Jonathan Gledstone, creative director, Mr President: I wanted to go off piste and pick a piece of work no one had heard of, you know, to make me look super plugged in and clever. But I really can’t look past ‘Sweetie’. Apart from Enya, lorries and a Belgian doing the splits, it has everything. Simplicity, controversy, technology and, perhaps most importantly, a legacy. It’s not often this silly industry of ours gets to do something that genuinely changes the world for the better.Benjamin Marchal, executive creative director, CLM BBDO: Albert Einstein declared that technological progress is like “an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal”. But what if technological progress was an axe in the hands of justice? Technology is mainly employed for toyish uses, for us to have fun, to entertain, even to infantilise. ‘Sweetie’ instead turns technology into a devilishly efficient weapon.Jim Capp, digital creative director, VCCP: Ideas that do good have got to be, well, good, and ‘Sweetie’ tops the list when it comes to tackling one of the world’s fastest growing social problems – webcam sex tourism. The beauty of it is not only is the idea powerful and newsworthy, but it actually helped to save children and resulted in arrests. Now that’s good.
Ogilvy 12th Floor: British Airways 'The Magic of Flying'
Tham Khai Meng, worldwide chief creative officer, Ogilvy & Mather: This is outdoor 2.0. What you're seeing is the future for billboard technology. Magic.
Unit9: Resuscitation Council UK 'Life Saver'
Rogier Vijverberg, founder and creative director, SuperHeroes: ‘Life Saver’ is frighteningly good. Literally. The opening is breathtaking, your instincts tell you it’s important to keep watching. Through nerve-wracking interaction, you learn something that you’d regret forever, had you not taken the time to absorb. We’re exposed to hundreds of new campaigns a day, via various social channels and emails. The majority of which can only sustain our attention span for approximately two seconds. This interactive video is an exception. It connects with a very real, life-threatening situation that a lot of us rarely believe we will ever have to face. A series of multiple choice questions and keyboard interaction combined with slow motion video effects and suspense-inducing music create a palm-sweating experience you feel compelled to complete. I challenge anyone not to see the video through to the end; I’m not sure your conscience could handle it. Undoubtedly the best use of interactive video I have seen this year.
CLM BBDO: Guy Cotten 'A Trip Out to Sea'
Jouke Vuurmans, executive creative director, MediaMonks: While the site is unlikely to be a big overall winner at this year’s festival, it definitely deserves success in the Cyber category. The beauty of the campaign is in its simplicity. It is rare in digital advertising today to execute a powerful core idea in such a clean, minimal manner. Yet CLM BBDO manages to throw in just a handful of ingredients to create a truly compelling campaign. In essence, some stunning full screen shots grab your attention as you’re thrown into a first-hand experience of falling into the ocean, struggling to stay alive by scrolling to the sea’s surface. This is the campaign’s second strong point – finally a site that uses the scroll functionality not just as a gimmick, but with a strong context bound to its story. Beautifully executed, both on the tech and creative side, I’m sure that this piece will quickly become iconic thanks to its engaging interaction and (spoiler alert!) the unavoidable, hardhitting fate of its main character.
JVME: OBI 'Rennovation Billboard'
Chris Baylis, executive creative director, iris: OBI, the biggest DIY chain in Germany, may charm their ways into the jury’s hearts with their renovation billboard concept – head-slappingly simple and makes you wonder why it hasn’t been done before.
OgilvyOne: Crimestoppers 'PutPockets'
Tham Khai Meng, worldwide chief creative officer, Ogilvy & Mather: These pickpockets are so great, they can plant things in your pockets. It's a great reminder in crowded places.
Forsman & Bodenfors: Volvo Trucks 'Epic Split'
Rich Denney, executive creative director, DLKW Lowe: ‘Epic Split’ is truly epic. And I never thought I'd say that about a truck ad. But the most watched automotive ad on YouTube ever, with over 72m views, ain't your average truck ad. Like the purest of ideas a product truth lies at the heart of the film, a demonstration of 'the stability and precision of Volvo Dynamic Steering'. If you're going to do a product demonstration ad then this is how its done. From its wonderful direction to entertaining sound track, the craft is just perfect.Sandra Krstic, co-CEO, DDB & Tribal Worldwide, Amsterdam: Not to upset the apple cart, but I believe that this year’s entries aren’t exactly up to scratch. Maybe it’s because we’ve come to expect brilliant things across the board, but it was difficult to find an entry that stands out. If I had to choose (and it looks like I do) I would nominate ‘Epic Split’ as the only campaign that made me feel something. Granted, that something wasn’t exactly complete adoration, but it does make everything else seem like so much wallpaper nonsense. There’s something about Jean-Claude Van Damme and big trucks that resonates with me and makes me think about the beauty of risk taking in advertising that we all know and love.
Barton F Graf 9000: 350 Action 'Climate Name Change'
Niklas Lindstrom, head of digital, Forsman & Bodenfors: Changing the somewhat randomly selected names of extreme storms to the actual names of policy makers who deny climate change and obstruct climate policy is such a simple yet genius way to cast the spotlight on one of our times most challenging issues. The campaign video is done in just the right tone of seriousness and humour. It is such a great example of how powerful creativity can be as a difference maker.”
Dentsu, Tokyo: Honda 'The Sound of Honda'
Jason Andrews, executive creative director, Rapp: Data visualisation is set to be a big trend at Cannes this year. And I predict that one of the biggest winners in that field will be Dentsu Tokyo's 'Sound of Honda'. It's a lovely demonstration of how a set of dry, rational data can be the catalyst for an incredibly captivating experience. The idea uses the actual data from Ayrton Senna's car when he completed the world's fastest lap at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix. Recordings from the on-board telemetry system allowed the lap to be recreated in a spectacle of sound and light that raced around the 5807 metre long Suzuki circuit. Emotionally charged and eerily haunted by the absence of the great man himself, it shows how a gripping story can be written in numbers.Nicola Gilbert, deputy managing director, Grand Central Sound Studios: It is 20 years this year since the most talented and charismatic F1 driver ever died in a shocking crash at Imola. Ayrton Senna is beloved by F1 fans the world over. Dentsu has honoured Senna in its incredible piece of work: The Sound of Honda. Using the original driving data, Dentsu has brought to life Senna’s fastest lap from the 1989 F1 Japanese Grand Prix. The agency found a way to move the sound and light along the track in the same way Senna did some 24 years ago. Seeing this live must have been amazing. However, the fact that it has caught the imagination of millions of people around the globe watching and listening on laptops and handheld devices is extraordinary. Sound design is usually dictated by the pictures that have been shot. What makes this unique is that it is the sound that has dictated the images. The amazing roar of Senna’s Honda engine. The Sound of Honda is a tour de force both technically and creatively. Wow.This feature was originally published as part of the 11 June edition of The Drum which can be purchased from The Drum Store.
