Cream Awards 2004
Creative agencies within the Cream patch (Midlands, East, South West and Wales) have tended to take a bit of a knock from other regions in recent years. This year’s Cream Awards – which took place at the ICC, Birmingham on 28 October – unearthed enough outstanding creative work to show the marketing world that there’s a ambundance of creative talent within this part of the country.
So if Nick Galanides’ exquisite self-promotional item, Blind, didn’t knock your socks off, Big’s sumptuous work for Journey Shoes, Loake and WKD didn’t quench your thirst for top-notch creativity or Unsuitable’s ingenious Update Your Records piece didn’t stretch a great big cheesy grin across your face, then it might be time to check your pulse.
This work, along with the countless other nominations and winners, is proof that what is awaiting potential clients in this part of the country is a very cosy hotbed of talent indeed.
Leading the way by clinching the coveted Grand Prix was Nick Galanides’ Blind commercial. The former Wallis Tomlinson creative (now back into the agency fold at McCann Erickson Birmingham) created the winning piece while operating as a freelancer earlier in the year. It landed the Gold award in the Best House Advert/Self Promotion category before the judges selected it ahead of the other Gold winners to take the top award.
The audience sat in awe as Galanides’ work played on the big screen before the man himself went up to collect his prize. McCann Erickson bosses will undoubtedly be rubbing their hands together in an evil-genius-like fashion at having snagged Galanides for their company.
Galanides wasn’t the only one downing celebratory pints come the end of the night though. The big winner – and the most vocal it has to be said – was, well, Big. The Leicestershire-based agency, which was one of the biggest success stories at last year’s ceremony, walked away with a staggering 15 awards. The firm’s Parental Advisory campaign for Journey Shoes landed two of the agency’s three Gold awards in the Best Press Campaign and Colour categories. The third Gold, which came in the Ambient or Special Build category, was presented for yet another piece of creative splendour for long-standing client and, by now, Cream Awards veteran, WKD. The remaining dozen awards that Big won included seven Bronzes and five Silvers and came for work for WKD, Loake, Journey Shoes and Everards. Well done, you rambunctious lot.
Last year’s Grand Prix recipient, The English Group, was once again among the winners. The Bath-based agency picked up two Golds – the first being in the Typography category, where the agency won for its own press book, and the second was for its magnificent Tiggy Twilight piece in the Promotional Literature category. The pair proved to be huge hits with the audience as Rachel al Habib went up to collect the awards to a rapturous reception. Consolidating its success, The English Group added to its impressive collection with three Silvers and one Bronze.
There were more creative delights that merited and received Gold awards. Nottingham design firm Purple Circle picked up a golden gong for its Nottingham Community Housing Association gem, Unfinished Business. The piece won for best Annual Report.
The ex-Wallis Tomlinson trio and founders of Birmingham-based Unsuitable – Jon Harrison, Richard Elwell and Steve Price – celebrated their comeback in style, receiving a roaring reception for landing a Gold award for the brilliant Update Your Records self-promotional item.
Derby-based Sam led the way in the Outdoor Campaign category, carrying home Gold for its poignant poster campaign for Nottingham City Council while, in the website category, Bath-based Fluid won Gold for client Fierce Earth.
BCLO also cemented its award-winning pedigree, landing five Silvers and six Bronzes over the course of the evening. The Bristol-based agency produced a series of clever ads for Wrap, an uplifting campaign for Bristol Cancer Help Centre and a great low-budget piece for its client, Apollo Martial Arts.
Unfortunately, space is running out, so special (and criminally succinct) congratulations go out to the other agencies that dazzled the crowd with their creative charms and won one or more accolades. They included: Rees Bradley Hepburn, Ad One, Cube Productions, Chrysalis Creative Midlands, Fuse Digital, Target Marketing Communications, Taxi Studio, Chc Choir Ltd, Specsavers Optical Group, Swordfish, Ratcliffe Fowler Design, Craig Wood, Vital, McCann Erickson, Northbank Design, and Simon Saunders and Andrew Rutherford. Well done, guys and gals – see you at next year’s bash!
So that’s it. Cream 2004 has now passed, hangovers have just about lapsed and agency chiefs are scouring the aisles of Ikea in search of trophy cabinets that do their new collection of awards justice. All that’s left is to thank this year’s sponsors, encourage clients to mooch through the Cream brochure at the genuine talent that is here and lay down the gauntlet to the creative community to try to eclipse the achievements of the \"Class of 2004\".
For a full run down of the winners on the night, please visit www.adline-online.co.uk.