Tradition Need Not Apply

Michael Hedges June 24, 2011 Follow on Twitter

Give advertising people a proper canvas, metaphorically speaking, and magic can happen. They do have a way with words. They exist to sell things, to be sure, but also to make the best use of that canvas.

They were listening for something different, the radio jury at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. With more than 1,300 category entries competing for the ad world’s most prestigious awards, that something was sure to pop up. The winners were just stunning and some a bit twisted.

It was the copywriting that brought Johannesburg, South Africa agency Net#work BBDO the radio Grand Prix for a Mercedes-Benz campaign called “Accidence Avoidance Features.” Sounds like a rather dry concept, right? “It’s a piece of magic,” said radio jury chairperson Eugene Cheong, “We felt this was postmodern and coming through from such a different angle.”

Here’s the script of one, written by Jenny Glover and Brent Singer: (Listen to all radio award winners at the Cannes Lions website.)

“Now she whistles love songs to me as she cleans her gun. I think she's had me micro-chipped because I once woke up groggy on a vet's table and because I beep every time I exit a shop. Airport security has become unbearable. She eats buffalo wings without spitting out the bones. None of her shirts have sleeves. She knows stuff about me that I haven't even told her. Mostly banking codes. And I'm pretty sure she sleeps with her eyes open. To think, if I'd been driving a Mercedes-Benz with Blind Spot Assist, one of their smart accident-avoidance systems, we never, never would've met.”

Agencies in South Africa are attracted to radio. In 2009 Net#work BBDO won the Cannes radio Grand Prix for a Virgin Atlantic campaign. This year the agency also won a radio Gold Lion for a tougher product: Benzac Acne Treatment. “Hello,” it begins. “We are inside the head of Glenda. Dead average teen. A boy band plays a song on the internal stereo. The lyrics center around ‘fine,’ ‘mine,’ and, wait for it, ‘divine.’”

Net#work BBDO won a radio Silver Lion along with other South African agencies, Lowe Bull and Grey South Africa. “We don't do a lot of TV. Radio is budget-friendly, which is important in South Africa at the moment,” said Ms Glover. We are quite well-practiced in it.”

In addition to South Africa, the nine radio Gold Lion winners represented Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Columbia, the US (for a Spanish-language campaign) and Germany, all markets with dynamic radio broadcasters. The Cannes radio jury awarded no Grand Prix in 2010 saying, “no piece of work rose above the rest.”

Bangkok agency Y&R Thailand picked up a radio Gold Lion for another spot with a quirky take on language. Like the Net#work BBDO Mercedes-Benz spots, the understated presentation served to highlight great copywriting.

“Maybe you’ll live a longer and healthier life by drinking Ichitan Double Drink. With 100% organic fruits, vegetables and traditional herbs in every bottle, a longer life could very well be within reach. Then again, maybe you’ll be attacked by a swarm of killer bees.

“Did you know that there are over seven million colonies of killer bees in Thailand and that they attack in swarms of over fifty thousand? Also, did you know the average swarm of killer bees travel at a height of approximately 6 feet?

“Do you know what else travels at a height of approximately 6 feet? Your face. So, maybe the all natural ingredients in Ichitan Double Drink will help you live a long and prosperous life. Or fifty thousand killer bees to the face. Ichitan Double Drink. Live longer. Maybe.”

The ad people do take on more serious messages. Writers and producers often bring their talents to emotional subjects and, thus, Cannes juries rarely award a Grand Prix to a public service campaign. The presentation – nearly three minutes – by DDB Columbia for the Armed Forces of Columbia was given special note for its use of original music. In it Morse Code of a message to kidnapped soldiers and policemen –“Don’t lose hope” – was transposed into music. It will give you goose-bumps.

Cannes juries are not bound by a prescribed number of winners of Gold, Silver or Bronze Lions. Out of more than 160 entries for this years’ round, 50 were honored, far more than last year. All have been heard on the radio somewhere and, quite likely, got somebody’s attention.

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