FURBY WINS GOLD, SILVER AT DUBAI LYNX
At the Dubai Lynx awards – run by the Cannes organisers – Jay Furby, former CD of the Furnace, Sydney [who has dropped off the radar for a year in self-imposed creative exile] has shown his mettle again. After freelancing in the UAE for just one month he has managed to win one of six Golds awarded for best print campaign and a Silver in the print category. Both were for his Yellow Pages campaign from Grey Worldwide Dubai. He also scored seven finalists.
Having completed five illustrated books [two by Graham Watson] which are with publishers, he is now intending to get back into the ad game after a much needed rest.
Says Furby: “I just tried to do the simplest communication I could and two colours and two words seemed to be as simple as it can get for a poster. I’m really happy the judges agreed.
“I feel I am ready to write interesting and different ads again, I didn’t want a job until I finished my journey. Now that period has ended. I have learnt a lot about myself from this break and feel refreshed and tummy-grumbly hungry.
“Wherever that will be, is inconsequential, as I believe you can do interesting work anywhere. It is all about the challenge, growth and lifes experiences. I am not a fan of moaning about where you work and all the struggles and pitfalls it presents. I am a great believer in doing.
“If you look at the standards of the work awarded at the Lynx awards it is easy to see that the world standard and competition is improving dramatically no matter what office you sit in. Ideally i only want to work with smart and good natured people. I will never repeat recent mistakes!”
96 Comments
Nice one Furby.
Did you Art Direct it as well?
If Jay uses up all the unsold ads in his portfolio,he’ll have to think up some new ones.
Never let an idea die.
How long was this one, 12 years?
“I am not a fan of moaning about where you work …i only want to work with smart and good natured people. I will never repeat recent mistakes!”
Classic.
Welcome back Furby.
The industry is far better when you’re about.
client obviously rejected the blue balls one.
Welcome back, big guy.
Really, really nice.
Would love to have ’em in the book.
I dont see a problem with using an old idea, as long as it hasn’t been run before. There are so many factors which can cause a great idea to not run that its ok to push it through to a relevant brand further on down the line?
Showers Pages
Like them.
That’s about as simple as an ad can get while still getting the idea across.
Onya Mr Furby and well done on getting those particular colours past your client!
A. McP
Groundbreaking stuff this. Hats off to the judges in Dubai.
Replacing the word “green”, “white” or “red” with the colour. Genius.
And I’m sure your average consumer would have been stopped in their tracks by the revelation that you can find greengrocers, weddings and roses in the yellow pages.
As long as it was your idea and it hasn’t run before.
2:58pm Reusing ideas is fine as long as you don’t get sued by your past agency for using their intellectual property. Contracts these days cover that sort of thing. It may never happen, but who knows?? Nice ads.
perhaps mr 3.15 should have a word with droga…he was one of the judges.
for my two cents….they are so so simple they are probably great…if not better.
after all as he says ‘two colours two words’….can’t get better than that for a poster..
or can mr 3.15 do better…please show us….fool!
“I feel refreshed and tummy-grumbly hungry”
Lock your fridges, Australia!!!
3:29PM. It does happen. I have two award winning ideas I found the client for and shot for free a certain agency won’t let me run anywhere else, but won’t run and enter themselves.
I think it’s in the ‘fuck you’ section of my original AWA.
I wonder if their yellow pages actually FINDS what you need….
He ain’t a big guy no more…and you certainly don’t need to lock your fridges.
If you’ve seen him bout town he’s pretty fit. More like lock up your clients…if he is hungry!!…or if you employ him unlock your award cabinets or get bigger ones…good to have you back Mr Furby….been along time coming!
And these ran in English did they?
3.15
Princeton University definition of genius.
someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
brilliance: unusual mental ability
ace: someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
exceptional creative ability
flair: a natural talent
someone who makes the incredibly hard look easy.
So unfortunately for you 3.15, it is genius and that makes you look stupid.
Jeez, there seems to be a lot of fap fap fapping over these.
But seriously, come on people, they’re okay, but multiple gold worthy? I think not.
Nice idea sure, but that’s as far as it goes. They ain’t brilliant. Perhaps those people so enamored by the work are as just simple as the work itself.
Try using a little perspective people.
That’s funny.
I’m sure if you’d told Mr Furby two years ago you’d won an award in Dubai he’d have been mightily impressed.
Also, it’s amazing that those ads that won gold showing women’s clevage and coin slots ever ran in the Middle East.
But there you go.
Dear 4.15
Merely quoting a dictionary for a definition of genius does little to illustrate yours. Oh, what a delicious irony. Perhaps try looking up that word.
