One year on: The full list of Dumb Ways To Die awards

A year ago today, the world’s most awarded piece of advertising work of all time launched when McCann Melbourne’s Dumb Ways To Die, for Metro Trains, was released onto YouTube. It has since had more than 60m views.

Here’s everything it won:

London International Awards 2013

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Public Service/Social Welfare Campaign)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Branded Content)

SILVER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Animation)

SILVER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Best Music Video)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Integration)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Branded Content)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die Campaign – Film, Tumblr, Website, App (Public Service/Social Welfare)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Public Service/Social Welfare)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Mobile Apps)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Viral)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Visual Design)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Branded Content)

SILVER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Script Writing)

SILVER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Branded Content)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Music Original – Song)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Use of Music)

SILVER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Public Service/Social Welfare)

SILVER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Animation)

BRONZE

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Music Original – Song)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Branded Content)

SILVER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Social Media)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Public Service/Social Welfare)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Copywriting)

BRONZE

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Public Service/Social Welfare)

SILVER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Art Direction Campaign)

SILVER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Use of Illustration Campaign)

SILVER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Public Service/Social Welfare Campaign)

SILVER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Art Direction Campaign)

BRONZE

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Use of Illustration Campaign)

ADMA Awards 2013

SILVER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Apps and New Development)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Craft – Art Direction)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Craft – Copy Writing)

SILVER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Direct Response Digital)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Direct Response Digital)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Integrated Campaign)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Mobile)

SILVER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Social Media)

BRONZE

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Website)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Online Broadcast / Video)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Craft – Art Direction)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Out of Home)

SILVER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Campaign – Best Use of Performance Media)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Campaign – PR)

GOLD

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Charity & Not For Profit)

Cresta Awards 2013

GRANDPRIX WINNER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Television)

GRANDPRIX WINNER

Melbourne Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die (Integrated Campaigns)

National Safety Council Award

Spikes Asia 2013

Agency of the Year

Client of the Year

7 Grand Prix (Branded Content, Integrated, Promo & Activation, Digital, Radio, Film, Film Craft)

11 Gold Spikes

5 Silver Spikes

4 Bronze Spike

The Australian Effie Awards 2013

1 Silver Effie

2 Bronze Effies

Cannes Lions 2013

5 Grand Prix (Film, Integrated, Radio, Direct, PR)

18 Gold Lions

3 Silver Lions

2 Bronze Lions

Shortlists:

Best use of radio as a medium

Best use of integration of digital/social media

Most awarded campaign ever at Cannes

Together with 3 Bronze Lions for V/Line Guilt Trips and 1 Bronze Lion for FaHCSIA’s The Impossible Orchestra McCann Melbourne’s total points made us Runner-up Agency of the Year at Cannes.

D&AD 2013

1 Black Pencil

5 Yellow Pencils

3 Pencil Nominations

5 in-books

Agency of the Year

Most awarded campaign ever in D&AD’s history

Webbys 2013

7 Webbys (in 4 categories)

Most awarded campaign of 2013

One Show 2013

3 Gold Pencils

1 Bronze Pencil

4 Merit awards

Best of Show

3rd ranked global agency, Metro Trains top ranked client.

One Show Interactive 2013

1 Gold Pencil

1 Merit award

One Show Entertainment 2013

2 Gold Pencils

New York Festivals 2013

1 Grand Award

1 Gold Award

1 Silver Award

1 Bronze Award

Clio Awards 2013

3 Gold

1 Silver

Top ranked Australian agency

Mumbrella Awards 2013

Mumbrella Award for Bravery

Australia’s Favourite TV Ad of the Year

Ad Campaign of the Year

Thinker of the Year (John Mescall)

AdNews Awards (held in Feb 2013)

2012 Ad Campaign of the year

2012 Ad of the Year

TED

Selected among TED’s top 10 Ads Worth Spreading 2013, the only Australian advertisement ever to have been so recognised.

