The Thinkboxes Winner - October 2008

Amnesty International - You are powerful

  Amnesty International’s mission is to encourage ordinary people to stand up for human rights.

To demonstrate how individuals have the power to make a difference in the world, the organisation came up with an idea for a film that shows a range of ordinary people physically preventing human-rights abuse.

Using the strapline ‘You are powerful’, the film follows seven people, including a father, a young teenager, an elderly woman and a mother-to-be.

Composite images are shown of the characters intervening in situations of human-rights violence and abuse.

The film was created by ad agency Mother and directed by Kim Gehrig through Academy Films.

Rather than running as part of a traditional commercial break, the film wasfirst screened during Amnesty’s comedy fundraising event the 2008 SecretPoliceman’s Ball, staged at the RoyalAlbert Hall on 4 October.

The 90-second film, shown withoutany Amnesty branding, was also aired during the event’s television broadcaston Channel 4.

Matthias Stock, brand planner atAmnesty International, says the aim of the film was to make an impact at theBall, but it will have a lifespan beyondthis and be used in future Amnestyevents.

The film will launch online on 10December. Amnesty is aiming to secure donated media space in order to roll outa branded version on TV and in cinemas.

To see the full shortlist and check outthe winning entry, go to www.thinkbox.tv/thethinkboxes.

‘‘We wanted to inspire people to use their voice to effect change. The key insight behind the film was telling people that they can be powerful – you just have to believe it’

Jon Goldstone
Marketing director,
Hovis

Ad info

• Client Andy Hackman, marketing director, Amnesty International
• Brief To show that ordinary people can prevent humanrights abuse
• Ad agency Mother London
• Creative team Kim Gehrig, Ed Warren
• Production company Academy Films

Other ads on the podium

Barclaycard - Waterslide

Directed by Peter Thwaites, this Barclaycard ad, by Gary McCreadie and Wesley Hawes at Bartle Bogle Hegarty, promotes contactless payment technology. It features an office worker who leaves his desk and jumps into a
waterslide hidden in a cupboard – it shows him making his way home via the water slide, which weaves around buildings, over busy roads and through parks. The brief from Paul Troy, the director of advertising at Barclaycard, and Gary Twelvetree, the chief marketing officer, was to show how easy and convenient the contactless credit card is to use.

Volkswagen - Tiguan Walter

This latest television ad for the Volkswagen Tiguan tells the story of Walter, a driving instructor in the town of Ellijay in Georgia. To the amazement and bafflement of the townsfolk, all of Walter’s students pass their driving tests without exception. Gradually, the reason for his success becomes clear. It is down to his Volkswagen Tiguan which, as the endline tells us, is “simply effortless” to drive. Created by Grant Parker at DDB, it was directed by Jeff Labbe. The client at VW is Kirsten Stagg.

Also shortlisted for October

Guinness - Fridge Magnet

This epic from Guinness features a truck full of “magnetic” beer cans attracting fridges from surrounding homes. Shot in Buenos Aires and directed by Fredrik Bond, it uses the latest in digital production techniques, climaxing in an end shot involving an implosion of 700 fridges. It was devised by Pat Hamill and Mark Nutley at Irish International BBDO working to Grainne Wafer, the Guinness senior marketing manager. One of the biggest campaigns for the Guinness can, it seeks to communicate that chilled Guinness is irresistible; and this TV work is designed to dovetail with digital and in-store activity.

HSBC - Washing Up

The brief from Regan Savage at HSBC was to devise a launch campaign for the new global positioning for HSBC Commercial Banking – underlining its understanding of the ways in which business success may manifest itself around the globe. The JWT creative director, Axel Chaldecott, came up with a film that shows the representative of a Polish washing machine manufacturer travelling to India to find out why the company’s products are so popular there. It turns out that the owner of a chain of juice bars is using the machines to mix lassis. The director was Kevin MacDonald.

Microsoft - Pride

Crafted by a directorial team of Bryan Buckley, Marcos Siega, Scott Vincent and Brian Billow, this film forms the first stage of Microsoft’s “Real PC” campaign which seeks to challenge the misconceptions that have built up around PC usage. The spot celebrates a diverse range of PC users, while positioning Windows as the glue that unites consumers across their work and personal lives. It was devised by a creative line-up of Dave Steinke, Matt Denyer, Michael Craven, Tim Roper, Rob Reilly and Andrew Keller at Crispin Porter & Bogusky.

Sony HD - Bond

This film sees the James Bond actor Daniel Craig being buffeted by a series of explosions. The brief from Toby Shaw, the communications manager at Sony Marketing Europe, was to illustrate that Sony Electronics’ high-definition products reveal new levels of detail – and to do that within the context of a tie-in with the Bond film Quantum of Solace. The result was this spot, created by Graham Storey and Phil Cockrell at Fallon and directed by Baillie Walsh. We see Craig trying to remain fixed to the spot while debris from the explosions crashes into him.

Waitrose - Autumn

The aim of this autumn push from Waitrose is to get the people of Britain back into the kitchen, inviting them to enjoy the season with all the delicious tastes of Waitrose quality foods. The brief from Gillian Connor at Waitrose was to show that the store’s products embrace all levels of culinary skill. The ad, created by Ken Hoggins and Jeremy Carr at Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy and directed by Daniel Barber, shows a variety of scenes associated with the season and urges viewers to “enjoy all the flavours of autumn with Waitrose”.