Dumb Ways To Die creator John Mescall on his ‘freak week’ in Cannes
Mumbrella was in Cannes today to talk to John Mescall, the creator of Dumb Ways To Die, the viral ad for Metro Trains that has taken the festival by storm.
In this Q&A, the McCann Australia ECD tells Mumbrella Asia editor Robin Hicks about the job offers he’s had during a “freak week”, the best work he’s seen, and why he never gets tired of hearing the Dumb Ways tune.
You must be very bored of being interviewed by now. What’s your media schedule been like this week?
I’ve done four interviews a day. I like what I do, and I enjoy talking about my work, but I have been asked the same questions many times.
A catchy tune will really take you places. Dumb Ways is cute, but for my money, Wieden and Kennedy London’s 2004 ‘Hate something’ for Honda was the greatest ever example. Lauded at the tie, it’s only because it was pre-social media saturation that it hasn’t left an even bigger mark in the public consciousness. Check it out and whistle along:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgpIvK2gjsk
Apparently Honda UK sales increased by 35% following the campaign. Adweek voted it Commercial of the Decade. Now that’s success.
Mark – that was genius – I agree. I think the message was simlpler yet more effective than this one. But Dumb ways has worked! Let’s give it due credit.
CR, ‘effective’ ??
http://safedesign.wordpress.co.....t-useless/