As for the work, meh. It’s okay, it’s simple and is engaging enough to make me stop. Does it actually add anything in terms of my knowledge of Yellow? Nope.
I’m with 4.40 – they’re okay, but not much more than that. If Furby hadn’t done them (after his prolonged absence) I doubt we’d be talking about them to be honest.
3.15… Yellow Pages have always done campaigns of a similar strategic nature. It’s broad and generic. Fact is the Yellow pages just want to remind people that they’re there to be used. Just ask George Patts Melbourne and Clemenger before them. The real truth behind the advertising however is to keep advertising so people keep buying space in them. How many people actually use the book now? They’re online using Yellow and Yellow pages know this but advertisiers pay a shitload more to go in the book.
4.40… You’re a cock smuggler!
Welcome back Furbs.
Clearly the judges hadn’t seen the multi award winning Economist print campaign that is exactly the same idea. Can you post it please?
The simpler the better….4.40…IF YOU HAVEN’T UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU SHOULD GO BACK TO AWARD SCHOOL….simple is the grail of advertising…especially posters …remember the 3 second test….and they do not get simpler then these!
It’s true, Furb has lost a lot of weight. Just ask Margo behind the bar at the North Bondi RSL. She told me he switched to NEW shandies about 3 months ago…
Is it 6 o’clock yet?
5.08 you are simply dumb.These are nothing like the Economist ads you idiot.
Dear 5.01 i did look up the word. It is the Princeton University definition. You on the other hand were obviously educated at Bankstown Community Art college.
Dear 5.08
There’s a marked difference between simple, and just stupid. Learn the difference. And typing in all caps fixes your intellect at around 12; hardly someone I’d care to take advice from.
Like I said, the work is okay, nothing more.
Love and kisses,
4.40.
No 5.08
SImple isn’t the holy grail of advertising: good ideas are.
Sure, this is simple. But is it a great idea?
Personally, I don’t think so. It’s the print equivalent of replacing a word with a sound in a radio ad.
But each to their own and all that.
Can I just say, everyone’s right. Everyone on here, you’re all right. Absolutely. No need to voice your opinion, I agree. You’re all 100% right.
Hope to catch you for a bevy at some point Furby, now you’re working maybe you can shout me one.
B.
COME ON!!
GREEN GROCER? You really need Yellow pages for that?
ROSES? Fuck me.
Welcome back Furbs. I reckon with a little humility you could make your back to the top here.
?????
There are two Yellow Pages in the UAE.
The Etisalat Yellow Pages and the Du Yellow Pages.
Not sure which one this campaign is for but I guess putting something annoying like a logo on it would have spoilt the award winningness of the idea.
Having worked in the Middle East
a, these would have run in English.
b, would have been done for an award show.
c, and anybody reading would have thought they were doing a colour blind test.
These were offered to Etisalat (UAE telecom) by Grey but were rejected. Guess that is why Grey ran them without the logo.
what about the other 637 sections of yellow pages? Or have they been deleted because they don’t work so well with a colour?
I hate ’em cause they’re boring.
When the fuck did we start giving a shit what gets up at arab award shows? Wake me if they get in the One Show.
Good to hear you’re back Mr Furby.
I wonder what would happen if some one presented these ideas to Jay….
Ah, what a world.
A world with no pesky clients, a world where you pay for your own media, a world where production companies shoot 3 minute commercials for free (on the back of a big clients shoot, of course).
It’s a world where they play tennis without nets and there is fiery fries being served on every corner.
Get that big asterisk of your career. Do a ‘campaign’, not a one off. Make it a TV campaign, no directors cuts and not for a funeral parlour, dog training school or charity. Make it for a proper client, hell maybe even a client that has a logo. And lastly…get a book published, not ‘with publishers’. I know where publishers file books that are ‘with publishers’.
What a nasty bunch of people! And none of you even have the balls to sign your name. Disgraceful.
I have read one of Jay’s books and it is beautifully written – I will be buying several copies.
Wish you only the best Jay.
Agreed, Mandy. Welcome back, Furbs.
You are all just jealous of his MAIN problem!!! Talent!
Suzie Q.
I don’t know Jay at all. Never met him. These ads are pretty good. Simple brand awareness kind of stuff. Do they cure cancer? Probably not. Did they really run? I don’t know. In the form presented? Probably not. But one thing I do know is that this Furby guy surely ruffles some feathers. I think it’s hilarious.
Dubai.
If it wasn’t about 48 degrees in winter, it could well become the new scam capital of the ad world replacing Singapore and Sao Paulo.
