Another Metro Trains campaign via McCann Australia sweeps second round of 2014 Sirens

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PatMescall.jpgLess than three months after dominating the 2013 Sirens with “Dumb Ways to Die”, McCann Melbourne and Metro Trains have teamed up once again, with a campaign promoting the rail network’s new “Notify” app, winning all categories in the second round of the 2014 Siren Awards.

The “Metro Notify” campaign written by John Mescall (right) and Pat Baron (left) and produced by Ralph van Dijk at Eardrum, was the overall winner of the round and also claimed the campaign category. The ad “Boss Man”, from the same campaign, won the single category, with the other ads from the campaign, “Baby Giraffe” and “Breakfast TV”, highly commended.

When asked what set this campaign apart, Mescall said: “Compared to most ads on radio, these have a reasonably unique tone of voice. Jean Kittson did a great job with the words we gave her. I also give kudos to the guys at Metro, who don’t have a problem admitting that your train running late is actually bad news. Honesty can be a rare commodity in advertising.”

Judge, Marty Braine from Brainestorm was full of praise for the campaign.

Says Braine: “Nice way to turn a negative into a positive… and good use of the product in the story. Great talent and use of music.”

The “Metro Notify” campaign is now in the running to win the Gold Siren for best radio ad of the year, which will be announced in May 2014. Writers of the best radio ad for 2014 win airfares, accommodation, plus automatic entry and tickets to the Cannes Advertising Lions Festival in June 2014. The client of the Gold Siren winning ad also wins a trip to Cannes and the festival.

“Boss Man”, from the “Metro Notify” campaign, also won the craft category. This time, the plaudits went to campaign director, van Dijk from Eardrum, and Myles Lowe from Song Zu. Both of the other “Notify” ads were highly commended once again.

Three further series of ads were highly commended in the campaign category; the “Trust/Loyal Advertiser/Listener/Friendship” campaign for Commercial Radio Australia, again by Eardrum’s van Dijk, “Country people don’t like asking for help”, by Clemenger BBDO Melbourne’s Ben Keenan & Russ Fox, and kwp! Advertising’s “Ultra Tune: Hyena doing Lamaze, Kookaburra with stutter, Octopus dribbling basketballs” campaign for Ultra Tune, written by Corey Swaffer.

Says Joan Warner, chief executive officer, Commercial Radio Australia: “It’s another great win for McCann Melbourne. The range of innovative ads entered into the Siren Awards, always impress with their creativity, and demonstrate how effective radio can be for advertisers.”

Round three of the 2014 Siren Awards is now open. Entries close for round three on 13 September.