The best work from the AdStars Advertising Festival: Judges pick their favourite ads

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Kash Sree.jpgThis year Campaign Brief Asia couldn’t make the AdStars Advertising Festival which concluded recently in Busan, South Korea. As already reported the two $10,000 cash Grand Prix prizes went to BBDO Guerrero Manila and Hakuhodo Kettle Tokyo for Pepsico ‘Bottle Light” and Google Chrome “Hatsune Miku” but what other work really stood out? Campaign Brief asked a few of the judges to pick their favourite three pieces of work.

Kash Sree

Chief Creative Officer/Partner SS+K

AdStars is still a work in progress. The scale and ambition of the show were admirable. Though it’s still struggling with what it wants to be and why it wants to be. It’ll get there though. You can feel that.

It was great to meet some nice people and get to exchange ideas and view on the business and how they approach it. I felt I left the show a little bit better as an ad person because of what I’d learned from these conversations.

My favorite campaigns were the S-Oil “here’ Balloon. The Samsung mind’s eye work and the Pepsi Phillipines’ bottle light project.

Here.jpgI was really impressed by S-Oil “here balloon” (balloon that shows you where the free parking spaces are in car parks). In an age where brands have to do more than tell you what they do. Here was an oil company showing us how to use less oil. It was a great and helpful utility that made you feel better about the brand. If applied at scale it is something that could make a real difference and help us all. Really smart.

Samsung Electronics Insight Exhibition.jpgI liked the Samsung cameras piece where they sent 50 blind students to do a photography workshop then made an exhibition of their work. We had some debates over this. Some thought it was a PSA. I felt that it was just a great demo ad showing that if blind people can take pictures this good, then what could you do with this camera? I thought the film was beautiful and emotional and the idea simple and elegant.

Pepsi Liter_Light.jpgI thought the Pepsi “Bottle Light” project was pretty fantastic. Really simple way to show how a brand could make a difference and do good. The genius part is it made the Pepsi bottle itself a symbol of light and difference for hundreds of people who had to live in darkness during the day in their homes. It was so simple and so life transforming.

The only argument here is we had to move categories for it. It was in the main advertising categories where it should have been in a corporate responsibility category- something we hope they’re going to introduce next year.

Scott Lambert.jpg

Scott Lambert

Creative Director Innocean Australia

The Adstars Festival is definitely a little DIFFERENT. They definitely need to get a bit more organised, and simplify their categories and process.

Having said that, it was a great experience and a lot of fun. Believe it or not, it was also my first trip to Korea, and I have been at Innocean now for almost 2 years.

I was the executive judge for Print, Print Craft, Outdoor Craft, Integrated and Film Craft, and as per usual, Asia showed off its great talent in the Print and print craft categories.

Maxam.jpgOne of the highlights for me was a campaign out of China for Maxam Toothpaste. Created by last year’s Cannes Print Grand Prix winner, Yang Yeo and his team, it was another great example of a simple visual thought being lovingly executed by talented craftsmen. Definitely a stand out.

Outside of my categories, there were a number of World Class ideas.

The “Red Alert” Rescue App out of Singapore was such a great simple idea, that you just say to yourself, “Why didn’t I come up with that”. It’s a fantastic “idea for good” that could be rolled out and become successful anywhere in the world.

Pepsi’s “Bottle Light” idea is literally a light bulb idea. What a simple inexpensive way of bringing light to the less fortunate. This wonderful concept is already being rolled out to other needy parts of the world, and definitely worthy of its Grand Prix and $10,000 prize.

And the other idea that stood out for me was the “Here” parking balloons for (A petrol Company that I can’t remember). Again, another “idea for Good” that was inexpensive, effective and memorable.

All of these concepts had one thing in common. Simple, clever ideas.

pshearer.jpgPaul Shearer

Director, Great Guns/ Executive Creative Director HMDG London

The 3 best campaigns for me were:

National surprise party. A Belgian radio station celebrates their 3rd birthday by giving it away to one of its unsuspecting listeners. This was a real celebration and a campaign that was so well done you could only be impressed.

The Mr Pizza Co. This campaign spoofed the true origin of pizza. This was really well executed and made everyone laugh. An idea that really played off the cultural aspect of pizza and would have got Italians annoyed. Perfect campaign to get people talking.

Google Chrome campaign was my fav. A real brand doing great things. It was fresh and made you want to find out more. More importantly I was jealous of the idea.

Kevin_Lee.jpgKevin Lee

Executive creative director / Partner / Leagas Delaney Shanghai

My top 3 choices are:

An idea that goes beyond advertising into solving a societal problem. The idea turned rubbish into something that changed people’s lives. It’s an invention using the product itself. Very simple and very smart.

I think this is the best use of a QR code that I’ve seen yet. The beauty of it, is that it only works at the exact time they need to boost sales. A perfect solution to the client’s problem.

 

S-Oil – Here Balloon A beautifully simple analogue idea in a time when everyone’s focusing on technology. The client is on a mission to save oil and these simple balloons direct people to open parking spots, so they don’t drive around and waste oil. Mission accomplished.

Kok Keong_sml.jpgKok Keong Chow

Creative Director / TBWA Tequila Malaysia

In general, I feel the tremendous change in Korea creative industry. Chiel Worldwide started winning some international awards like Cannes Gold Lions, nobody expected Korea agency could pick up any international awards in the past 20 years.

Anyway, the 3 best ads I like most at Busan Adstars 2012 are as following..

Why?: When we think QR Code has been done to death, the “Shadow QR Code” surprised me again. To increase sales during lunch hour, eMart has installed the 3D QR Code that works only from 12pm to 1pm, using sunlight and shadow. Old technology, new execution, why not?

Why?: “Here Balloon” helps driver to spot open parking spaces without wandering, finding quick parking means saving oil. Small effort, big contribution to the environment. It’s a smart way of using ambient media, loved it.

Why?: Everyone is creator, from song writer, costume designer, illustrator to 3D animator. It is a huge integrated campaign which involved many people to create a virtual singer. I can’t help myself to say “wish I’d have done that”.