UK advertising had a solid showing in this year's Cannes Festival, with 29 British agencies picking up honours.
The hotly contested Film Grand Prix went to the UK's Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO. Its Guinness "noitulove" spot fought off competition from Young & Rubicam Australia's "big ad" for Carlton Draught and Fallon's "balls" for Sony.
The Guinness ad triumphed against 12 gold-winning ads in total. UK agencies took six of the golds awarded.
The six UK gold-winning spots included "balls" and Lowe London's "ice-skating priests" for Stella Artois.
Last year's Film Grand Prix-winner, Wieden & Kennedy , triumphed again with two golds for its Honda "choir" and "impossible dream" ads, while Leo Burnett added a gold Film award to its Direct and Cyber Lions tally for the Department for Transport's "camera phone" spot.
Paul Brazier, AMV's executive creative director, said: "The Guinness has gone down well globally for being an ad for a big brand that is still aimed at consumers.
"The standard of advertising was fantastic this year and there were lots with a chance of winning a gold or the Grand Prix. People are critical that advertising is going through a bad period but I don't see it."
The little-known Japanese agency Design Barcode was awarded the Titanium Lion. The shop, which employs only two staff, designs functioning barcodes for product packaging that are tailored for the particular brand.
TBWA\Paris won Agency of the Year for the second year running, after claiming awards across all categories. AMV BBDO was the runner-up.
TBWA\Paris' win was marred slightly by a controversial Pedigree press ad, which was thrown out in the middle of the Press judging.
The ad, which was thought not to have run as the Press judges were meeting, was subsequently authenticated by the Cannes organisers.
The Palme d'Or was awarded to MJZ, which produced the Sony "balls" spot.
MJZ fought off competition from Stink, which produced Honda's "impossible dream" ad, and Danny Kleinman Productions, which produced Guinness "noitulove".
- Close-Up, page 18
CANNES FILM GLORY
AGENCY AWARD, BRAND AND TITLE
Academy Films/Lowe gold: Stella Artois, "ice-skating priests"
AMV BBDO Grand Prix: Guinness, "noitulove"; silver:
Wrigley's Orbit chewing gum,
"welcome"; bronze: Camelot, "bag of smiles"
Clemmow Hornby Inge silver: Tango, "bravo"
Devilfish four bronze: Sky One, "come home to The
Simpsons"; National Geographic,
"words", "cow", "pigs"
Fallon London two gold: Sony, "balls", "balls (extended)"
Grey London two silver: AOL, "good", "bad"; bronze:
GlaxoSmithKline Horlicks, "taxi"
JWT four silver: Vodafone, "gay", "son", "wedding",
"pregnant";
bronze: Nestle Kit Kat, "ashes"
Leo Burnett gold: Department for Transport, "camera phone"
Mother three bronze: Coca-Cola, "what goes around";
Orange, "blackout"; Amnesty International, "guns
for sale"
Wieden & Kennedy two gold: Honda, "choir", "impossible dream"
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