This year’s AdStars award judges select their favourite work from the Festival judging
Campaign Brief Asia has already shown off the major winners from this year’s AdStars International Advertising Festival, held last week in Busan in South Korea. As with any awards judging there is often discussion, sometimes heated, on the results. This year saw intense discussion over one of the main Grand Prix awards, with a tie of 13 judges each for Honda’s “Sound of Honda” and “Epic Split” for Volvo Trucks. Following AdStars, Campaign Brief Asia contacted all the judges for their views on the best work they saw – naturally, the big winners at AdStars feature prominently.
Eric Schoeffler
Chief Creative Officer
DDB Group Germany
Overall best work at AdStars: Amongst many great ideas I saw at this year’s AdStars, the three Grand Prix really stood out. The Sound of Honda is a milestone in modern storytelling. Human Traffic Signs shines through it´s brilliant simplicity and Volvo Trucks for sure is a turning point in B2B Advertising. All fresh, highly creative and unique ideas. And all perfectly crafted. These three Grand Prix are surely highlights of 2014´s worldwide advertising and they are true 2014 AdStars.
The best from your own jury: The two pieces that stuck in my mind were both design pieces and proof that the product can always be a beautiful canvas for your message. Campbell’s “Cans Of Positivity” and Colgate’s “Turning Packaging Into Education” are not only exceptionally well crafted, they trigger emotions and show that a brand experience can be easily extended when you have the ability to question the ordinary.
Louie Sotto
Executive Creative Director
DDB DM9JaymeSyfu Manila
Overall best work at AdStars: Epic Split was my favorite. A product demo made epic by its casting, choice of music and overall crafting. For an ad for trucks to go this viral just shows how brilliantly executed this sell was.
The best from your own jury: From my own jury, Rice Code was just amazing. Being able to use rice fields as a canvas. Succeeded in selling more rice and unexpectedly boosted tourism in the town. How powerful of an idea was it? They had to put up a new train stop in the town because of the demand to see an ad. Crazy.
Sound of Honda used technology to bring Senna back to life and make a whole new generation experience his greatness. Elegantly executed to successfully turn something as cold as telemetry into something emotional and moving.
Special mention: Buick Human Traffic Signs. Until now, I have only seen the print and on its own its so simple yet powerful. I was rather surprised there was a documentary video that came with it and was skeptical it would add anything to an already strong idea. I was wrong. The docu gave it a back story that made the entire series more impactful.
Gigi Lee
Executive Creative Director
Y&R Advertising Malaysia
Overall best work at AdStars: I love the Volvo Epic Split. It wasn’t just funny. It wasn’t because Van Damme was Van Damme. It was how they used him and his splits to sell Volvo Truck’s new steering technology. Then it went viral. Spawning copycats, comedic rip-offs, Chuck Norris on two 747’s. How could you not vote for it? You watch it and you can’t help but smile to yourself. It takes a ridiculous scenario and brings it to a whole new level for a Volvo truck. A truck! It’s not even a regular consumer good! And the last thing I’d be interested in. Now, consider me a fan. That’s how effective it was.
The best from your own jury: Judging is never easy. But when you see pieces like ‘Sound of Honda’ and “The Ant Rally”, decisions get a little easier. “The Ant Rally” was extremely innovative. They put the ants to work for themselves in a comedic way that actually hit home in terms of message.
Then there’s ‘Sound of Honda’. This was unquestionably one of the best uses of technology since knives for sliced bread. It took the visual and sound of Ayrton Senna’s samurai spirit (so I’ve been told by my F1 fan boys in the office), and put it together in a presentation no one in attendance at Suzuka, will ever forget.
Santosh Padhi
Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder
Taproot India, Mumbai
Overall best work at AdStars: I loved the “Rice Code” project, this piece of stunning art was created to solved a problem in a big way, the solution was extracted from the problem itself, the idea literally grew slowly to finally make the impact, there was a huge degree of interactiveness, the images were of viral quality, technology did played it’s bit to complete the last leg, we have seen many such piece of art, where something is made out of something or make it look like something, but this was done at a different scale (almost the entire village) and very relevant to the problem.
