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24 June 2004
ONLINE ADVERTISING has come out of the
corridor. Cyber jury President Bob Greenberg said
yesterday in announcing two contrasting Grand Prix
winners.
Underlining his message that online creatives had
made the transition from people waiting outside the room
to present at the end of a pitch to the front rank, the
jury handed out more than 100 Lions - double the
previous highest tally.
Grands Prix went to Japan's NEC, for its Ecotonoha Project website, and Spain's
DoubleYou, which created for Nike a
series of banner ads promoting the San Silvestre 10km
race.
Greenberg said there was near unanimity in choosing
the GP winners from a shortlist of eight. Speaking with
the experience of 27 years in the industry, he said last
night's awards ceremony showreel proved that Cyber "has
really come to a new level ... and that is finally being
recognised by our respective agencies".
He added: "The work holds up with the best of
television commercials." Many cyber creatives were now
producing short films and using full-motion video
computer graphics for work. While "I often feel the
clients know it better than the agencies", fellow
professionals were now granting respect to online
work.
US juror Kevin Flatt said the NEC site - which
invites visitors to add signatures to a virtual tree, in
exchange for which the firm plants real trees to combat
global warming - "exemplifies what our industry can do
like no other. It is a well-executed, well-thought-out,
beautiful piece that made you appreciate what NEC is
doing."
The banners for Nike - now winner of five GPs in a
row - which depict a runner being chased by and chasing
bears, was also executed at a very high level and
offered emotional rewards, he said.
Fellow American Sasha Kurtz said the two GP winners
"do something more than television, they don't just
inspire, they motivate the user to go out and
act".
See the Cyber Lions winners
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