Cannes It Be?

So there it was – Cannes Lions 2009.

Fewer people than usual – certainly. More straight-laced than normal – probably. Less top work on show – hell no!

The Film Lion winners of Cannes ’09 had the usual share of wildcard surprises, saw-that-coming expectations, what-were-they-thinking expulsions and grin-widening shockers. Rather than running through all of the winners – a job done manfully by the official site here – we thought we’d present the Second Annual Reel-Deal Cannes Awards to a choice handful:

The ‘We Told You So’ Award

Philips ‘Carousel’ - TRIBAL DDB Amsterdam / STINK DIGITAL London (Grand Prix)

Not wishing to get all Mystic Meg on this but WE BLOODY SAID THIS WOULD RULE THE AWARDS. Any non-believers out there need only check our pre-Cannes post, our interview with uber-producer Mark Pytlik and the Editor’s Comments in both UK and International April Edition’s DVD booklets. Then again, anyone with eyes, any understanding of advertising or with a penchant for clowns would say the same – and we’ve got all three.

The ‘Don’t Mention Flashmob To Our Pals At Contagious’ Award



T-Mobile ‘Dance’ – SAATCHI & SAATCHI London / PARTIZAN London (Gold)

Clever idea, perfect timing and it actually WORKED (i.e. people texted, SMSed, videoed the event with their mobiles).

The ‘Finally Putting My Film Degree To Good Use’ Award



Stella Artois ‘Dial Hard’ – MOTHER London / LANDIA Buenos Aires (Gold Campaign)

Funny enough for the casual viewer, but the sniper-sharp touches make this a stand-out campaign for lovers of the nouvelle vague.

The ‘Made Our Mums Happy’ Award



Washington Lottery ‘Birds’ – PUBLICIS IN THE WEST Seattle / STICKS+STONES STUDIOS Hollywood (Silver)

Heartwarming and emotive without a dollar sign in sight (surely a first for an American lottery ad!). Plus, we’re sure you see a penguin smile!

The ‘So Pretty It Made Our Eyes Hurt’ Award



Tiji ‘Balloon’ – DDB Paris / WANDA PRODUCTIONS Paris (Silver)

Anyone who’s stumbled across a copy (digital or otherwise) of The Reel before will know we love animation, but this is one piece we actually want to marry and have babies with.

The ‘Most Likely To Fire Up Geldof And Kofi’ Award



Environmental Defense Fund ‘Polar Bears’ – OGILVY New York / BISCUIT FILMWORKS Los Angeles (Silver)

A smart, simple idea executed perfectly.

The ‘Took Us A While To Get It On The DVD But Was Worth It’ Award



Shelter ‘House Of Cards’ – LEO BURNETT London / Outsider London (Silver)

Beautiful the second we saw it ... and managing to retain its beauty though endless can we/can’t we calls to agency and production company.

The ‘Milk Came Out My Nose’ Funny Award



Pizza Pops ‘Robot Friend’ – COSSETTE Toronto / HOLIDAY FILMS Toronto (Silver Campaign)

Simple, hilarious, heartwrenching. We wish we had a robot friend.

So there we go, Cannes in a can. Keep an eye on our blog/newsletter in the upcoming weeks, as we’ll be posting the fruits of our labours sporadically (including an interview with the E-Street’s and Soprano’s ‘Little’ Steve Van Zandt). On a parting note, enjoy one of our picks from the Saatchi & Saatchi New Director’s Showcase:

Reel Newsletter 03/07/09

Tim O’Kennedy gets pencilled in...


D&AD has pulled out the stops and appointed grand fromage Tim O’Kennedy, brand and communications consultant and former MD of Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam, as it’s Chief Executive.

Having experience on both the client and agency side, O’Kennedy’s overarching objective is to provide focused, strategic leadership to ensure that D&AD continues to flourish in the UK and on the world stage as an influential creative awards body and as a leading and inspirational learning centre for creatives.

O’Kennedy had this to say about his recent appointment:

“I feel honoured to take the reins at this amazing organisation, which has always lived in my mind as the absolute reference for creativity in the communication arts. D&AD’s multi-disciplinary purview is a big part of the appeal for me: I grew up in the worlds of advertising and design, and have a deep-seated appreciation for both, as I do for the possibilities afforded by interactive media.The world of communications is changing, and at an exponential rate - but it’s doing so in ways which can make D&AD more relevant than ever. While I believe that the role of CEO is by definition multi-faceted, my most important job will be to reinforce this relevance, to further secure D&AD’s position as the standard-setter for creativity worldwide.”

Pulse Films Signs Andrew Douglas

Pulse Films recently announced the signing of world-class multi award-winning commercials, features and documentary director Andrew Douglas upon his return to the UK.

Andrew, who has worked for the advertising industry on both sides of the Atlantic, joins Pulse for UK Representation. He is represented in the US respected LA-based Anonymous Content where he earned a reputation as one of the finest commercial directors in the world. Nominated as Best Commercials Director by the Directors Guild of America, he has directed commercial work for an array of clients such as Nike, Adidas, Citroën, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft.

In addition to his commercial work, he made his feature film directorial debut with international box office hit, The Amityville Horror, grossing $130m dollars worldwide. Andrew’s credentials in documentary film-making include the RTS award-winning Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus for BBC Two’s Arena strand. The film was subsequently released theatrically in the US and won the Seattle Film Festival’s Jury award for Best Documentary.

Andrew Douglas adds: “I am excited to be joining Pulse on my return to the UK. I wanted to work with the high calibre of creativity that London - and the rest of the UK - has to offer and this is precisely what Pulse can offer.”

http://www.pulsefilms.co.uk/

Anonymous Content signs academy award-nominated Cuaron

Adding to its already sprawling network of talent, Anonymous has signed Mexican filmmaker, screenwriter and film producer Alfonso Cuarón to its Commercial division. The internationally acclaimed Cuarón's most recent work, Children of Men, starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine, was nominated for three Academy Awards.

His Spanish-language feature film Y Tu Mamá También, earned a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award nomination and enjoyed major international success. Commercial credits include spots for Nike, Pac Bell, and Miller, with an Emmy win for PBS Fish out of Fallon Minneapolis.

Meribel Festival becomes The Cristal Awards

The Ad industries favourite winter meet has recently had a slight name (or nom) change. The Meribel Ad Festival has morphed into the namesake of its coveted trophies – and become The Cristal Awards.

Since the creation of the first Festival in Méribel 2001, the crystal expansion has been fairly rapid – and saw the event sprawl out to China at the China Cristal Awards and the MENA Cristal Awards for the Middle East and North Africa.

Not only has the festival changed its name, it has also moved geographically. The Festival will now take place at the Swiss station of Crans Montana. Locates at the heart of the Swiss Alps, Crans Montana is one of the most prestigious ski resorts in Europe, and benefits from enormous grandiose surroundings as well as offering a whole new accessible quality to the Cristal Festival that Meribel sadly could never offer.

For more info go to www.centraleuropecristal.com/