Terry the turkey steals the show in Vodafone’s festive offering proving turkeys are for life, not just for Christmas. 

Following the adventures of a modern family who have recently moved from their urban life to embrace the countryside, the ad from Grey London sees the family raising their poultry pal in the run up to Christmas. 

As 25 December approaches it looks like Terry’s days are numbered as dad ominously leads him off to the shed however all is not as it seems. 

Agency: Grey London
Executive Creative Director: Vicki Maguire 
Creative Director: Matt Doman
Creative: Howard Green
Account Team: Eleni Sarla, Sophie Fredheim, Lucy Kozak, Josh Adley, Kristina Bugeja
Agency Producer: Marcus Eley, Sophie Paton
Creative Producer: Giselle Sambrook-Smith
Planner: Amy Witter, Searsha Sadek
Production Company: Thomas Thomas Films
Director: Kevin Thomas
Editor: Scott Crane
Producer: Trent Simpson
DOP: Bob Pendar-Hughes
Post-production: GPS
Soundtrack:‘Flying Without Wings’ by Westlife
Audio post-production: 750 MPH

Volvo UK has teamed up with Marie Rosenmir, one of Sweden’s most respected music conductors, to promote its V40 R-Design. 

Created by Grey London and shot by British photographic/filmmaking collective Leila and Damien de Blinkk, the creative draws parallels with the craftsmanship of the V40 and the fine details of a symphony orchestra. 

Shot in and around Gothenburg, the advert was completely unscripted with Grey and Volvo simply agreeing a creative intention. 

Credits

Agency: Grey London
Chief Creative Officer: Nils Leonard 
Creative Director: Andy Lockley 
Art Director: Johan Leandersson 
Copywriter: Erik Uvhagen 
Additional Credits: Strategic Design Director: Wiktor Skoog
Business Director: Cristyn Bevan
Account Director: Tim Rogowski
Account Manager: Alex Nixon
Account Executive: Dominic Kolodziekski
Producer: Amy Cracknell, Mandy Saunders, Elaine Coyle
Director: Leila and Damien de Blinkk
Production Company: Wanda Productions
Producer: Jane Lloyd
DOP: Jakob Ire
Editor: Ben Campbell @ Cut and Run
Colourist: Jean Clement @ MPC
Sound: Jack Sedgewick @ Wave
Composer: Tom Player
CGI/Flame: Jamie Russell @ Gramercy Park Studios 

From production and project management who ‘oil the wheels’ to human resources and talent management who offer ‘invaluable advice,’ the makeup of a successful creative agency is much like a game of Jenga where, without just one component, the whole thing can come crashing down. 

Rapp executive creative director Jason Andrews is happy to admit that his role rests on the hard work of others. “They lay all the groundwork for people like me to come in and do all the ta-da stuff,” he laughs, adding that it is their unseen work behind the scenes that enables the business (“and, let’s be honest, people like me”) to take all the glory. 

Here we cast an unfamiliar spotlight upon some of the industry’s unsung heroes, finding out about the role they play in keeping our agencies going. 

The Production Manager 

Glen McLeod, senior creative producer, Grey London 

 

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Always varied, production managers ‘keep the agency blood pumping’ from organising photography shoots to overseeing design, artwork and retouching processes. The crux of the role, according to Grey London’s Glen McLeod, is coming up with production solutions that help creatives realise their vision on time and on budget. 

And then there’s project managers, and WCRS executive creative director Ross Neil recalls a brief period the agency was forced to function without one – “and boy did we feel it”. 

“Without project management the agency machine seized up and it became enormously apparent just how integral they are.”

With a career spanning both project and production management roles at Mother, Grey and Anomaly before landing at WCRS, operations director Fey Daly (main image), knows first-hand the difference good project management can make, with “energy and enthusiasm” key to surviving the hectic day-to-day. “The role is both pro-active and reactive and therefore so is my day,” she says. 