The best from your own jury: There was a piece of design work, for a bulb packaging though it did not win in print craft (as it was not in the right category). I’m sure it must have won in design category, I loved that idea which was pretty consumer friendly and interactive. Testing light bulbs before buying them is a very Asian thing. There was a series of packaging designs done by a brand called Leuch’Tech that allows new light bulbs to be tested in their boxes to make it hassle free and convenient to consumers, so that they do not have to be removed before they’re bought. This was one advantage, I loved the second twist as well i.e. the face of each packet had a simple visual graphic which was layered with an image inside it that can only be seen by the brightness of the working light bulb, which changes the meaning of the first graphic completely, I’m sure this must have made the consumers testing experience lot more interactive and memorable.
Padhi also added: This is the first advertising global award show that’s being held in Asia and being Asian I’m proud of this show, specially what I saw this year, I was a jury member in 2010 as well, but what I saw is 4 times bigger and larger than what I had experienced 4 years back, they are growing pretty fast, and why not as the show is back by the top city government authorities and professionals who wants to make this as one of the top advertising shows and it shows in the way it has been organised and handled, Another interesting observation, hundreds of young bubbly institute students were all over the place to help you guide you during the festival, Im sure for them too this is an great experience.
Kike Gutierrez
Executive Creative Director
Publicis Indonesia
Over all best work at AdStars: There were around five campaigns that stood way above the rest of all the work submitted. One of those campaigns is “Human Traffic Signs”.
The proof of the pudding of any campaign is not the reaction it gets the year that it gets awarded, or even the years after. You know if a campaign is an old timer when you look at it after six or seven years and you still think highly of it.
Well, Human Traffic Signs (right) will definitely be a unique campaign for many years to come. Reason being the combination of two factors: a great simple idea and the purity of its execution.
The best from your own jury: There is a campaign that really stood out from the rest and that was “Invisible People” for UNHCR. It´s a unique way to raise awareness of the human conditions suffered by people who are very close to the average South Korean, yet are ignored because it feels worlds apart. Also the way it was execute in public places was brilliant, powerful and dramatic.
What I love the most about the Adstars Festival is that they dream really high by creating a worldwide advertising festival in a place that is not really on the map and the fact that they are reaching their dream. I believe they should focus more on one of their pillars “communication that makes this world a better place” and in that way they would have a very unique positioning versus any other festival.
Chungyu Park
Executive Creative Director
TBWA Korea
Over all best work at AdStars: Volvo trucks “The Chase 360”. It made great success in terms of not only an ‘individual idea’ as a film but also ‘integral performance’ as a campaign.
The best from your own jury: Nissin Cupnoodle ‘Globalization’ as a film. It has well developed ‘advertisement’s film grammer’ that shows high sense of humor in a few seconds. I fully sympathized with this film’s point of view that a cup noodle and English are sharing the symbol of normal busy Japan (Korea also) salarymen’s trouble in business. ‘Rice-Code’ as an outdoor. There is no doubt that it could reach outstanding success in reality. Sometimes we are faced with the works arousing proper doubts of real execution.
Jeff Curtis
Co-Founder
Redpill Thailand
Over all best work at AdStars: The most outstanding work in this years AdStars was the Rice Code work by Hakuhodo. A rice-producing village in Japan was facing financial ruin in the face of a sales slump, then somebody came up with an extraordinarily brilliant idea. It was to turn the rice fields themselves into vast Manga style pictures simply by growing different coloured rice in the appropriate spot. The stunning football field sized illustrations generated immeasurable PR, turning the village itself into a tourist attraction overnight. People flocked there in thousands to see these enormous masterpieces. And of course the product flew off the shelves, increasing turnover exponentially and saving the village in the process.
Creativity in advertising is always hard to quantify and often comes down to a matter of subjective opinion. So when a truly creative idea like this makes such a profound, measurable impact not just on sales but on an entire community, it deserves all the accolades available. And it’s proof that you don’t need a multi-million dollar budget or global superstar to win. You just need a brilliant idea.
