Photographers Join Mobius Awards’ Top Winners

Above: ‘Deadliest Roads’ shot by Joey L.

 

A car campaign without cars and a stunning shot of Jennifer Lawrence were key influencers in deciding the winners of the 2012 special Mobius Awards for photography. German automotive specialist Jan van Endert received the overall Photographer of the Year honor in the finalists released in early 2013. His beautiful images through a rain-spattered windscreen at night were key in making the Mercedes Night View Assist campaign one of the most lauded in automotive advertising of recent years.

A new award, the Young Photographer of the Year, went to the 23-year-old self-taught Canadian Joey L., whose distinctive commercial portrait work for the entertainment industry is juxtaposed with a personal portfolio of strong documentary work. Among his recent commissions was a set of Oscar nominees – including one of Ms. Lawrence, demonstrating the cinematic lighting style that Joey L has forged.

Photography expert and Mobius Awards photography chair Lewis Blackwell of London, who led the photography selection process, explained the choices:  “Firstly, we set out to identify and honor great personal standards – putting up there two photographers that are outstanding for different reasons, at different points in their careers. Both Jan and Joey are pushing the boundaries around the commercial photography area in ways that reassert how the still image has a great deal to offer. With their fresh personal visions, they remind us of the infinite potential of photography to help us communicate – personally and commercially - in fresh ways. And both have developed their work in recent time so as to respond to new opportunities in image-making.”

The Mobius special photography awards are distinctive in being not open to entry but are made by private nomination and research of the Mobius Awards organization and its advisers. Mobius now also offers an open range of photography categories for entrants to compete across. 

Other Mobius winners:

Cinematography Award

Ben Smithard of London was selected Cinematographer of the Year. He is a member of the British Society of Cinematographers (BSC) and has extensive credits in film and commercials. Judges for the award applauded his story-telling commercials as well as his deft handling of major film work.  Among the commercials Smithard says he is especially proud of are “'Guinness' Rugby War of Flags,” “Captain Morgan,” Kellogg's “Dinosaur,” and BBC’s “Helicopter.”  Among Smithard’s films is “My Week with Marilyn.” Film critic David Hudson wrote that Smithard “exactly replicates certain Monroe images buried just under our collective Western consciousness."  His works can be viewed at www.bensmithard.com.

Overall Best of Show

The Grand Prix winners for 2012 represented a broad selection of projects from a cookable cookbook to a panther that travels through the history of Cartier. The top winners were:

Branded Content: “Escape the Map,” by AMVBBDO, London, for Mercedes-Benz. Sound design was by Factory.

Brochure/Book:“The Real Cookbook” developed by Kolle Rebbe GmbH and Korefe, Hamburg, Germany, was made of 100 percent fresh pasta to promote Gerstenberg Publishing House’s range of cookbooks. By adding a little sauce, sprinkling cheese on the top, and cooking the “book” at 200 degrees C, the recipients had a treat.  
    

Cinema/In-Flight: A pig flies to freedom in “Somewhere,” a campaign by Animals Australia urging kinder treatment for factory farmed animals. FSM, Sydney, NSW, Australia, was the film and post-production company.     
     

Direct: “The Beauty of a Second,” from Leo Burnett Co. Srl, Milan, Italy, was created for Montblanc as a tribute to the 190th anniversary of the chronograph invention by Nicolas Rieussec.  
    

Integrated Campaign: “Adidas” used data visualization and video to reveal football (soccer) fans’ choices for the UEFA Finals, sponsored by Adidas. Heimat, Berlin, created the winning project that included giving fans in Munich a chance to select their favorite team.  
     

New Media: When Australians were invited to bring their own cup to collect a Slurpee, some selected large vessels, such as a five-gallon water jar. “BYO Cup Day” created by Leo Burnett Melbourne, Australia, was designed to change the “idea of a cup” for the 7-Eleven drink.  
    

Online: “Les Revenants,” a new series by CANAL+ tells the story of a town confronted with an inexplicable phenomenon: the return of some of the dead people who don't realize their situation and want to get back to their normal life. By BETC, Paris, this promotion for the allowed a visitor to enter the city of Les Revenants and experience the first mobile website in 360 degrees, discover the streets and places within the city by moving an iPhone or iPad around.  
    

Package Design: Noble Foods wanted to launch a new premium specialty egg brand called Posh Birds so it enlisted Springetts Brand Design Consultants Limited, London, to design the packaging. The resulting   packs carry information about the breed of bird behind the eggs and highlight usage occasions with the duck eggs hailed as being “brilliant for breakfast.”  
    

Television: Quad Productions, Clichy, France, created visual effects for a short film on the history, values and artists scope of Maison Cartier, the French jewelry house. Marcel Publicis WAM of Paris was the agency on the project. 
    

More information can be found at www.mobiusawards.com.