Australia has finally restored some faith on the last night of the Cannes Lions, with The Monkeys claiming the Film category Grand Prix for its now-iconic celebratory music video for the Sydney Opera House’s 50th birthday.
Starring Australia’s favourite musical son Tim Minchin, the song/campaign/tribute to bravery is a celebration of the Sydney Opera House’s construction, symbolism and sanctity to the arts and culture in Australia.
Mark Green, CEO of The Monkeys and Accenture Song Australia and New Zealand told B&T he was cock-a-hoop when he heard the team had finally bagged Australia’s first-and-only Grand Prix for the 2024 Cannes Lions.
“We really are thrilled to be recognised on the world stage for work promoting the iconic Sydney Opera House. So many people devoted their talents to making this happen and Tim Minchin and Kim Gehrig delivered the magic. Our client also went on a journey that wasn’t for the faint hearted.
“A shout out to Jade McKellar, Stephen O’Connor, Joanne Been and of course Susan Coghill from Tourism Australia. The team at Revolver also sweated this from beginning to end and that’s what makes Michael Ritchie and Pip Smart the best in the business. A final shout out to the team at The Monkeys, what an achievement!”
Tara Ford, chief creative officer of The Monkeys and Accenture Song, added that:
“This work is a rambunctious reminder to be creatively brave (just like the Opera House itself ) and not ‘Play It Safe’. So for this work to take out the Cannes film Grand Prix is so gratifying.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say this is a dream come true. So many amazing people were involved, thanks to all their grit and talent we pulled it off. Special shout out goes to the wonderful Tim Minchin and Kim Gehrig.”
The work was produced by Revolver Sydney, while post-production was handled by Arc Edit Sydney, MassiveMusic Sydney and Turning Studios Sydney.
And as glorious as that win is, it was the only piece of metal heading back to the Antipodes from the final awards night.
The Dan Wieden Titanium Award Grand Prix went rather appropriately to Wieden + Kennedy, Portland for its DoorDash campaign “DoorDash-All-The-Ads.”
The Sustainable Development Goals Grand Prix went to Publicis Conseil, Paris for its work for Renault, “Cars To Work”.
Innocean, Berlin won the Grand Prix For Good for its work for Reporters Without Borders (RSF) “The First Speech – Russia.”
