GAYTMs win is a boost in fight against conservatism says DDB’s Darren Spiller

The Grand Prix win for ANZ’s GAYTMs campaign in the Outdoor category can help change the “conservative banking culture” in Australia and set examples for corporations around the world according to Darren Spiller.

The Australian representative on the jury, who is executive creative director of DDB Melbourne, said the campaign had united the jury with its message, and the fact the brand “lived and breathed” the execution of it was the difference.

“They lived the thing, it wasn’t something they put out and stepped back from, the things that were printed out had the same message on them, and then instead of taking the money from an audience that were going to go there then they donated it and they lived that dream.

“That’s what it was about. They walked the walk.”

As part of the execution the receipt rolls in the machines were changed to rainbow coloured paper. A roll usually lasts a week, but the first one in these machines lasted two hours.

Rival bank St George also had an execution themed around Mardi Graas with its trademark dragon breathing rainbows.

But Spiller said it was the all-out execution for the ANZ machines which made them stand out, adding: “The craft for this really got it over the line, you look at what they’ve done and they lived the dream, and GAYTM is a nice bit of copy to put on top of it, I think they deserved it. ”

Turning to the conservative culture in Australian corporations he said whilst many brands such as Westpac, which DDB works on, have progressive values on things like women’s rights and gay rights ANZ had shown its commitment to that with the campaign.

He added: “Hopefully that stuff is going to make my job easier, and that’s the way the brotherhood on that jury felt.

“One of the women on the jury from India ( senior vice president JWT Tista Sen) made an empassioned speech at the end, saying ‘In my country being gay is illegal, but I want to send a message to the world that big corporations can actually change people’s views through advertising.

“I know that sounds almost too noble and corny, but that’s the truth. They did it they stood up for it and got behind it, and if we get behind it and it wins  Grand Prix then we’re telling the world something about what behaviour is acceptable and what isn’t.”

Alex Hayes in Cannes