The short lists for the first round of Cannes Lions are out today, and Canada made every list except Promo. In all, we have 41 in contention, including nine entries that made it to the Media Lions short list.
‘Breaking Through the Boundaries,’ the cover-crossing campaign for Johnnie Walker out of Starcom Toronto, is one, as is the shop’s integrated ‘Big Brain Academy’ deal with Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? for Nintendo Canada’s Wii, which took a sponsorship nod.
Cossette has several shots at medaling. The Montreal media team’s ‘Pop Your Art’ exhibits for Perfetti Van Melle’s Mentos gum got Mixed Media standing, and the campaign’s Real Gum Fresco stunts also got a Live Advertising slot.
In the Best Use of TV category, Due North Communications’ bevy of wee spots for the Dairy Farmers of Canada made the grade, as did the Rogers Grammy work for MP3 Phones, out of Mediacom Toronto. JWT Toronto’s insightful elevator campaign for Purell Hand Sanitizer was one of only two campaigns to make the Small Scale Ambient short list.
And in the Charities, Public Awareness category, DDB Toronto’s ‘3 Lives’ work for Canadian Blood Services made the list, as did Sid Lee Montreal’s ‘Black’ campaign for Quebec Foundation for the Blind.
Canada’s other Cannes contenders include four Direct, five Outdoor, seven Radio and 16 Press short list mentions.
Direct judges liked RBC’s ‘Crime Doesn’t Pay’ efforts by BBDO Proximity enough to put it through to the final round in the Best Integrated Campaign category, as well as financial products for its student banking packages. Wunderman’s ‘Video’s Back?’ work for MSN also made the list, as did Leo Burnett’s ‘The Score’ annual report, which got a corporate information nod.
‘Cake’ and ‘Cake Jumper’ each made the Outdoor short list, giving Ogilvy and Mather two Hot Wheels shots for a win with Mattel Canada.
In the Ambient category, the Transit short list included Travel Alberta’s ‘Chair lift’ effort out of Venture Communications Toronto. And in the stunts and live advertising nods, Kerrisdale Equipment’s STIHL chainsaw billboard out of Rethink Vancouver made the list, as did ‘Rapunzel’ for Procter & Gamble’s Pantene, by Grey Canada Toronto.
The Radio jury put through Sun-Rype work out of DDB Vancouver and Wave Sound Productions Vancouver. DDB Toronto also got two spots on the short list for Philips Canada’s Bodygroom Electric Shaver spots, done by Pirate Radio & Television Toronto.
In the Radio retail short list, Sid Lee got a nod for ‘What’s New?’ for Jean Lacasse Antiquare, out of Boogie Studio Montreal. So did Zig’s ‘Low Voice’ work for Ikea, by RMW Music Toronto. Two spots for Science World by Rethink and Wave Sound Productions Vancouver, ‘Bacteria’ and ‘Two Seconds,’ also made the Radio short list.
The Press short listers liked BBDO’s Jeep Wrangler work for Chrysler, specifically ‘Fat Bear’ and ‘Cheers’ for Fedex, which also put BBDO in Lions contention.
The press jury gave four nods to call for entry posters: Taxi Toronto for the Young Guns International Advertising Awards, and Taxi for Covenant House, which also made the Press shortlist; ‘Poop,’ ‘Nuts’ and ‘Crotch’ for Timmie Dog Outfitters, by DDB Toronto; and DDB’s ’18 Lives’ and ‘3 Lives’ for Canadian Blood Services.
‘Jog’ and ‘Worship,’ part of the eye-popping and uplifting new Toronto Humane Society efforts out of Leo Burnett Toronto, have two shots at Press Lion glory. And the jury also gave two shots to make the podium to Sid Lee’s ‘Paint’ and ‘Thermostat’ ads for Reno-Depot.
