The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

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By Matthew Charlton, CEO

February 14, 2014 | 3 min read

Hit on the head with a violin bow,

The acclaimed Dumb Ways to Die cast

Run over in Shaftesbury Avenue after a West End show,

Circulation cut from pants too tight

Candles in the restaurant set your hair alight

Etc etc.

It’s Valentine's Day and be warned it’s a dangerous time. For every DVD of Love Actually there is the possible risk of electrocution from sticking your fingers in the machine when it won’t load or eject (especially when you’re in a desperate hurry to get upstairs and put on some Barry White).

Ok so I'm talking about the most loved ad of 2013. The Gunn Report, which adds up all the scores from lots of shows around the world, has just announced the ad most loved by the global adverting community is Dumb Ways To Die by McCann Melbourne. And fully deserved it is too, as it is by a long way the best work of last year. In Cannes last year we all suspected it was a forgone conclusion before we arrived.

Like all truly great work, there is an indisputable disruption baked into the core of this idea and executed brilliantly. Write an incredibly entertaining, funny and optimistic song with cute animated characters to remind you how easy it is to die in stupid, needless ways. Funny, cute and death don’t usually go well together. And because of that it is great and powerful communication and much more than just an ad. It's a total communications platform complete with furry toys.

My suggestion is if you really love someone on Valentine's Day, whoever it is, get them to watch this. Every time my 77-year-old mum is tempted to race the barriers on the railway crossing in her Honda Jazz, she may just remember this film and slam on the breaks. Thanks McCann Melbourne.

I love Dumb Ways to Die. I just hope someone writes Dumb Ways To Die at Cannes this summer. It could save thousands.