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'Big ideas are borderless’: some favourites from The Roses Awards 2019

By Rob Steeles, Executive creative director

May 16, 2019 | 5 min read

As The Drum Roses Awards wraps up for another year, judge and executive creative director of AmazeRealise, Rob Steeles reflects on some of his favourite winners of 2019.

Big ideas are borderless

'Big ideas are borderless’: some favourites from The Roses Awards 2019

My first experience of advertising was at JWT in Manchester. I was 18 and I’d somehow managed to blag my way into a placement while on my graphics course in Rochdale. I had a blast. In fact, I fell in love with the industry. And I looked to which agencies were doing all the best work and they were all hundreds of miles away in London.

Fast forward more years than I’d like to admit and I’m sitting in a room with my fellow judges, surrounded by work that I’d happily move out of London to produce. With talent plugged into everywhere, everyone and everything, creativity is thriving in bigger and more beautiful ways than ever.

I’ve picked the following six pieces as proof.

Mitsubishi ASX - Human Sanctuary - (Online Video / Film / Viral Advert)

I don’t know about you, but I think advertising's got a bit too serious of late. Ads used to make you smile. This spot for Mitsubishi featuring overworked humans in a sanctuary was a hoot. Probably because we can all relate to it. Watching Colin the accountant being set free was wonderfully silly and both the agency and the client deserved a gold for daring to have a little fun.

BBC Sport - History will be made - (TV/Cinema over 21 secs/art direction)

Such a simple idea, exquisitely executed. The ambition of this piece and the end result is stunning. The animation is made from hundreds of individual tapestried scenes stitched together to showcase classic moments from the World Cup. There’s nothing ‘regional’ about this work from Salford.

RENU - (Copywriting)

copywriting winners roses 2019

Someone has spent some serious time crafting the copy on these ads and make no mistake, this is ‘copy’, not ‘content’. Every word has been chosen carefully resulting in a sweet set of thought-provoking headlines, and just enough body copy to connect my head and my heart to the cause.

Welsh Government: Organ Donation Wales - Voices - (Public Sector)

Getting people to talk about organ donation with loved ones is not an easy brief. These stark ads demonstrate the perils of letting someone else speak for you should the worst happen. The scripts are well-written, the acting is deliberately matter of fact and the syncing of the voices of loved ones jars, beautifully. Powerful stuff.

Mary Poppins - Merlin: Coca Cola London Eye - (Ambient/stunt)

mary poppins cola

How do you steal the limelight from the Hollywood A-list on the Red Carpet on the eve of the highly anticipated Premiere of Mary Poppins? You get a stunt double of the iconic parasol-twiddling Nanny to stand on top of the London Eye of course.

Casting, timing, location and media-worthiness, this is practically perfect in every way.

Lind & Lime Gin - For Port of Leith Distillery - (Packaging)

Lind & Lime Gin

Packaging is such an important part of a brand and this exquisite piece of work for Lind & Lime Gin proves the point. It’s more than a label, it’s been thought about from every aspect. Even to the citrus-press effect ribs running vertically along the body of the bottle. It makes you want to pick it up, touch it, open it, drink it and best of all, keep it when it’s finished. Cheers.

Steeles was a judge on The Drum Roses Awards 2019 panel, which took place in Manchester on 14 May. Register your interest for the 2020 awards now.

Check out the latest creative from around the world at The Drum’s Creative Works section, updated daily.

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