Epic: Best of Epica, Part 2

A second subjective and incomplete selection of spots worth seeing that were honored at this year's Epica Awards. The winners of all categories can be found at Winners.epica-awards.com/2015 viewable. Part 1 can be found here.

Silver Skaters

Rekorderlig Cider is typically Swedish. And the humor of "Silver Skaters" is typically Scandinavian: dry and sensitive. The aesthetics of the grumpy ice-art beards created by Saatchi & Saatchi slithered to the top of the podium in Berlin: Gold in the "Alcoholic Drinks" category - and, together with the Grandprix winner "High School Girl?", was the best-rated spot of this Epica year.

Proud Sponsors

When it comes to humor, the English are never far away. If you're unlucky, even very close - for example in the same category. That's why the jury awarded the golden pyramid to two spots in "Alcoholic Drinks". In various short spots, McCann Central shows the joy and dedication with which the Australian wine producer Hardy's sponsors the English cricket team. This fills even the winegrowers far away with pride. Australia and England are eternal (and bitter) rivals in this sport, which is only played in a few countries.

Puppy Love

Someone should understand today's youth. One thing is clear: problems are solved differently today than they used to be. Especially when the network coverage is good and the Internet is fast. Telenor Norway is making sure that Norway is happy with 4G. And - once again - the agency Try communicates this successfully: Gold in the "Telecommunication & Public Services" category. 

Two for One Tickets

In Dubai, the Du cinemas are offering two tickets for the price of one on Tuesday. In a series of commercials, Leo Burnett provides good reasons why going to the movies in pairs makes more sense than going alone. The western-style campaign is presumably aimed more at the many expats in the desert state. There certainly doesn't seem to be a lack of advertising budgets in Dubai, as other submitted campaigns have also shown. Du-Dienstag won bronze in the "Telecommunication & Public Services" category - two of the four spots:

Tooth

The subject of "dental hygiene" usually leads a bleak existence in advertising: gleaming white teeth, toothpaste smiles, actors disguised as scientists and dentists quoting some pseudo-study... all the more refreshing the approach of the agency Forsman & Bodenfors from Götheborg: the terraced house quarter becomes a row of teeth. No specific dental product is advertised, but rather the range of dental care products and advice offered by the pharmacy chain Apoteket Ab. This won bronze in the "Health, Beauty, Cosmetics & Toiletries" category.

Only Ordinary by Name

John Smith's has perhaps the most unspectacular, banal name a beer can have. But that doesn't mean that Britain's most popular pale ale tastes just as banal. And that the people who drink John Smith's are all unremarkably average types. Shows AdamandeveDDB and wins silver in the "Alcoholic Drinks" category with the spot. 

Boy raised by Goats

Thanks to YouTube and the like, commercials are no longer limited to 30 or 60 seconds as they are on TV. There is widespread criticism that the art of telling great stories in the shortest possible time is being lost as a result. The "Boy raised by Goats" commercial created by The Sweet Shop agency lasts almost four minutes. And is a good example of how long can also be good. In the "Prescription and OTC Products" category, the unfortunate boy with the kind-hearted goat parents was awarded gold.

Win Christmas

In last year's Christmas campaign for Mulberry, AdamandeveDDB showed what is important during the festive season: outdoing everyone else with the best gift. The ad won gold in the "Luxury & Premium Brands" category.

Thomas Häusermann