Crispin's 'Lamp' Edges 'Cog' In Race for Film Grand Prix

Ikea spot called 'magic'; Wieden, Goodby win five of six U.S. goldsCrispin Porter + Bogusky's wry "Lamp" spot for Ikea won the Grand Prix in film at the 50th International Advertising Festival here on Saturday, derailing a favorite, the poetic two-minute-long "Cog" execution for Honda from Wieden + Kennedy in London. The Miami agency's commercial, starring a forlorn lamp that has been discarded after being replaced, received 15 votes, sources said. That gave it the majority it needed to beat the two other gold Lion winners considered for the Grand Prix: "Cog" and Xbox's "Ear Tennis" from Bartle Bogle Hegarty in London, which features pingpong players who have paddles for ears. The decision came after an hourlong discussion among the 22 members of the international jury, led by jury president Dan Wieden. Also Saturday, BMW Films won the award that it inspired, the Titanium Lion, which was added to the competition this year to recognize unconventional ideas. The 2-year-old Internet film series from Fallon in Minneapolis earned the honor for both the inaugural series and its sequel. The campaign has caused the industry to "re-examine its behavior patterns," said Wieden, chief creative officer and CEO of Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, Ore. "Lamp," which also won the Grand Clio at the Clio Awards in May, demonstrated a powerful insight into how people become attached to their possessions and also addressed a rational business challenge for the furniture company, said Wieden. "It's not only performing emotional magic, it is also solving a very real predicament of the category," he said. "People don't turn in their sofas and their lamps as frequently as you would like, so it was one of those great instances when the emotional and practical business concerns come together." Juror Rafa Anton, executive creative director at Vitruvio/Leo Burnett in Madrid, concurred, adding, "[Crispin] created a 30-second spot that allows you to fall in love with the [lamp], find out you're wrong and have someone call you crazy." Although "Cog," which shows a chain reaction of car parts that culminates in a finished Honda Accord, was appreciated, sources said it did not evoke the strong emotional connection to the brand that "Lamp" did. "[Cog] has all the elements you look for in a Grand Prix," said Anton. "It's a captivating short movie, it makes the point perfectly, but it's not a revolutionary approach to talk about a car that works well. But as advertising, it's beautiful." A total of 22 gold, 25 silver and 36 bronze Lions were awarded at a ceremony Saturday night at the Palais des Festivals. The U.K. won the most golds, eight. U.S. agencies won six golds, eight silvers and 12 bronzes. Wieden won three of those golds, for Nike's "Angry Chicken" and "Before" out of Portland, and for ESPN's "Shelfball" campaign out of New York. Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco won two golds, for Saturn's "Sheet Metal" and a California Milk Processor Board spot. And The Arnell Group in New York won one, for Reebok's "Terry Tate." The deliberations lasted late into Friday night, with Wieden leading the jury in a meticulous examination of its choices to make sure the best work was recognized. "We were extremely cautious about it," he said. "We wanted to make sure we picked legitimate and powerful work." Several categories were so strong, Wieden said, that there was concern on the jury over awarding too many golds. "There is a psychological sense that you can only award so many golds in a category, but we all felt very strongly that if the work was there, it should be honored," he said. Multiple golds were awarded in automotive, alcoholic beverages and footwear/apparel. Among the gold winners in the alcohol category were Johnnie Walker's "Fish," from BBH in London, and John Smith's "No Nonsense," from TBWA\London. In automotive, golds went to "Cog," "Sheet Metal" and Peugeot's "The Sculptor," from Euro RSCG Mezzano Costantini Mignani in Milan, Italy. And among the gold winners in clothing/footwear were "Terry Tate" and "Angry Chicken." Two other Ikea executions from Crispin, "Kitchen" and "Living Room," won a silver as a campaign, and "Bored to Death," also for Ikea, won a bronze. Crispin also earned a silver for Mini's "This is America" spot. TBWA\Paris was named Agency of the Year based on the number of prizes won during the festival. The Palme d'Or for production companies went to Partizan in the U.K.

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Crispin's 'Lamp' Edges 'Cog' In Race for Film Grand Prix

Ann M. Mack

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Ann M. Mack