Cummins Nitro this morning did the double with Tourism Queensland’s Best Job In The World promotion winning an almost unprecendented two grand prix at the Cannes Lions.
The agency picked up the top prize in the first ever PR Lions, and also won the Direct Lions grand prix.
The PR category received 431 entries and the jury awarded 17 Lions.
The second grand prix of the night for Cummins Nitro came after the agency beat 1365 other entries from around the globe in a category that saw 11 golds, 12 silvers and 26 bronzes trophies given out.
The agency’s founder Sean Cummins told Mumbrella: “This is pretty humbling. Apparently two grand prix for the same campaign has only been done once before. It’s Olympian in terms of its scale.
“There are a lot of show ponies in the Australian advertising industry who live and die by these things – they see it as a full stop. We just see it as a means.
“It’s a victory for the people who are not always talked about. And for me personally, I’m just proud of the team I’ve created.”
Referring to last week’s purchase of the Nitro Group by Sapient, he said: “The ownership is changing, but the management is not. They certainly feel excited that they are in bed with Cummins.”
The best job promotion launched at the beginning of this year. It featured a global hunt for a caretaker for the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef which generated huge publicity for Queensland and Australian tourism globally.
(Update: Cummins Nitro was also among the Aussie agencies picking up golds at the New York Festivals overnight.)
Meanwhile, it was also a stellar night for fledgling strategic agency The Hallway.
Formed by Jules Hall less than two years ago, it won a gold and a bronze Lion for its Zuji Beans promo, done in conjunction with agency Happy Soldiers.
Hall told Mumbrella: “The second campaign we ever did gets a Gold Lion. We’re absolutely stoked.”
However, he didn’t make the trip to Cannes. He said: ‘I’m sitting here on my frickin laptop in Bondi.”
He added: “What’s most exciting is that it’s a vindication for the way we are working and the type of work we are doing. We get our heads down and think hard about what we do. We’re absolutely stoked. This is going to be a springboard.
The agency’s current clients include travel brand Zuji, Jameson’s, Malibu, upmarket spirit and wine line Signe, Australian Jockey Club and Merivale.
Although The Hallway’s heritage is digital – Hall is ex NetX – it positions itself as a strategic communications agency that puts digital at the heart of what it does.
The Zuji Beans promotion involved selling 10c cans of beans around the country to demonstrate that they were helping people save for their holiday.
In other overnight news from Cannes:
- Australia’s media agencies have again been embarrassed by ad agencies getting more shortlistings in the Media Lions, reports Campaign Brief. OMD, Starcom, Media Contacts and Zenith Optimedia are the media agencies on the shortlist.
- BMF was among the other agencies celebrating in the Direct Lions category, with Gold, Silver and Bronze for its TED696 project, says Campaign Brief.
- TED696 also scored well in the Promo Lions, which were dominated by Australian agencies. Four ‘N Twenty Pies’ Magic salad Plates, by Clemenger BBDO Melbourne won two golds in that category.
- It looks like the Radio Lions will be thin pickings for Australia though, with just six shortlistings, including three for Whybin TBWA’s controversial Adults Surviving Child Abuse campaign.
- The Press Lions shortlist was also disappointing for Australia, with two campaigns from Saatchi & Saatchi and one from GPY&R the only Aussie reproesentatives.
- In outdoor, Saatchi & Saatchi gets seven shortlistings across three campaigns.