Sydney’s advertising industry swapped the small screen for the big one last week, as more than 160 ads from around the world received the cinema treatment at La Nuit de l’Advertising.
Held on Thursday 22 October at the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace in Cremorne, the event brought 400 guests together for an evening celebrating advertising as entertainment, with plenty of laughs, gasps and applauses along the way.
Hosted by Alliance Française de Sydney, the event is also known internationally as The Night of the Ad-Eaters. Created in France 45 years ago by Jean-Marie Boursicot, the format turns advertising into the main attraction, inviting audiences to react to the work rather than wait for it to finish.
Speaking at the event, Amaury Treguer, board member of the Alliance Française de Sydney, welcomed guests and said the aim was to make the night feel less like a traditional industry gathering and more like a party.
Treguer is a Sydney-based digital and social media marketing executive and co-founder of social media and creative agency Bread Agency.
“We wanted this to feel less like an industry event and more like a proper party, where people cheer, boo and whistle at the ads. Sydney absolutely nailed it,” Treguer said.
The screenings were punctuated by a burlesque and cabaret performance during intermission, adding to the party atmosphere.
B&T and Cairns Crocodiles were among the event’s partners, alongside The Iconic, Akubra, Yo-Chi, Into the Wild Escapes, Canal+, Knobby, Flammé Candle Dust and Stuart Alexander & Co, the company behind Mentos and Chupa Chups.
Cairns Crocodiles brought a little friendly competition to the night with its dart game activation, as attendees battled it out to win free passes to the upcoming festival in Cairns. The activation also featured branded merchandise, including colourful socks and shirts.
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Following the turnout, Treguer said the ambition was to make La Nuit de l’Advertising an annual fixture for the industry and anyone who loves a great ad.
“After a night like this, we’d be mad not to bring it back. Our ambition is to make La Nuit de l’Advertising an annual must for the industry and for anyone who loves a great ad,” he said.
