The "bear" commercial has already cleaned up in the UK, winning a silver Pencil in the Television & Cinema Advertising category at D&AD and taking the top prize at the 2001 British Television Advertising Awards.
The humorous ad features a bear in a martial arts fight with a cheeky fisherman who tries to steal his catch. The ad, which broke last autumn, carries the tagline, "We endure the worst to bring you the best."
The campaign became hugely popular as a viral email campaign that spread around the world, even making waves in the US where John West products are not available.
The ad was written and art directed by Paul Silburn and directed by Danny Kleinman through Spectre.