Bates Ukraine has become the first Ukrainian advertising agency to win a prize at the Summit Creative Awards competition.
The U.S.-based Summit Creative Awards is specially designed to celebrate the creative accomplishments of smaller ad agencies throughout the world.
Bates Ukraine’s company Christmas card took home a silver medal from this year’s competition, which was open to advertising agencies and creative companies with annual billings of less than $15 million.
Most agencies traditionally design and send a greeting card to clients and friends each year. Many firms look at the ritual as an interesting way to show off their team’s creative abilities.
As might be expected, Bates’ card was not a typical Christmas tree and Santa Yule greeting.
“Cards typically say ‘Merry Christmas from the team.’ People keep them for two weeks, then they go into the trash,” said Bates creative director Luc Chenier. “We wanted to create something that would get a laugh and strike a chord with people, to make them keep it and show it to others.”
Inspired by Chenier’s personal collection of airline emergency instructions and disposal bags, Bates’ winning entry parodies safety cards found on commercial airliners.
Instead of air travel, though, the card reflects the stresses found in the advertising world.
One panel, which depicts an anxious ad executive using an oxygen mask, is captioned: “15 minutes to presentation.” Another panel captioned “Approval of creative” shows two people seated with heads between legs in the ‘crash position,’ awaiting a client’s decision on whether to buy an idea or to reject the concept.
Reaction to the card was more positive than Chenier expected.
“It struck a chord. We got lots of phone calls – even from the head of Bates in New York,” Chenier said, adding that the silver award from Summit Creative Awards was recognition of the card’s success.
Chenier says one reason people liked the card was because it poked fun at the ad business.
That same approach helps produce good advertising, Chenier said.
“We try not to be so literal [with our ads] and add subtle humor,” he said.
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On March 28, Ad Lib reported that the “Oleina is Your Pure Advantage” ad campaign was organized by Euro RSCG New Europe. Actually, Euro RSCG New Europe provided public relations support to the project. The campaign was organized by Saatchi & Saatchi as Oleina’s full service agency.
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Euro RSCG New Europe has signed on to provide public relations services to the Ukrainian representative office of Novo Nordisk, a Danish medical firm that manufactures and sells insulin and insulin injection systems worldwide.
Euro RSCG New Europe will work on an educational project geared toward reducing the risks of complications after the onset of diabetes.
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Talan Cummuunications has won a six-month tender to provide public relations services to the Merloni Elettrodomestici concern, which markets the Ariston, Indesit, Stinol and Scholtes brands. This is Merloni Elettrodomestici’s first foray into the Ukrainian PR market.
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On April 26, Zenith Media will conduct an open seminar for advertisers called “Maximal Effect on Investment in TV Media.” Admission is free. Call 461-7912 or e-mail [email protected].
Regular Ad-Lib columnist Evgenia Mussuri is on vacation. Mussuri can be reached at [email protected].
