When Small Wins Big. Five Agencies Who Broke Through the Award Shows in 2019
Let’s get one thing straight… Size does matter!
But it matters even more when it’s SMALL. Yes, you read that right! When you’re small and you win big, you deserve recognition and attention.
Don’t get it twisted, though! We’re talking about these small, low-key advertising and marketing firms that have won big awards during the season. When a big agency receives an award — and by big we mean established for a long-time with a massive presence in the industry — the general audience would expect a situation like that to happen, given these major companies’ reputation and accolades throughout the years in the industry.
But when small agencies, a.k.a. “rogue” agencies, win awards at festivals and shows, they get a lot of media and audience attention and should be given great recognition. We like to call them the “underdogs” of advertising because they are scene-stealers who beat major competitors such as BBDO, McCann, J. Walter Thompson, Publicis, and many others in highly anticipated categories from highly recognized award shows such as Cannes Lions, the Clio Awards, and the D&AD awards.
So let’s take a look at these rebellious agencies and their breathtaking work during awards season 2019!
1. The Lost Typography of Bauhaus
Agency: Abby Priest, Sweden
Client/Brand: Adobe
Accolade: Silver at ADC Awards 2019, Silver and Bronze at One Show 2019
Imagine all the typefaces in the world! They all exist on the internet and specifically on Adobe’s Creative Cloud. But what about the typefaces created centuries ago that never made it to the digital age? That was the situation with legendary institute Bauhaus Dessau, where scholars started creating five typefaces but never made it to completion, when it was shut down by Nazis in 1932.
In 2018, Adobe wanted to inspire and engage its community through typography and encourage people to subscribe to their Typekit service. The challenge was to inspire young creatives through the “hidden gems” of design and initiate curiosity among young designers to find out about treasures of the world that were long gone. Hence, in the collaboration with creative agency Abby Priest and the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation in Germany, Adobe introduced these long-lost type faces to their community on their Typekit platform and enabled young designers to experiment with a new piece of design that has historical value.
2. Hungry Puffs
Agency: The Brand Agency, Australia
Client/Brand — Foodbank
Accolade: Yellow Pencil at D&AD Awards 2019
This case study is a pure example of thinking outside the box and putting nothing in it… literally!
When Foodbank WA — a charity that fights hunger providing food aliments and programs to hungry children in Australia — was told that its budget was being cut, the organization knew that they needed help from their community to carry out their services.
In collaboration with the talented integrated marketing wizzes at The Brand Agency — Australia, the charity distributed empty black and white boxes to multiple supermarkets and stores across the country for people to purchase (as a $5 donation). And the result? More than $300,000 in donations.
The agency truly created a simple, direct, and striking message for the charity’s core audience and actually made sales by selling an empty box, which led to their receiving the award for Best Use of Retail at the D&AD Awards.
3. AI versus
Agency: Voskhod, Russia
Client/Brand: TV Rain
Accolade: Bronze Lion at Cannes Lions 2019
A very common and fascinating aspect of independent agencies is that they have the nerve to tackle sensitive and complex trends because they believe in the power of headstrong storytelling and inspiring education.
That would best describe the case of the Russia-based Cannes Lions-winning agency Voskhod.
In their AI Versus campaign for TV Rain, they exposed two identical AIs to separate news channels (independent TV Rain and government-owned TV Russia-1) so they could prove to their audience that there is a difference between propaganda and news. The point was that we are what we watch.
After six months, both AIs were asked the same questions. The result? Different answers on different sensitive topics regarding Vladimir Putin, the LGBTQ community, and Russia’s politics and around 14 million media impressions that rocked the internet.
4. Uber Eats Australian Open Ambush
Agency: Special Group, Australia
Client/Brand: Uber Eats
Accolades: Graphite Pencil at D&AD Awards 2019, Bronze Lion & Silver Lion at Cannes Lions 2019
Named the AdNews Independent Agency of the Year 2018, this “special,” talented group gets up close and personal in the execution of their ads.
Australia-based creative agency Special Group was awarded in the Entertainment and Media category at the Cannes Lions awards for simply introducing an Uber Eats order during a live broadcast of tennis matches featuring favorite players.
Of course, the execution was very challenging, with a lot of animation and editing work, but what was thrilling about this campaign is that a viewer would never expect the game to be interrupted or the players to look at the camera, place a food order, and then resume the game.
Naturally, everybody on Twitter was ecstatic about the stunt at the Australian Open, and this is a perfect example of how an agency can take advantage of a successful national event to flex their creative muscles and grab the attention of millions of viewers.
Agency: Fitzco, USA
Client/Brand: Coca-Cola
Accolade: Bronze at Cannes Lions 2019, Silver at ADC Awards
Another impressive aspect of independent agencies is their ability to win pitches for big brands in the industry — brands that have been working with major companies — and provide them with fresh and insightful campaign ideas.
Founded in Atlanta, Georgia, Fitzgerald and Co., a.k.a. “Fitzco,” had the opportunity to merge the forces of two big brand names in the CPG and airline industries, Coca-Cola and Delta, in a one-of-a-kind brand-activation campaign: Middle Seat Lounge.
Middle Seat Lounge was an ode to the struggling “middle-seaters” on airlines who do not get the same comfort as those who are in first class or have more leg room on an airplane.
Coke and Delta joined forces to create a fun lounge at the airport for anyone who’s been placed in a middle seat on an airplane. The lounge offered many activities, fun interactions and games, and, of course, a pack of Coke to go to share the happiness.