Only thing I’m looking up is my parmesan cheese!! great book number one…looking forward to number two.
love Bev.
to mr 6.03 you are more than welcome to check out a small selection of my work on my iweb page.
please enjoy.
http://web.mac.com/jmrfurby/BOOK/PRINT.html
on it you will find work for banks ,car companies, major brand clothing,drinks, major electrical goods companies,sports companies,cameras, major underpants, spot creams,radio stations and yellow pages to name some….oh and sorry some charity work and a funeral company…sorry bout that old chum….but when you are creative ideas just come along for everything you see.
if you would like to arrange a critique for your dog eared portfolio i will make 2 minutes for you.
there is also a cv in which will take you more than two minutes to read you miserably sad and bitter man.
the books are with publishers because publishing takes some time.
before casting insults it is wise to check ones facts first.
yours respectfully,
jay furby
we loved Maggoty bin….Alexa…. Elly….. Holly …. Tess.
I am writing from egypt where i work and these ads ran as they were presented. In the newspapers and on posters .There was also a very simple internet executions. I find it strange why you nasty to good advertisements.
I am of course not referring to Rodd Martin who was an absolute pleasure to work with and was a tremendous person and a wonderful creative and motivator…to clear up any misinterpretations.
JF
So winning the most effective advertising award at the AFA last year counts for nothing….seem to remember that Skins called a scam too,give the guy his due he has done it genuinely time and time again,check your annuals,in award he’s in there more than anyone else. He also taught me and several others very well at award school and gave his time to help whenever asked. Thanks Jay. Don’t listen to the detractors-carry on being you.
These people are idiots/
What are you people lioke.Its amazing how when he was at DDB it became no.1 after he left it took years to recover. At Saatchis he won heaps under Newman when they were in the doldrums — and well we all know what happened to Arnold whichwas named no3 best in the country after 1 year and grew to 29 people which became the furnace which became nothing. I like him .He has helped me many times. Good on ya furbs .
I’ve only met Jay once and he was really funny and lovely.
Tess.
He probably attracts so many comments because he doesn’t suffer fools gladly.
TC
We will laugh in our beer about this one mate.
You’re hot Furbs
Hey Jay – I don’t know yu an yu don’t know mey from a fukci’n ole in tha wol . Nice fukci’n Ads lad.
Fukci’n A
Hahaha Jay you rule.
Nice comment.
To all the whining bitches – I remember doing award at Arnold’s in Rushcutters bay. His shelf had broken from all the soccor trophy’s on there, which would have only been about half his collection.
I hear he sells his lions older than 5 years on eBay for beer money. 6.03 you might want to bid on some.
This guy must be good coz he sure gets everyone bubbling.I think his ads are very good and it seems people love him or don’t. Maybe he doesn’t like those people either, there are some idiots in advertising i have met loads:) but as far as the work goes it is different and attention getting isn’t that what clients want??????
Top bloke. Top ads. As usual. It’s going to get boring for everyone else again rather soon.
London.
Cripes,
I just looked at his CV and feel mightily humbled.
I never ever realised he’d done that much.
I wish.Iwish.
Good ta have ya coming back Jay.The shears are sniping for a Tall Poppy and thereis nothing taller than you. Put ya armour on buddy the maggots are milling.
BC
Jay would have to be one of the most original, creative, prolific, clean, punctual and pleasant people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with and I’ve worked with a few.
The thing that pisses most people off is his ability to win for big clients AS WELL as the initiative stuff. I can’t be arsed typing the list out but trust me.
Bud, you’re back on the team any day!! Big ups on the book…the kid’s one and the portfolio too.
R
2:26…c’mon man. This is a blog on which you have the opportunity to write, not fucking text message. Jesus, what’s this world coming too?!
I think a lot of people on here think advertising is a cleverness contest. It’s not.
There are lots of smart creatives out there, all of whom have the ability to come up with great ideas.
If award shows are only about recognising who’s the cleverest, then we should remove all requirements that ads actually run, and treat them more like an art show – best piece of work wins.
The reason award shows require work to have run is that they’re meant to be about celebrating the best “advertising”. And advertising isn’t just about coming up with a great idea in isolation. It’s about doing it for a real client with a real business problem selling a real product to real consumers.
Award shows should be about rewarding creatives who have not only come up with a good idea, but have managed to overcome all of the obstacles of clients, research, budgets, timings and the like, and somehow managed to let that great idea see the light of day.
so srry 244, me keybrd is brken.
I wonder if penis envy can become pencil envy.