“One mark of a good project manager is that they are rarely at their desk,” adds Mark Coldham, managing partner at Krow. “The heartbeat of the agency,” Coldham jokes, the role may sound relatively simple but there is so much more to it. 

“The real challenge, and much more of a necessity these days, is how can we produce better work, quicker and cheaper. This shouldn’t be seen as an obstacle, but as a stepping-stone to change the way we think and the way in which we produce work,” he explains. “It’s about finding a way round a problem and never saying no.”
And with over 10 years at FCB Inferno, operations director Trudy Hardingham has seen her fair share of challenges, likening project management at times to “herding cats, pushing water uphill and putting the moon on a stick”. 

“We’ve always had the challenge of not having enough hours in the day, constantly juggling several clients, projects and numerous deadlines and sometimes this can be overlooked.” 

The Finance Officer 

At any creative agency it’s often the role of the finance department to strike a balance between creativity and commerciality. When the rest of the team are swept up in an idea, the finance team has their eyes firmly on the price tag negotiating fees and contracts as well as preparing detailed reports, budgets and forecasts. 

Trained for a career in finance from the tender age of 14 when she received 98 per cent for her first accounting exam, CP+B chief financial officer Mez Corfield comments: “If the account people are the ‘yes men’, I am the ‘no man’. 

“But I’m not a penny pincher who enjoys saying ‘no’. I’m here to do everything I can to make the agency the best it can be. My goal is to make the business a financial success so that we can all reap the rewards… We all want bigger and better opportunities, and we need a good plan to achieve that – and sometimes that means saying no now, so that we can say ‘yes’ in the future.” 

From working directly with clients and suppliers to other departments within CP+B, Corfield believes building a rapport with others has been key to ensuring her opinion is valued and respected and it seems the agency’s chief executive officer, Richard Pinder, agrees. 

“From partnering with clients, and particularly procurement, asking important questions on key projects to make sure we focus on the right things, Mez does all this and more.” 

The Creative Producer

Gary Wallis, head of creative production, MullenLowe London 

 

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Celebrating 25 years at MullenLowe London is another unsung hero of the business, head of creative production Gary Wallis, whose extensive knowledge of illustrators, photographers and designers plays a vital role in supporting the agency’s creative team from brief to finished product. 

Rising up through the ranks of print production, Wallis sees himself as a frustrated art director. “I don’t have the strong ideas to be a creative,” he says, “but I do know how to make them and add another dimension.” Working closely with MullenLowe’s creative talent Wallis’ work has helped bring countless ideas to life over the years for clients including Stella Artois, Olympus and Coca-Cola to name but a few. 

“Art buying is a 20th century title. It’s only about 50 per cent of what a creative producer does in the 21st century,” he adds. “We work across all channels producing still and moving content, inspiring creatives with new talent in all fields of production.”

Wallis is the “third creative,” according to Rich Denney, the agency’s executive creative director. “He ‘gets’ ideas and how to execute them. He’s passionate about the product, both for clients and agency, and cares deeply about the end product. He knows a diamond when he sees one and certainly knows how to make it sparkle.” 

Over at Grey London, the agency replaced the role of project manager with that of creative producer – a move managing director Natalie Graeme says has made the department “integral to the quality and diversity of our output”.

“While ideas and creativity are the lifeblood of our industry, actually making these ideas happen often goes unsung and it’s the skill and vision of our creative producers that makes what we do possible.”

The HR Manager

Cathy Little, management partner and director of talent, J. Walter Thompson London 

 

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Talent acquisition and human resources both play a vitally important role in the workings of an agency. As the industry increasingly competes for the best people it’s up to human resources to create positive cultures and retain staff. 

Treading a fine line between representing staff and being a key part of management, HR personnel’s daily trails include covering learning and development, hiring and all people issues such as coaching, mentoring and advising line managers on the running of their departments. 

Russell Ramsey, executive creative director at J Walter Thompson London, champions his HR department for providing invaluable advice on all things from “recruitment and training to how to handle tricky situations.”

