Animator sweeps Adelaide Art Directors Club awards
No gold awards were awarded in the media section of the recently held Adelaide Art Directors Club Awards 2002, where judges described the standard as lower than previous years.
But in the craft section of the awards Michael Cusack won gold and The Master’s Chair, given to best craft entry, for animation, and gold for direction for his work on Ingham’s “Can Can” TVC.
“He was obviously a great animator, which is why he was awarded The Master’s Chair for animation, though he could have won that for direction. This work was not as stilted as usual claymation,” says AADC Awards chairman of judges and Twenty 20 creative director and partner Fysh Rutherford.
The only agency to win a major award was KWP Adelaide, which won The Gold Chair, awarded to the best piece of communication, for its outdoor ad “Bottle Legs” for wine brand Yalumba, which also won a silver award in the outdoor category.
“The Yalumba ad won The Gold Chair because of its purity of idea. It was bold and simple, the way outdoor advertising should be. If you were driving along and saw this ad you would get the gag easily,” Rutherford says.
He says the other reason for no gold awards on the media side was due to a higher calibre of judges pushing standards. Judges included John Bevins founder John Bevins, FCB Melbourne art director Ben Couzens and Stellar Sound director Ben Crabbe.
For Adelaide agencies and design houses looking to win gold next year, Rutherford says purity and simplicity of ideas is essential. He also expresses concern that creative ideas take precedence over strategic thinking.
“Ads cannot be created only for a great creative idea, they also need to be relevant to consumers. Creatives should ask themselves: ‘Is this the right creative idea for this consumer group?’ and ‘Is this the best way to communicate?’.”
The last major award of the night was The Watering Can, awarded to a person or group the AADC presidents feel made a significant contribution to the advertising industry. This year the award went to e films director of photography Ernie Clark.
THE WINNERS:
Gold and Silver
Animation - Gold
Advertiser: Inghams
Title: Can Can
Animator: Michael Cusack
TV/Cinema Direction - Gold
Advertiser: Inghams
Title: Can Can
Director: Michael Cusack
Brochures -- Silver
Advertiser: Parallax
Studio: Parallax
Designer: Matthew Remphrey
Compositing -- Silver
Advertiser: Australian Red Cross
Title: Drop Zone
Visual effects: The Team At Guava
Corporate Identity -- SilverMedium/Large Business
Advertiser: Hop & Grape
Studio: Parallax
Designer: Matthew Remphrey
Corporate Identity -- Silver
Small Business
Advertiser: TMC Property Advertising
Title: Definitely Different
Studio: Black Squid Design
Designers: Derek Butler, Melanie Terrett
Design Miscellaneous -- Silver
Advertiser: Drug & Alcohol Service Council
Studio: Black Squid Design
Tertiary Students -- Silver
Advertiser: AGDA
Title: Frost
Major contributor: Rita Siow
Interactive CD-ROM -- Silver
Advertiser: V1 Systems
Title: V1 Golf
Agency: Fusion Design Consultants
Designer/finished artist: Cez Wieczorek
Mixed-Media Campaign -- Silver
Advertiser: Adelaide Zoo
Title: Zoo Poo
Agency: Escape Plan
Creative directors/agency producers: Steve Callen, Craig MacLean
Music -- Silver Composition and Arrangement
Advertiser: Adelaide Zoo
Title: Song - Retail
Production house: Timms Tunes
Composer/arranger: Sean Timms
Other Radio/Music Craft -- Silver
Advertiser: Adelaide Zoo
Title: Just For You
Music: Sean Timms
Outdoor -- Silver
Advertiser: Yalumba
Title: Bottle Legs
Agency: Killey Withy Punshon
Creative director: Peter Withy
Packaging and Label Design -- Silver
Advertiser: Adelaide Zoo
Title: Zoo Poo Bag
Agency: Young & Rubicam Adelaide
Art director/designer: Carl van Wijk
Photography -- Silver
Advertiser: Tastemaster
Title: Mushroom
Photographer: Richard Lyons
Point of Sale Posters -- Silver
Advertiser: Adelaide Zoo
Title: Duck
Agency: Young & Rubicam Adelaide
Creative director: Ant Larcombe
Radio Campaign -- Silver
Advertiser: Adelaide Zoo
Titles: Baboon, Honest, Minute Of Crap
Agency: Escape Plan
Creative director/writer: Steve Callen
Radio Production -- Silver
Advertiser: Johnsons Gardening Products
Title: Spring
Production house: Les Francis Productions
Radio Single Commercial(over 30 secs) -- Silver
Advertiser: Adelaide Zoo
Title: Honest
Agency: Escape Plan
Creative director/writer: Steve Callen
Television Single Commercial (30 secs & under) -- Silver
