BEST TVWinner: Native '
The Return'. If you've ever worked on a personal care brand, chances are you would've come across a similar "tell them it's long-lasting" brief (cue shot of love interest doing a double take after catching a refreshing whiff of our hero, despite a day of sweaty sports). Yet, this spot manages to find a humorously different way to tell the "long-lasting fragrance" story. The film direction and casting gives the film a stickiness that was as long-lasting as Native's pina colada fragrance.
Runner-up: Emergency '
Man At Sea'. The film takes a calculated risk by making a case for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea through a metaphor told in a light-hearted way: the chill beach setting and playful music contrasting with a very heavy subject.
BEST PRINTWinner: FundaMorgan '
Voicenote'. A visually striking and unsettling image. You immediately get the message: the impact of digital gender violence doesn't just stay in the digital realm.
Runner-up: Diamond Ice Cream '
Hot Dandy'. Seeing Asian 'uncles' with bellies exposed on a hot day is a common sight where I come from, so this series (shot on 35mm, no less) gave me a real belly laugh. Who would've thought uncles with rolled-up t-shirts could make ice cream seem so appetising!
BEST OUTDOOR Winner: Midea '
Iceland Hawaii'. Instead of taking the expected, forgettable route of talking about their air conditioning system, Midea went through great lengths to create a simple yet powerful product demo that delivered sunny Hawaiian vibes right in the middle of Iceland's coldest season. What I would've given to experience this when I was uprooted from the tropics and shipped to Minnesota in the middle of a very punishing, minus-20-to-30C winter (Go Gophers!).
Runner-up: Gatorade '
Water Wasn't Made for This'. Truth be told, this campaign made me really jealous of whoever came up with the brand positioning. It goes to show that a uniquely defined strategy can go a long way, even when going up against good ol' plain water.
BEST INTERACTIVEWinner: m ss ng p eces (mp) '
TheHolid.ai'. Ok, you're probably thinking: "We're barely 2 weeks into 2024 and we're already swooning over another Gen AI case." But what made this the top pick for me was that you could tell the production company had loads of fun tinkering with this piece, where the best holiday memories were vibrantly brought to life via AI. Best part is: it seems the whole company (and even the public) got involved in this experiment. The fact that it just so happens to showcase how the production company mixes storytelling with cutting-edge tech is simply chocolate ganache on this yule log cake. A good reminder to never stop experimenting, and more importantly, to never stop having fun, in this crazy business of ours.
Runner-up: Missing People '
The Missing Lines'. I've got to admit: I may be biased with this one, as I think you can't go wrong having Stephen Fry narrate anything. What helped (beyond Stephen Fry) was that it used an increasingly popular medium in an unexpected way to highlight the plight of missing children.
This week's guest judge is Emir Shafri, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe Malaysia.
At Publicis Groupe Malaysia, Emir works with a talented bunch of creative misfits from across Leo Burnett, Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi Arachnid and Digitas. Together, they were instrumental in Leo Burnett being named Malaysia's agency of the year at EFFIE Awards Malaysia, Campaign Brief "The Work" and Campaign AOY.
During his time on both sides of the causeway, Emir has worked with his teams to win including at Cannes Lions (including a Chimera Lion, as well as Singapore's 1st Titanium and Innovation Lions nominations), SXSW Interactive Innovation Award (an Asian agency's 1st), Spikes Asia, ADC Tomorrow Awards, ADFEST, EFFIES, ADDYs, NY Festivals, LIA, MAD STARS, Kidlat Awards, Singapore CCA Gongs and the Kancil Awards. He's also judged at shows including NY Festivals, ADFEST, Spikes Asia (Innovation), Dubai Lynx, Ciclope Awards, CCAs and Kancils.
Emir was the Kancil Awards Jury Chairperson from 2019â2022 and co-chaired the 2023 Malaysian Kancils Creative Festival, bringing together several industry leaders to revamp the festival, including building the most diverse gender, expertise, and independent outfit jury representation in the show's history.
