Sophie Ivanishvili
Art Director: Luka Makharoblishvili
Maybe this one hit me a little harder because my young son is asking a lot of questions these days. The film is clear, but it has well considered visuals, pacing and tone with clever copy to help with the voice of the child. The curiosity insight plays right to the point of the spot. Reminding mothers that they are their child’s best teacher and setting up Rocket Learning as the tool to support this living breathing lifelong education relationship.
Rocket Learning - 'Harmless Moment'
Agency: Big Boy Group
Production: Leopard Production
Art Director: Róbert Slimák
Account Manager: Tomáš Ščipá
This was easily the best piece of crafted filmmaking out of the Young Lions Film competition. There was no need for a large production budget. The moment, though created, feels very stolen and natural. The subtle animation adds more wonder to the feeling a child has when learning with their mother. I appreciated the little verité dialogue at the end that perfectly tied in a product moment for Rocket Learning.
Mahou Beer - 'The Plimsoll'
Production: Piano Ln
Director: Jackie Lee
Producer: Andreja Viskovic
I watched all the gold screen winners for YDA this year and there were plenty of exciting pieces of work from young directors around the world, but Jackie Lee’s spot for Mahou Beer stood head and shoulders above the crowd for me. Everything it means to be a director is executed with perfect harmony here. The camera, the cast, the location, the performances, the edit, the music, and even the integrated product shots. Watching this made me feel good and want to be in the scene, most ads don’t do that anymore. This piece also showed me that Jackie Lee has a command on world building and as a filmmaker, that means he can do any script put in front of him and still make it his own and yours at the same time.
