TBWARAAD brings the first Cannes lion to Abu Dhabi

TBWA\RAAD brings the first Cannes lion to Abu Dhabi

“Dubai advertising is all glitz and glamour, with superlatives and slick photography.

July 12, 2010 3:33 by Rasha Reslan

Dubai – 17 July 2010: TBWA\RAAD agencies in the UAE have won two Bronze Lions at the 2010 Cannes Lions Advertising Festival held last week. The First Lion was awarded to Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) TVC “Be Still”, while the second one was awarded to The Fridge “Find Music” campaign. Over 23,000 of the best creative advertising campaigns from around the world were showcased and judged at this year’s festival.

Setting award-winning precedent for the Abu Dhabi advertising industry, TBWA\RAAD\ABU DHABI brought home the first-ever Cannes Lion to be won by an agency in the UAE capital for Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority “Be Still” TV commercial in the category of film Craft-Copywriting.

Martin Lever, Executive Creative Director, TBWA\RAAD and co-writer of the TVC says “The beauty of this idea is in its simplicity, it is clear and concise and creates an immediate bond with the audience to convey a message of hospitality from a rich and generous culture. This is the very first Lion in Abu Dhabi’s history and I am glad that it was awarded to work that showcases this great city.”

The second win was for “The Fridge”, a music venue and production house with a campaign titled “Find Music” which included a series of ads illustrating musical creatures attracted to a “far-from-commercial” venue.

“Dubai advertising is all glitz and glamour, with superlatives and slick photography. While “The Fridge” is located in a warehouse in a remote industrial area, hence the challenge was to showcase its true soul without going mainstream.” Said Andrea Grüneberg, Design Director at TBWA\RAAD. “The posters capture the feel of the venue: dark, organic, yet mysteriously different. The raw look and the hand-drawn typography keeps the place safe from trend chasers yet the musical creatures invite people to find music in the most unexpected place.”

Commenting on the region’s great performance at Cannes, Reda Raad, Group Managing Director of TBWA\RAAD, added: “With twelve Lions won, the MENA region can be justifiably proud of one of its best ever performances at this year’s Cannes Festival and the region’s work will only continue to get better. Personally, it’s been a good year in terms of creative awards for us here at TBWA\RAAD as we continue to step on the on international and regional award podiums with several wins.”

Referring to numbers, the TBWA Worldwide network had 134 shortlisted pieces of work from 20 of its agencies. TBWA\ won a total of 53 Lions, beating the total of last year by 22, including two Grand Prixs, 14 Golds, 12 Silvers and 24 Bronzes.