Another year, another poor showing at the Cannes Lions Direct with UK agencies picking up just one award – a silver for O&M Worldwide’s campaign for Kern & Sohn, featuring a gnome – as the Brits continued their dismal run at the Festival of Creativity.
Some will argue it could have been even worse – domestic agencies failed to pick up a single gong last year.
Yet, as if to compound matters, UK shops secured only half the number of finalists – 19 compared to 42 last year – for the Cyber Lions category.
The Direct Lions grand prix went to Crispin Porter and Bogusky Boulder in the US for a small business push for American Express. The US was the big winner on the night, securing four golds, with Germany and Italy grabbing three each.
O&M Worldwide’s campaign for Kern, entitled the Gnome Experiment, was designed to promote the company’s weighing scales to scientists. The target market was sent a ‘travelling gnome’ in a flying case and urged to weigh it in different locations to prove the accuracy of Kern’s product, then post pictorial evidence online.
According to the results, after two weeks, 16,386 websites had linked to GnomeExperiment.com, pushing Kern from page 12 to page 1 on Google and giving a sales uplift of 11%.
Meanwhile, AMV BBDO leads the UK’s charge at the Cyber Lions, getting six nominations, followed by Ogilvy & Mather with four and Wieden & Kennedy on three.
Other UK agencies shortlisted include Bartle Bogle Hegarty, AKQA, JWT, Glue Isobar and Evidently London.
Once again, the list was dominated by US agencies, with 44 entries shortlisted out of a total of 172. The results of the Cyber Lions will be revealed on June 21.
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