Photo: Maurice Mikkers
The biggest winner last night at the ADCN (Dutch Art Director’s Club) awards was Lemz. All the ‘bulbs’ – of which one was a Grand Prix (the very best integrated work) – went to their Fireworks campaign. Our very favourite campaign of the year Domino’s Pizza Pepperoni by Indie won one Golden and two Silver bulbs (TV, internet and activation) – in our opinion it was at least as good as Lemz’ work. Wieden also won one Gold and two Silver for Heineken’s ‘The making of The Date’ (internet, TV, and activation). Selmore won Gold for Bavaria and Hugh Heffner – so we can be sure that Charlie Sheen will also win Gold next year. We were a bit surprised that N=5 won Gold for Telfort – not really our taste. Y&R won one Gold and two Silver for LG’s ‘smart thief‘ (internet, TV, and viral). A bit strange that alle these films are winning different prizes for the different channels through which they are broadcasted – does the channel matter? Another one of our favourites was Hema’s with a push-up bra in print, promoted by a male model, going viral big time – by Doom & Dickson. It won Gold and Silver. Note: Hema is one of the most down to earth department stores in the Netherlands. TBWA won Gold with its print campaign for DIY chain Gamma; free Lego – “Just like dad.” In Interactive Tribal DDB won Gold and Silver for ‘Obsessed with Sound’ for Philips. One of the most impactful commercials of the year by Publicis for ALS won Silver – “I have died by now.” Special bulbs went to Mischa Rozema (for directing OFFF), Christian Borstlap (art direction and illustration, for LV and Mr Porter), and Simon Warner (photgraphy, for Octopus).
There’s a new agency in town. And by the looks of its promotional ‘flyer’ we already dare to call it one of the most creative agencies in town. Not just because it was founded by multi-talent Johan Kramer – co-founder of KesselsKramer – but more so because this flyer (or actually oversized newspaper) is the richest and most creative agency content we’ve come across for a while. It introduces the very small office of Johan Kramer, which is very small because it lives in a shoebox. The reason is that Kramer only wants to do a few projects a year and because growth inside the head is more important than a big office. In other words, there should be plenty of room for “long holidays, to disconnect.” What’s more, Johan loves his work, but his “private life is even more important”. That sounds refreshing already. And though tiny, Johan’s office is very open and loves to collaborate. The leaflet is the message; it shows pictures of all the people from around the world with whom Kramer has worked and the places that are important to him – all posing with his shoebox office. The actual creation of the office and the leaflet is also a collaboration. With Damian Poulain who designed the office. With Studio theGirls™ that gets to show off its kaleidoscopic feel for art direction and lust for life. And also with Andreas Pasvantis – often working with Kramer and also represented by 328 Stories – who directed a new ‘Hello my name is NOT Johan Kramer’ film in which Dzelme from Riga explains why the website for Johan Kramer (personally) will not be built anymore – it follows up the Uncle Bob’s film created in 2010. When you see these films, you understand why Kramer has kept his agency website so simple; the site shows the shoebox with a link to Kramer’s Vimeo channel and an email address. And that’s all you need, really, in today’s world. We wish Kramer all the best – though we’re sure he won’t need our wishes to do great.
Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam has promoted Clay Mills to Managing Director. He follows up Lee Newman, who was appointed as MD in 2008. Newman will become president at O&M Chicago. Mills was hired by Wieden in 2010 as Group AD on Heineken. Since his hiring Heineken became one of Wieden’s more profitable and successful accounts, making the agency even lead this year’s Gunn report. Prior to W+K Amsterdam, Mills worked at JWT New York, and BBH in New York and London. ECD’s Mark Bernath and Eric Quennoy about Mills’ appointment: “Spending the last two years making the Heineken work with Clay has been one of the more enjoyable experiences of our careers. You have to work with people who make work feel more like having fun. That’s when the best stuff happens. Of course, you can’t have fun without being dead serious and smart about what you’re doing. A balance that Clay gets as good as anyone.”
Earlier this week we wrote about EA’s Grand Slam Tennis 2, today we’re writing about yet another EA game, called FIFA Street. Just like GST2 this one also shows some in-game footage – probably a client mandatory – but what is different about it, is that it’s all about real life swagger. A dude with a bowler hat, a DJ, a monkey, a girl with white sneakers and golden legging, and some old school TV’s being smashed by the ball. And some dinstinguished copy: “Welcome to the home of hustle…to the school of swagger. Abracadabra. This is the birthplace of every move you’ve ever seen.” It feels a bit wannabe cool, though we instantly admit that we might just be getting a little too old for this stuff – we’re more the FIFA ‘normal’ generation. In any case, if you want to ‘Free Your Game’ FIFA Street is clearly the way forward. Created by Wieden+Kennedy, directed by Paulo Gandra and Steve Hudson (Hungry Man).
Mediocre…