Christian Finucane, senior creative at Whybin Lawrence TBWA Australia, explains why ad agency, Young & Rubicam, deserve the accolade of ‘campaign of the year’ from MPA’s Folio Awards, for a series of light-hearted images based around pet hates in motoring

Now, for any young aspiring creative desperate to unleash their wit on some of the world’s biggest brands, competition is tough. So winning the odd award here or there seems to help.

Obviously, if you’re doing ads for condoms, charities, or a groovy new beer you’ve got more chance of doing something famous than if you’re working on the agency’s big bank client. Even if it does pay everyone’s salaries (that was for all the account directors reading this).

So, while judging the 2001 Australian Folio Awards we had to choose ‘the Campaign of the Year’ between our two finalists. A campaign for a local advertising photographer or one for an international car manufacturer, Mitsubishi.

I loved the Mitsubishi ads, not just because they were simple, witty, and striking; but because I couldn’t believe the client had bought them. Everyday great ideas are presented to nervous clients that dare them to stand out from the crowd, and more often than not they get rejected. Why? Because doing something new and different is scary. Unless you’re the local advertising photographer of course.

So, after some passionate debates, the Mitsubishi campaign deservedly won the top prize because of the ‘difficulty factor’. Imagine trying to persuade your client that the image of a dog urinating is good for your brand.

But its real achievement was that little whisper in all the clients ears that it’s good for their business to stand out like the proverbials. And when the agency presents that new campaign next year, if they see who came second in the Folio Award book they’ll find an excellent photographer to shoot it.

Christian Finucane, senior art director & Folio panel judge

Whybin Lawrence TBWA, Sydney

Ad agency: Young & Rubicam Adelaide
Art Director: Kevin Macnamara
Writer: Jeremy Southern
Photographer: Dick Sweeney

About Folio Awards

The Folio Awards were created by Magazine Publishers of Australia to encourage and reward creative excellence in magazine advertising.

Folio 2001 was held in September with the support of Australia’s leading customer magazine publishers. In the chairman’s report, managing director of EMAP Australia, Phil Thomas, congratulated all the winners saying: “Magazines succeed or fail on the freshness, relevance and creativity of their editorial content, and the same is true of truly great magazine advertising.”

The annual Folio Awards have celebrated the unlimited potential of print in Australia since 1989, and have become a highly coveted recognition of industry excellence. For further information visit http://www.magazines.org.au

If you would like to nominate an ad campaign or an agency for recognition in this page contact Arif Durrani,
editor, tel: +44 (0) 207 404 4169 or email: info@fipp.com

Related URLs:
http://www.magazines.org.au

Author‘s E-Mail Address:
mpa@magazines.org.au