Swiss more present than ever in Cannes
Lion Hunt III: The Swiss Are Making an Effort, but Challenges Remain.
Lion Hunt III TheSwiss are making an effort, but construction sites remain. It is astonishing to see the giant strides the Swiss are making in their Cannes commitment: This year, 617 works from Switzerland are in the running. This represents an increase of almost 36 percent compared to the previous year, and 69 percent more than in 2005. The only annoying thing is that the number of lions won to date has not developed in proportion to the increased investment. In both 2005 and 2006, five trophies went to Switzerland, which could change for the better this year. The Amnesty International campaign by Walker, for example, is in the running in the outdoor sector and has already scored points at other international award shows. Both the idea and the execution are right here. The presentation stands out pleasantly from other motifs from Switzerland, which still try too hard to follow the "Brazilian" trend. In other words: nicely told visual jokes that are not really surprising - such as the Gran Gusto Gelateria campaign by Advico Young & Rubicam or the Hug campaign by Jung von Matt/Limmat. These works may be originally conceived, but they neither make the viewer think, nor do they cause an aha effect.
A few years ago, you could certainly still score points in Cannes with this kind of work. Nowadays, however, preference is given to print and outdoor contributions that challenge the viewer or play with the respective medium. This may also be one of the reasons why Walker's Fleurop advertisements, which are extremely popular in Switzerland and Germany, did not even make it onto the shortlist at the festival on the Côte d'Azur. Although these works trigger a pleasant sense of déjà vu in the viewer in view of the mother-child situations depicted, they only bring a brief smile to the face.
The Swiss have been performing consistently well at Lions Direct for the past three years - this year, three works once again made it onto the winners' podium. As in the previous year, this shows very clearly what the juries attach particular importance to: the unique idea. The "Tailored Shirts" campaign for Artesanos Camiseros by DraftFCB/Lowe Group, which is also very innovative in terms of its use of media, won two awards. The "Alternative World Cup 2006" campaign for Switzerland Tourism by SFLB also came out on top. What stands out positively here is that the original campaign idea is played out consistently across various media. Good execution and attractive artwork alone are not enough to win a Lion. The work must be original and unseen and contain a strong message. This is the case with the Swiss DM work.
Walker's Fleurop works have the potential to succeed in Cannes in the film category. Other entries, such as the Beck & Bondi films for Swisscom, may be popular in their home country. For the Cannes Lions, however, they are neither quirky nor emotional enough to make it through to the final round.
But no matter how hard the Swiss try to play a significant role in Cannes, there is still a huge construction site: the Swiss have hardly played a role at the Cyber Lions to date. A modest 17 works were submitted in this discipline. While everyone is talking about Web 2.0 and companies are shifting their marketing budgets towards online, Swiss agencies are still concentrating on print and outdoor. There is a huge amount of catching up to do here - and plenty of room for further growth.
Bärbel Unckrich
A few years ago, you could certainly still score points in Cannes with this kind of work. Nowadays, however, preference is given to print and outdoor contributions that challenge the viewer or play with the respective medium. This may also be one of the reasons why Walker's Fleurop advertisements, which are extremely popular in Switzerland and Germany, did not even make it onto the shortlist at the festival on the Côte d'Azur. Although these works trigger a pleasant sense of déjà vu in the viewer in view of the mother-child situations depicted, they only bring a brief smile to the face.
The Swiss have been performing consistently well at Lions Direct for the past three years - this year, three works once again made it onto the winners' podium. As in the previous year, this shows very clearly what the juries attach particular importance to: the unique idea. The "Tailored Shirts" campaign for Artesanos Camiseros by DraftFCB/Lowe Group, which is also very innovative in terms of its use of media, won two awards. The "Alternative World Cup 2006" campaign for Switzerland Tourism by SFLB also came out on top. What stands out positively here is that the original campaign idea is played out consistently across various media. Good execution and attractive artwork alone are not enough to win a Lion. The work must be original and unseen and contain a strong message. This is the case with the Swiss DM work.
Walker's Fleurop works have the potential to succeed in Cannes in the film category. Other entries, such as the Beck & Bondi films for Swisscom, may be popular in their home country. For the Cannes Lions, however, they are neither quirky nor emotional enough to make it through to the final round.
But no matter how hard the Swiss try to play a significant role in Cannes, there is still a huge construction site: the Swiss have hardly played a role at the Cyber Lions to date. A modest 17 works were submitted in this discipline. While everyone is talking about Web 2.0 and companies are shifting their marketing budgets towards online, Swiss agencies are still concentrating on print and outdoor. There is a huge amount of catching up to do here - and plenty of room for further growth.
Bärbel Unckrich