AdFest 2013

Grand Lotus for Film

2 Gold Integrated Lotus awards

1 Gold Lotus in Interactive

1 Silver Outdoor Lotus

1 Bronze Lotus in Interactive

Second ranked Australian agency

Sirens 2013

Gold Siren – Overall category winner

Silver Siren – Single category winner

Campaign of the Year

Siren Client Awards (voted by judging panel of clients)

Mumbrella

Ad of the Month – November 2012

ACES 2013

Best Australian Television and Cinema Commercial

2013 Asian Marketing Effectiveness Awards

4 Gold

(in categories: Most Effective Use of Branded Content; Charities, Public Health & Safety & Public Awareness Messages; Most Effective Use of Social Media Marketing; Best Integrated Marketing Campaign)

Shortlisted in Best Non-traditional Thinking / Non-advertising Idea

WARC Prize for Innovation 2013

Finalist

Very Short International Film Festival 2013

Prize of the people – runner up

Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2013

Winner – Best Commissioned Film

International Music & Sound Awards 2013

Best original composition in non broadcast or viral advertising / shortlisted

AMEs

Finalist, best non-traditional thinking non advertising idea

Tim Burrowes

Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large. He now writes industry newsletter Unmade - subscribe at unmade.media

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Comments: 19

ROI 15 Nov 13

I wonder what the return of investment is to the agency given the amount that has been spent on award entries, not to mention the man hours submitting awards? Hope it’s worth it.

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RR 15 Nov 13

It’s a runaway train

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offal spokesperson 15 Nov 13

wow….Whats this ad then? 🙂

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Anon 15 Nov 13

Faaarrrk!!!

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?? 15 Nov 13

What beat it for the WARC Innovation award?? Must be pretty good!

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Bec 15 Nov 13

It’s funny to look back at people’s (mostly negative) impressions when it first came out 12 months ago – then to scroll forward and see how successful/popular it has become.

Love it

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Joe Podosky 15 Nov 13

I love that last category….Finalist: best non-traditional thinking non advertising idea.

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Me 15 Nov 13

Probably quicker to go through what it didn’t win

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DB 15 Nov 13

one swallow does not a summer make

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ROI 2 15 Nov 13

The aim of this campaign was to reduce fatalities on the metro rail network. Has it won anything based on demonstration of results?

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JG 15 Nov 13

Just shows how many awards programs there are now. I think I will set up an a new award … Best Award Winner Of The Year.

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Just sayin' 16 Nov 13

What are the stats for people stupidly crossing tracks? It’ll say everything about the judgement of all those judges.

I do hope it’s been incredibly effective.

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Accountant. 16 Nov 13

I just did the sums. Equals about $290,000 in award entry fees

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Just sayin' 17 Nov 13

@Accountant

If this article suggests anything, it’s that mUmBRELLA measures success by how many awards the campaign won. I guess effectiveness and ROI should be measured in one of two ways:

1. If the agency paid for all those awards entries, then how much new business did the agency win as a result of the campaign and the publicity all that “success” brought?

2. If the client paid, then how much did fatalities (and injuries) on the network reduce as a result of the campaign? I guess they’d account for the award entry fees as part of their media investment in the campaign.

Please, someone from Metro, someone from McCann, enlighten us: has the number of incidents/fatalities/injuries reduced in the past year?

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Digger 18 Nov 13

Google came calling McCann as a result of this. Would go someway to offsetting the 290K. You’d think there would be a snowballing effect of both Dumb Ways and then Google. For the coverage and the bragging rights and presumably the pitches/pitch wins, 290K would be seen as a good investment.

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Just sayin' 18 Nov 13

@mUmBRELLA and McCann are probably right. Stuff the client and their objectives!

Lots of awards plus more new business = success!

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Leah Capuno 22 Nov 13

The song is very catchy. McCann did a great job!

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Just sayin' 22 Nov 13

@Leah, if the brief was to develop a catchy tune then yes, they did a great job.

But I think the brief was to help reduce fatalities caused by stupid behaviour at train stations or something like that and none of us is in a position to comment on that.

Someone from Metro or McCann’s should really step in and provide some numbers so we’ll all know if they did a good job.

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Addison 3 Dec 13

According to McCann, the number of accidents involving trains in Australia overall has been reduced by 21%

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