Cairns Crocodiles, Presented by Pinterest: The Most-Shortlisted Agencies

The shortlist for the inaugural Cairns Crocodiles Awards, Presented by Pinterest, was revealed at the start of the month, featuring work for brands as storied as FIFA, Adidas, KFC, Unilever and Netflix created by agencies from New Zealand, Singapore, Japan and, of course, Australia.

But which agencies have picked up the most nominations? Here, we dive into the shortlist to pull out the hottest agencies in town — or, more accurately, the whole of the Asia-Pacific region.

Find out who wins the inaugural Cairns Crocodiles Awards with a ticket to Cannes in Cairns, Presented by Pinterest!

Howatson+Company

Up first, it’s Howatson+Company. The Sydney-based indie agency racked up a remarkable 27 nominations across a range of categories including Audio Craft, Beauty and Wellness Campaign and the Changing the World category. Here’s a look at its work nominated for the Changing the World Campaign.

The “Touch” campaign for Mastercard saw Howatson+Company create a film to redefine the cinema experience for the blind and low-vision community as well as designed to be enjoyed by those with sight, helping to connect the communities.

“Touch” was a feature-length motion picture without pictures. Brought to life solely through Dolby 7.1 sound, without images or audio descriptions. Designed to be enjoyed by people who are both sighted and non-sighted. It follows an original story of a neuroscientist trapped inside his father’s mind, along with his ex-girlfriend and an unsuspecting delivery driver. To escape, they must journey through crumbling memories and forgotten worlds.

It premiered in iconic cinemas across Australia, to sold out crowds of people across the spectrum of visual abilities, and is now being taught in film schools, giving future filmmakers a blueprint to make more inclusive productions.

Howatson+Company was also shortlisted for campaigns it created for the likes of Modibodi, Allianz, Matilda Bay and Maurice Blackburn Lawyers. Here’s a look at all of Howatson+Company’s nominations.

Will Chris Howatson and the rest of the crew pick up any trophies at the Cairns Crocodiles Awards? Buy your tickets to find out

Today The Brave

Fellow Sydney-based indie shop Today The Brave picked up a bunch of nominations — 16 in total. It picked up two nominations in the B2B category, two for Travel/Leisure, two for Data-Driven Creativity and two in Design. But its B2B work for cruise line True North caught our eye, in particular.

With COVID (sort of) behind us the travel sector is having a moment with the cruising category in particular heating up, experiencing triple-digit bookings and ATL media growth. Travel agents, corporate bookers and influencers have never been more bombarded with opportunities to recommend for their customers, and the premium category True North competes in has seen particularly aggressive expansion.

Today The Brave reshaped True North’s direct comms, moving trade assets beyond destinations to focus on the experience on board, emphasising the consumer’s personal experiences and transformation. It also built a B2B strategy that emphasised long-form or high-impact earned media placement. Rather than small mentions/lists, it wanted to be the hero of the content. Plus, it even ran a ‘speed dating’ event at three major travel conferences (AU and UK), where sales reps met with agents 1:1.

The outcomes were remarkable, with trade enquiry growing five per cent in 2023 and the campaign earning nine million impressions across trade and travel publications. It also saw a direct increase in corporate large group bookings of 20 per cent via successful BEA partnership.

Will Today The Brave beat fellow indie Howatson+Company to the most gongs? Buy your Cannes in Cairns ticket now to find out!

Here’s a look at all of Today The Brave’s shortlisted work:

Ogilvy

Three Ogilvy offices entered the Cairns Crocodiles Awards — Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

But two pieces of work crafted by Ogilvy’s Singaporean team for Unilever brands caught our eye — “Social Undistancing” for toothpaste brand Closeup and “Skins For Skin” for Vaseline.

“Social Undistancing” saw the team repurpose the social distancing signs leftover from the pandemic, calling on the public to get closer and back to normality, naturally tying in with Closeup toothpaste. In fact, “Social Undistancing” saw nominations in the FMCG (Household / Home Products & Services) Campaign, Media, Beauty and Wellness Campaign and Design categories.

Meanwhile, its “Skins For Skins” work for Vaseline picked up five nominations across Healthcare, Social & Influencer, Direct, Experiential & Activation and the Changing the World Campaign categories.

By partnering Vaseline with Thailand’s top gamers, Ogilvy Singapore sought to educate the public of misconceptions around skin donations for burns victims. It’s a powerful piece of work reflecting an all-too-often overlooked problem in society.

“We are positively thrilled that our work has been so recognised. It’s a testament to the commitment of borderless creativity championed by David Ogilvy himself and the trust our clients hold with us. Hopefully, we will not only be one of the most shortlisted, but also win some metal!” Aanchal Sethi, Ogilvy’s Asia managing director for Unilever, told B&T.

Which Ogilvy office will come out on top? Buy your Cannes in Cairns ticket to find out!

Here’s how every Ogilvy office shaped up: