AUSTRALIA LEADS WORLD AT DIRECT LIONS

Australia has nabbed the top international ranking in the Direct Lions competition along with the United Kingdom with both countries landing five Lions each. New Zealand won two.

BMF Sydney scored the only Direct Gold Lion for Australia or New Zealand for its work on Goodman Fielder’s Wonder Performance Bread (pictured).

Lowe Sydney got a Silver for MTV Networks.

Saatchi & Saatchi Auckland won New Zealand’s only two Lions with Bronze gongs for Toyota and TVNZ.

India won the Grand Prix with an entry from JWT Mumbai which flabbergasted the Direct jury, starting out as a direct response ad in a newspaper but which went on to captured India’s imagination, ultimately involving hundreds of millions of people.

New Zealand born Canadian judge, Matt Shirtcliffe, executive creative director for Proximity Canada, said Australia’s work stood out this year because of its irreverency and humour.

“As a New Zealander living in Canada, it gives me a different perspective,” he told a press conference. “Australian work has a very clear tone. Australia seems to do irreverency and humour as well if not better than any other country. It’s very very hard not to like that natural Aussie humour.”

One of the most notable points this year in the Direct Lions was the abysmal showing of the United States. It had just 75 entries and won no Lions while countries like Costa Rica landed two Gold Lions and

three Silver. Thailand won two Gold and even Latvia managed a Silver.

“We’ve been discussing that,” said US judge Janet Barker-Evans from Draftfcb Chicago. “We’re surprised as any one. We did see large agencies making submissions but there’s probably a lot of great smaller shops who don’t consider entering at Cannes.”

Themes this year noted by the Direct jury were an abundance of coffins, seeds, voodoo dolls and concepts involving death. The jury laughed off a question from CB when asked if those campaigns had worked.

Australian Lions

Gold

BMF Sydney, Goodman Fielder ‘Ducks’

Silver

Lowe Sydney, MTV Networks ‘Welcome Snoop’

Bronze

M&C Saatchi Sydney, The British Council ‘Meet your Hero’ (Corporate Information)

M&C Saatchi Sydney, The British Council, ‘Meet your Hero’ (Best Integrated Direct Campaign)

Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney, United Nations ‘Voices project.

New Zealand Lions

Bronze

Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand, Toyota Hilux ‘Hilux Motion’

Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand, TVNZ ‘Around world in 80 days’