10 Aussie entries make the cut at finalist round of the 23rd Cresta International Advertising Awards

The Cresta Awards, launched in 1993 by Creative Standards International to honor an absolute standard of creative excellence in advertising and marketing communications, has announced the finalists in its 23rd annual worldwide competition.

Australia has scored 10 finalists with McCann Sydney leading the Australian agency charge with three finalists. McCann Sydney has been shortisted twice for Sprite ‘Date Mistake’ and once for MTV Exit’s ‘Broken Dreamers’. Havas Worldwide Sydney has been shortlisted twice for Virgin Mobile ‘MealForaMeal’, Leo Burnett Melbourne has been shortlisted twice for Honda HR-V ‘Dream Run’ and Alt.vfx Brisbane also has two finalists; one for Spark NZ ‘Never Stop Starting’ and one for Honda HR-V ‘Dream Run’. Finch Sydney has been shortlisted once for NZTA ‘Mistakes’.

The Cresta Awards cover twelve major competitions: TV/Cinema/Online Film, Integrated Campaigns, Press, Outdoor, Ambient Media, Direct Marketing, Radio, Design, Promotions & Incentives, Branded Entertainment, Crafts and Interactive. Work is judged on the basis of two criteria only: the originality of the creative idea and the quality of its execution. A Grand Prix will be awarded to the highest scoring entries that achieve a pre-determined standard (above a ‘set’ score).

Impact BBDO, Dubai tied with the top of the short list with a total of eighteen finalists. Honors in the TV/Cinema/Online Film competition include a viral film for client, UN Women, titled, “Give Mom Back her Name”. UN Women also scored in the Integrated Campaigns competition, the Direct Marketing competition the Promotions & Incentives competition. In the Radio competition, client BHV Sofa Bed earned four finalists for “Pillow Talk-Cream”, “Pillow Talk-Michelle”, “Pillow Talk-Name” and Pillow Talk-Tuesday”. The Loto Libanais radio spot, titled, “Anyone can Win” rounded of its Radio tally.  Scoring four additional finalists for Loto Libanais was their entry titled, “Goodbye Bad Luck”. Competitions include: Integrated Campaigns, Direct Marketing, Promotions & Incentives and Branded Entertainment.  Honors in the Press competition went to client Mercedes-Benz for ads titled, “Safe Side-Rats”, “Safe Side-Foxes” and “Safe Side-Sheppard Dogs”. Completing their tally was an entry for Mercedes-Benz G-Class, titled, “The Tribal Rapport Field Guide” which scored in the Direct Marketing competition and in the Design competition for best Publication Design.

McCann Erickson, New York also received eighteen finalists. In the TV/Cinema/Online Films Competition its spot for Evolve, titled, “Playthings” scored a place on the list for both TV and Online Films.  Next, in the Interactive competition three finalists were secured – Evolve, titled, “If They Can Find It”, Nikon, titled, “I am Generation Image” and Jose Cuervo, titled, “CINGE Social Graphic Novel”. Client Evolve scored six finalists in the Press competition with single ads and campaigns for titles, “Swords”, “Claws” and “Balloons”.  Four finalists in the Outdoor competition were selected for Evolve as well with the same titles as Press. Rounding out their tally were two Integrated Campaigns for Jose Cuervo, titled, “History in a Bottle” and Evolve, titled, “If They Find It” and in the Design competition, Nature Valley Trail Views, titled, “Nature Valley Trail Views Mobile” scored for its Online Digital Design.

Forsman & Bodenfors, Gothenburg scored sixteen finalists. In the TV/Cinema/Online Films competition finalist status went to IKEA, titled, “Everyday Heroes”; UN World Food Programme, titled, “805 Millions Names; Volvo, titled, Made by Sweden, Winter’s Tale”;  Logistics, titled, “Investigating PostNord Logistics” and Volvo, titled, “The Casino”. UN World Food Programme also became a finalist in the following competitions: Ambient Media, Integrated Campaigns, Crafts for its Direction, and Branded Entertainment.  Client iZettle, titled, “12 Hour Sale” scored in the Integrated Campaigns competition as did client Oatly, titled, “Wow! No Cow!” in the Design competition for its Package Design. Two finalists were secured in the Direct Marketing competition – IF Insurance, titled, “Watch Your Back” and Åhléns, titled, “Shot It, Got It!”.  Completing their tally are the following finalists in the Crafts competition: Volvo, titled. “Made by Sweden, Winter’s Tale” for its Direction; Volvo, titled, Made by Sweden, Feat. Robyn” for its Music and IKEA, titled, “Everyday Heroes” for its Direction.

