Five Grand Prix awarded

At times bursting at the seams, the Panama Club in Amsterdam's waterfront hosted the 30th Epica Awards on November 18. The event seemed to attract a lot of interest from the local creative scene, with agencies from all over the world coming to receive their gold pyramids in person. While even a creative director from Nigeria (!) arrived to collect her gold award, a Swiss delegation called to the stage was conspicuous by its absence.

The most awards this year went to the USA: 69 pyramids, including twelve gold. Leo Burnett was named Network of the Year with 49 awards and twelve golds. BBDO New York is Agency of the Year (19 awards, one gold). The Independent Agency was Try from Norway, which took home four golds and a Grand Prix: In the Press category, the agency that everyone calls "try" in English, but which is actually pronounced "trü," won the Grand Prix with its "Brad is Single" ad. The decision, which was not without controversy among the jury, went to the Norwegian Airlines ad because the agency not only thoughtfully turned Brangelina's breakup into a humorous idea, but afterwards the photographed ads went viral on social media, becoming a jackpot for both agency and client.

The first-ever Epica Design Grand Prix goes to Belgium. With its "Simplified Stories," DDB Brussels has created a well-designed tool to enable Alzheimer's patients to read. Reading has a positive effect on the course of the disease, but conventional books are unsuitable for those affected. The Simplified Stories are not a theoretical construct, but can be purchased at all sales outlets in Belgium. Other titles are already in the pipeline.

The Digital Grand Prix doesn't have to make a long journey home - it stays in Amsterdam. JWT has implemented "The Next Rembrandt," a fascinating project to draw attention to Bank ING's commitment to art. Rembrandt's paintings were captured in minute detail using 3D scanning technology, analyzed, and algorithms were derived from the data. In the end, the data, coupled with art historical expertise, was used to 3D print a new, non-existent Rembrandt painting. The result has amazed art experts around the world and sparked interest in art among many people.

The Film Grand Prix goes to the Kenzo campaign created by Spike Jonze with dancing actress Margaret Qualley (Werbewoche.ch reported).

The Outdoor Grand Prix goes to Publicis London in England. The agency recycled trees that had fallen victim to a storm to make doors out of them. The special feature: The trees were located on a famous Irish filming location of "Games of Thrones." The doors were hand-engraved by artists with scenes from the hit series and installed in pubs throughout Ireland. The "Doors of Thrones" have long since become a tourist attraction and the campaign a valuable advertisement for Ireland and the pub chain involved. (hae)