The best from your own jury: A superbly art directed and written series of illustrations that ran as posters, print ads, POS and even on the cans themselves. A simple idea that transformed the iconic Campbell’s Soup labels into compelling emotional messages relevant for the product. What really caught my attention was each ad had its own headline. In an age where advertising awards are dominated by visual hyperbole with an unfeasibly small ‘headline’ that you need a Sat Nav to find, it’s refreshing to see the art of copywriting is not dead. They are so beautiful they could be sold as posters, ready to adorn the walls of homesick students worldwide, and if Campbell’s has any sense they’ll run them globally.
The second piece that stood out was the Colgate print campaign to educate the people of Myanmar re the importance of dental hygiene. As the country opens up, Colgate are strategically on target to own the oral health category by claiming the brand positioning of dental experts. These beautifully art directed pieces were ingeniously printed within the walls of the large cardboard boxes delivered to the shops containing the toothpaste which could then be opened out into very attractive informative posters. A brilliant idea and at the same time an unfashionable example of inside the box thinking. Both these wonderful campaigns were sublimely produced by the same agency – Y&R Malaysia. Take a bow ECD Gigi Lee.
Kazoo Sato
Executive Creative Director
TBWA\HAKUHODO
Over all best work at AdStars: To me, the best piece of work of the whole festival is the “Rebirth after reading” idea. It is simple, smart and the most powerful idea that will change the world. It’s probably so cheap, easy and universal that you can start tomorrow. I wish I could’ve done this!
The best from your own jury: I continue to be impressed with the “Sound of Honda” idea. Legendary F1 driver Ayrton Senna perfectly reborn with the power of Big data with beautifully crafted sound and light. I could see real Senna even from their 2 min case video.
Masaharu Osawa
Creative Director
Travel Photographer
ADK Tokyo
Over all best work at AdStars: Sound of Honda. I feel great literature written by a science student in this work.
The best from your own jury: Mawbima Mosquito Repellent Newspaper is my favorite one in Media category. I think this is the real journalism.
Graham Kelly
Regional Executive Creative Director
Isobar Asia Pacific
Over all best work at AdStars The standout piece was Sound of Honda. Tellingly, even though I have judged this at other shows and have therefore viewed the case study video repeatedly, it still gets me every time.
The combination of a strong idea, technological innovation and emotional appeal puts this work in a class of its own.
The best from your own jury: I was a big fan of “Rice Code”. The work ticks all the boxes required of great creative: simple idea, excellent execution and effectiveness. The sheer scale of this project – with rice fields as the canvas – allied to the highly personal aspect of mobile, makes for a stunning campaign.
In addition to the digital categories we also judged Outdoor Craft, where I saw a very interesting piece from China, for Mayflower toilet paper. To demonstrate the strength of the product they had a group of artists create mural-sized paintings using the toilet paper as a canvas. Nothing flashy or cutting-edge about this, just a very simple, yet persuasive demo.
Rui Alves
Executive Creative Director
Y&R Johannesburg
Over all best work at AdStars: I was quite impressed with the way a small village created a new relevance and saved itself from obscurity with a few highly visible rice paddy’s. Rice-Code is a high impact idea which comes across as relatively low cost also. The villagers did what they always did, which is to grow rice. Their creative approach paid off it seems with even a new temporary train station being made especially for the town. I had no idea rice could grow in so many colours!
The Volvo films really work. Even though you’re being told a product story that could be boring and functional they did find some pretty imaginative ways of making it interesting. The earned media shares are no doubt a testament to the reward factor in these films. Why should fleet managers be subjected to a didactic approach to selling trucks? They’re also human.
The best from your own jury: The Honda “Ayrton Senna” lap was also a respectable effort. Putting Data to good use and turning algorithms into something almost tangible and emotional. It could not have been logistically easy to recreate this lap so well done to the team for persevering. This one runs deep with Ayrton Senna fans and is carried forward in conversation by the car enthusiasts and race fans.
A small 30 second film that I found quite amusing was the Nissin Cup Noodle “Globalization” TVC. It feels like it’s about ten years overdue but still the insight of doing business in a cross-cultural and multi-linguistic environment rings true. Just when you thought fun over the top executions were a thing of the past.