They are great ads for a much done category. Great posters and print. Make you think. Nuff said.
Jay, Stinks is out of hospital. Drinks at the RSL Sunday night.
Moose – 0408 111 569
Oh my god 6.03 he even has a one show finalist on his CV for p and g….have you?
Don’t think anyone’s actually bagged the bloke here have they? Just the ads, so why is everyone leaping to his defence? I’ve had plenty of work bagged before, hell the first thing they told as in Award School was get used to rejection.
When someone’s got a folio as impressive as his, I’m not convinced he’ll mind too much if a few people aren’t that impressed with just one of his ads.
Mate you’ve finally outed yourself as Lieutenant Lower Case…
Tommy.
I love Jay. I was fortunate enough to work briefly with him at JWT. He’s one of the nicest, most talented blokes in the business. Anyone who says differently has either never met him is or jealous. In which case, back to work, knockers. I’ll listen to you when you’ve achieved half of what he has.
Golden showers?
are you kidding me? i believe this colour/word substitution project is on grade 2 nsw primary school syllabus. the fact that some burnt out advertising nightmare has shoe horned it into a campaign context is a freeeeeeeeeeeaking joke. advertising for those who have had a lobotomy. great.
these ads are not simple, they are fucking boring! really, look at them. 2 blocks of colour and 3 boring headlines. So AWARD school, so tired. A classic example of why advertising awards are load of wank.
pack of dickfucks?
prague!
mr furby
still rattling cages boy, very nice to see are alive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jcaxur0fmM
If I were the Yellow Pages client here. Which I’m not. I would be running this work here.
Bitching about where they were done, or if and how much they ran is irrelevant. Fact is they should be bought by a brave client and they should run.
If the local YP client is reading get your cheque book out.
Fact is this business should be less hostile, more open to work that although clearly international should and could run here… if that were the case as consumers we’d have less shit ads to look at simply because of a it has to be created here mentality.
Advertising seems a unique business. Everyone else accepts globalisation. Imagine the shit cars we’d be driving or the crappy computers we’d be bashing on… no fucking iPod or iMac… that would be the world according to the Australian ad Industry.
Well done Jay on some great work. I once worked at DDB, but missed the years you were there. I heard you really shook the place up. I also heard you were a bastard to work with. Although I’m not sure I heard it from anyone I truly respected.
Jhonnie B who was one of the best, smartest and nicest people I ever worked with reckoned you delivered the goods so enuff said in my view on your ability.
I also get the sense from your post here of a little recognition about being a difficult prick and possibly a shift in attitude.
It takes guts to be self aware so good on ya and good luck.
fuck me large. it’s not an attack on the dude. pack.of.flaming.ass.lickers.
wipe the semen from your chin and look at the work. furby would would lay a steamer square on your chest if you placed this on his [messy] desk.
don’t worry, the bloke can cope for goodness sakes.
Good ads, good bloke. Good to have you back Mr.
Mr 5.48
You refer to Jay as ‘some burnt out advertising nightmare’
Which anyone would say is totally incorrect.
Care to back up your basic rude insults with a name.
OR are you just a little coward hiding behind anonymous.
Really really sad and pathetic.
Hope you get laid real soon.
This guy is a real idiot Furbs.
Thank god for Karma.
xx
There’s nothing worse than 500 people talking about you like they’re your best mate and you know from their comments they know fuck all about you.
New bitch please.
Ha- ha-Sampson and Dilallo 15 Furby 88-You can still pull the crowd mate and the rabbits out of the hat. See you in Sydney sometime soon.
x
It appears the nasty ones have moved onto the DIALLO/McKeon prizefight.
Well they have to get their poison out somehow. Otherwise it will build up in them and make them even more repulsive. So much anger it’s hilarious!!!
apr 4 1.40pm,
I’d just like to know what ‘major underpants’ are.
The reason Jay has a reputation (amongst those who don’t know him) for being difficult is his utter single-minded persistence to see his ideas through from mere concept (usually brilliant) to production.
That’s what separates the merely talented from the achievers in advertising: you really have to surmount the endless obstacles between having the idea for an ad and getting it to actually see the light of day.
As we all know, the better and more original an idea is, the more likely it is to be killed along the way by the procession: Account guy, CD, Agency CEO, junior client, middle-weight client, senior client, media employee, etc etc.
He just doesn’t take no for an answer.
He
They are above Sergeant underpants.
6.23
But are they under General Pants?
6.07
Does that mean he worked on an account selling his own personal underpants?
I was already impressed by his exploits, but now this.
He must be a SELLING MACHINE!
looks like student work.