Publicis Conseil, Paris captured thirteen finalists.  In the Interactive competition two finalists were received: Orange, titled, “#Futureself” and APREC, tiled, “One Note Against Cancer”.  Orange “#Futureself” achieved two additional finalists in the Crafts competition for its Animation/Motion Graphics and Interface/Navigation, and in the Branded Entertainment competition. APREC “One Note Against Cancer” also had multiple finalists in the Promotions & Incentives, Branded Entertainment and Crafts (Music) competitions. In the Design competition, Galerie Helene Bailly, titled, “Lyrics” scored for its Publication Design.  Rounding off their tally was a campaign for Parc Zoologique de Paris which scored in the Press and Outdoor competition as well for its Photography in the Crafts competition.

HEIMAT, Berlin received eleven finalists. In the TV/Cinema/Online Films competition three finalists were selected:  Hornbach, titled, “Act Against Ugliness” and “Goth Girl” and for client Swisscom, a TV sport titled, “Nico”. “Goth Girl” was also honored in the Crafts competition for its Music and Art Direction. In the Interactive competition, two digital entries were selected:  Google Germany, titled, “The Urban Escape Plan” and Swisscom, titled, “The S5 Pulse Challenge”.  “The S5 Pulse Challenge” captured three additional finalists in the Integrated Campaigns, Promotions & Incentives and Branded Entertainment competitions. To round off their tally, Hornbach, titled, “Act Against Ugliness” became a finalist in the Integrated Campaigns competition.

BETC, Paris received nine finalists. Their TV spot for CANAL+, titled “Unicorns” became a double finalist in the TV/Cinema/Online Film competition for its TV  as well as its Cinema placement. “Unicorns” also became a finalist in the Crafts competition for Best Copywriting, Best Cinematography and Best Direction.  Rounding off their finalist tally in the Crafts competition was a digital entry for CANAL+, titled, “Being the Bear”. “Being the Bear” also became a finalist in the Interactive competition as did their client Peugeot, titled, “RCZRace”. Completing their tally, Ubisoft, titled, “Amazing Street Hack” became a finalist in the Ambient Media.

Rosapark, Paris attained nine finalists. In the TV/Cinema/Online Film competition finalist honors go to its client Brother, titled, “Next Time Label It”. Both Television and Cinema versions made it into the finals.  The spot also became a finalist in the Crafts competition for Best Editing.  Client Jardiland, titled, “Dog Fat Pants” also scored in the Crafts competition for Best Illustration for both Magazine and Newspaper versions of the ad, as well as the in the Press competition. “Dog Fat Pants” final nod was in the Outdoor competition. And to complete their tally, Monoprix, titled, “Change the Beep” became a finalist in the Ambient Media competition.

TBWA\Paris also attained nine finalists. One in the TV/Cinema/Online Film competition: Amnesty International, titled, “Amnesty Pens”. “Amnesty Pens” also scored in the Crafts competition for Best Animation and Best Music. Client SNCF, titled, “The Most Serious Game Ever” captured three finalists: two in the Crafts competition for Best: Animation/Motion Graphics and Interface/Navigation as well as in the Interactive competition. Client AIDES, titled, “No Condom. No Sex” newspaper campaign became a finalist in the Press competition. Rounding off its tally, McDonald’s, titled, “Pictograms” scored in the Outdoor competition as well as in the Crafts competition for its Illustration.

From the 52 countries participating in this year’s awards, 30 achieved finalist status. A total of 264 ads, campaigns and Interactive entries (see attachment) were chosen by over 100 top creatives. Pre-selection juries for TV/Cinema/Online Film, Press, Outdoor, Direct Marketing, Radio, Integrated Campaigns, Design, Crafts, Promotions & Incentives, Brand
ed Entertainment and Ambient Media were held in 8 cities – Antwerp, Bangkok, Boston, Budapest, Düsseldorf, Helsinki, Montreal and Stockholm. In addition, a separate pre-selection jury (19 jury members from 9 countries) was conducted for Interactive entries. 

All finalists will be evaluated by Cresta’s International Grand Jury of 86 internationally known creative directors, film specialists, graphic designers and interactive professionals from 44 countries. The jury is chaired by Ami Hasan, Chairman, Perfect Fools/hasan & partners, Helsinki, Stockholm, Amsterdam. ‘Winners’ will be announced on Monday, Oct. 12th.

DOWNLOAD FULL LIST OF FINALISTS – 2015 CRESTA FINALISTS .docx