Norman Tan
Chief Creative Officer/Vice Chairman
Lowe China
Over all best work at AdStars: My favourite piece of work at AdStar is the single execution film, “The Epic Split feat.” from the Volvo Trucks “Live Test Series”. One of the pieces beautifully demonstrated how an unexpected creative product demo idea could become alive. With an excellent performance from Jean Claude Van Damme, good planning, great filmmaker with a precise production team, and with the help from God for the sunrise in the background, it was absolutely perfect, wasn’t it? But most importantly, I am sure that this piece of work will be iconic and will stay in our industry for a long time, which is something most of us would like to achieve in our career, right?
Another piece of work I personally like, but some how not very well received by some of the jury in our group, is the event from UNHCR “Invisible people”.
The best from your own jury: Ever since 3D printing technology was created, it has become a popular form of communication, but in my POV, this was one of the best, with strong emotional engagement, artistic and beautifully done. I can imagine if I was in the event venue, I will be curious about it, search for each mini 3D refuges figural, and have the chance to take pictures with my phone and share it on social media. I just love the sad emotion that contrasts with the artistic invisible installation. I consider this is a very visible piece of creative work many will admire.
Joakim Blondell
Senior Creative Partner
Forsman & Bodenfors Stockholm, Sweden
Over all best work at AdStars: The Sound of Honda. It’s an wonderfully imagined idea and extraordinary well crafted.
The best from your own jury: The artwork for “Turning packing into education” (by Red Fuse for Colgate Palmolive) is very memorable. And so is the clever packaging for the LeuchTech range of light bulbs (by JWT Jakarta).
Janez Rakuscek
Executive Creative Director
Luna TBWA Slovenija
Overall best work at AdStars: I found “The Sound of Honda” the most convincing. The final jury was divided between Honda and “The Epic Split” (which is truly epic and perfect) but there is something deep in Honda’s revival of Ayrton Senna’s record drive in Suzuka, something which touches the human soul (especially for the petrolheads as myself). Although
“The Epic Split” is a perfect piece of advertising, “The Sound of Honda” is a perfect piece of brand enhancement.
The best from your own jury: As Honda was among entries judged by my group, I’ll go for the second best – “The Rice code”, the story of a small Japanese village creating pictures with rice. Simple (“is it possible that nobody thought of that idea before?”), convincing, effective, using the right tools for reaching the right target group. I also liked the “Driving Dogs” and “Cans of Positivity” campaigns, again building its effects on sincerity and simplicity.
Altogether the AdStars festival was a great experience and listening to the organizers and their plans I’m convinced that the festival has a very bright future.
Guilherme Jahara
Chief Creative Officer
F.biz Brasil
Overall best work at AdStars: Both Volvo Trucks – The Chase 360º and Sound of Honda. The first one, because I really believe it’s an amazing campaign, creative and simple. The second one, so beautiful… Technology in the heart of the idea, but at the same time so emotional.
The best from your own jury: Now, a little bit more than a week after the jury in Busan, beyond both Grand Prix of the year that I had mentioned before, I can remember other 2 campaigns that got my eyeballs: the Buick Human Traffic Signs Campaign, with an amazing approach and beautifully crafted and other for Leuch Tech, called Lighten Up, a brilliant and beautiful idea for light bulb boxes.
Claire Davidson
Executive Producer
The Sweet Shop Bangkok
Over all best work at AdStars: AdStars was dominated by winning work this year which mostly came from the automotive industries, including “Sound of Honda/ Ayrton Senna 1989” and “The Chase 360” for Volvo Trucks. The best piece of work I saw, or rather which moved me the most, was also from this industry – “Human Traffic Sign” for Buick by Lowe China. This campaign called attention to the alarmingly high incidence of injury and death in China as a result of both pedestrians and drivers failing to obey road signs. Real accident victims were invited to participate in this very emotional plea to road users, holding traffic signs and shocking us with the graphic physical consequences of their accidents, as their eyes implore us, communicating a deeper sense of loss and pain. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from those faces throughout the spot and would challenge anyone to respond differently – a wonderful achievement for Lowe China.
The best from your own jury: “Human Traffic Sign” was the best for me from the Film Jury. From a comedy perspective, I really enjoyed LG’s “Beaming Rocket” and “Steady Feathers”. Clever and creative ideas that really engage you, as well as make you laugh. I love to see advertising inspiring an audience by using positive, feel-good appeal – an approach that can often be equally as effective as negative or confronting themes. Surely chickens will gain a whole new level of respect thanks to Lizzie’s pioneering efforts in the camera department!
In terms of outdoor, I found the best and most interesting piece Hakuhodo’s “Rice Code”. Invigorating a town in the midst of a population and rice industry decline by creating a beautiful public art project out of rice fields was ingenious. A seriously clever social QR code and social media strategy accompanied the creative, resulting in an amazing, effective idea that has helped an entire community. It has me wondering when we might next be shooting in Japan, as I wouldn’t mind incorporating a visit into my itinerary.
Rupert England
Global Executive Creative Director (Freelance) TBWA\Hong Kong
Over all best work at AdStars: Most of the exceptional work at Ad Stars had been previously recognised at the year’s major awards shows. Thus it wasn’t a surprise to see “Sound of Honda” and “Chase 360” (aka “Epic Split” being the two contenders for Grand Prix of the Year.
There was debate, certainly not fierce, for and against the two entries. For me, they were the two most powerful pieces. On one hand, there’s the magic of an F1 legend being brought back to life through data, sound and light. On the other, there’s an action star of yesteryear being brought back to life between two 10-wheelers going backwards.
Internavi “Sound of Honda” – Recreating the record-breaking lap of one of the greatest drivers of all time is extraordinary. It’s also a brilliant creative solution to one of the least sexy aspects of Honda: Internavi Telematics. Yet even the least tech-savvy person is able to grasp the power of data via a sound and light show around Suzuka.
Volvo Trucks “Chase 360” – There is little doubt that “Epic Split” is an ad for the ages. A viral that has truly become a part of popular culture – and made Volvo Trucks famous in the process. A brief for trucks is at the least glamorous end of auto advertising but what an idea. It’s a brilliant demonstration of Volvo’s Dynamic Steering – and Swedish conceptual thinking.
“Split” is the bigger ad but is it a bigger idea? There was a view that a Korean show should perhaps favour an Asian entry but this argument didn’t stick as Ad Stars (now Busan International Creative Convention) position themselves as Asia’s global awards show. 13 votes to 13 votes with 2 abstainers (two judges were from the two agencies that produced the work) and for the first time, the Grand Prix of the Year (and the $10,000 prize money) was shared. Please note that next year’s prize money is $200,000.
The best from your own jury: Apart from “Sound of Honda”, two of the pieces that I liked most were also from Japan.
“Rice-code”
– A real piece that made a real difference to a small farming community at Inakadate. The fact that a station was purpose-built to accommodate the rice-code tourists is proof of this campaign’s success. It was an idea that existed in reality and was amplified through all manner of media as it captured the imagination of the Japanese public. So much so that people travelled from all over the country to participate in a purchase mechanism. Brilliant!
“Baseball Practice” – In the TV category was the campaign for Baiku Gofuku Gan – aimed at raising awareness for this Chinese herbal remedy. For me, the genius here is the soundtrack: the product name is screamed out for the entire duration of the ad by a bunch of old ladies who show-off their youthful skills at baseball practice. Since it’s proven that we learn through repetition, what better way to create awareness than by entertainment set to your brand: “Baiku Gofuku Gan! Baiku Gofuku Gan! Baiku Gofuku Gan!”
Robert Kleman
Executive Creative Director
SapientNitro Miami
Over all best work at AdStars: There were 2 Grand Prix awarded this year. The Sound of Honda and Volvo Trucks. Both very different pieces of work. Initially the vote went to Volvo for the Grand Prix, but my vote was for Honda. After much debate we split the Grand Prix. The reason I liked Honda was simple. The work kept true to their core of The Power Of Dreams and that’s not easy.
The best from your own jury: I judged integrated/print/print craft/branded content and Young Stars this year.
In integrated the Rice Code was a very real idea that I really liked because it took a very real problem for a very real village and came up with a very real solution. That dare I say, had very real results.
As for Young Stars we briefed students to ‘Get more tourists to Busan. They had just under 2 days to crack an idea. One idea that still stands out for me is basically Food Airbnb. Where you hook up with a family in Busan and they’ll cook local food for you.
Read Campaign Brief’s coverage of AdStars 2014.