At JWT, Cathy Little, co-director of talent, is that voice of reason, managing a team of six. “Much of what we do is hidden from view and because HR can be seen as ‘unsexy’ it is often glossed over,” explains Little. “Adland is full of people who love creativity and a bit of glamour and fun. What we do is by necessity; the trick is to keep the boring stuff away from senior management but show them that you have it all under control.”

The New Business Director

As clients come and go, new business plays a major role in keeping agencies afloat, with Chris Freeland, chief executive of Rapp, warning that any company without a “keen eye” on new business is simply “resting on their laurels.” 

Being the face of new business is no easy task, from picking up the phone to clients to building presentations for pitches to responding to requests for information. At Rapp it’s vice president of business development Alison Clark who thrives on the “short term pressured nature” of the role. 

“One of the biggest challenges is working out which clients are really serious about wanting a new agency and then whether those clients are the right fit. Agencies can find themselves chasing anything and everything and not completing anything well. 

“We have to be really selective and rigorous about how we commit to new business, because it can be a big drain on resources for no benefit.”

When it comes to new business, a new lead can be invaluable to everyone in an agency. “The excitement and energy it can bring to a pitch is a necessity,” says Freeland, “and when you notice that behaviour mirrored throughout the agency, that’s when you realise the unsung hero in new business.” 

This summer The Drum is looking to uncover some of other Unsung Heroes within the marketing community - but this time it will be looking for businesses that the industry has yet to truly discover and celebrate. To put forward your Hidden Gems within the marketing community contact hiddengems@thedrum.com and explain why the proposed company deserves more recognition than it currently receives.

A team from Grey London was crowned the winner of YouTube and D&AD’s Film Hack challenge last night (12 April), sweeping both the judges’ and Google metrics’ boards with an irreverent spot.

Grey was placed against fellow agencies BBH, J. Walter Thompson and Ogilvy to devise a TrueView ad that would inspire more young people to enter the creative industries – one of D&AD’s key missions.

The winning entry was entitled ‘You already do it. Get paid to it’. In a colourful, quirky style, the spot explained to young people that if they ‘take dick pics’, ‘write witty notes’ or ‘film weird stuff’, they should click on a link to D&AD’s New Blood Hub to find out how to make a career out of their eccentric habits.

The annual Film Hack, which Grey also won back in 2014, has been devised by YouTube to show the marketing world how the platform can be used as an effective advertising tool.

This year saw a twist to the judging process. A panel, comprising The Drum’s Stephen Leptiak, D&AD president Andy Sandoz, founder of Great Guns Laura Gregory and Martin Stirling, director of Partizan Films, marked entries on their creative merit. In a first for Film Hack, the scores were added to a number of efficacy metrics monitored by Google – including viewers' recall of the D&AD brand and ad completion.

Other ads entered were J. Walter Thompson’s ‘The Creative Chipper’…

BBH’s ‘Start your creative career’… 

And Oglivy’s ‘The world’s first thread sourced ad’…

Stephen Leptiak, editor of The Drum, said: "Understanding how to create highly engaging video content on YouTube is a vital ingredient in today's marketing landscape and the same is true when aiming to successfully advertise through the platform. Issuing a brief as part of this competition that centred around recruiting fresh and diverse talent into the creative advertising sector was a shrewd move and the resulting entries were all on point.

“Grey's winning entry is an excellent example of how to use YouTube and also one that D&AD should definitely push forward as a recruitment tool. Well done everyone involved.”

Ant Hill, head of creative agency partnerships at Google UK, added: “I think supporting diversity and people coming into the industry that wouldn’t necessarily get the chance to do so is massively important. For us it really embodies the values of Google and we’re really thrilled to help out in this important matter.”

Read more about Film Hack in The Drum’s interview with Hill here.

Vodafone is returning to television screens from tomorrow in order to push its 30 day ‘Love Us or Leave Us’ guarantee to consumers.

Created and developed by Grey London the advert tracks three adventurous souls as they venture off the beaten path in remote corners of the country with only their phone for help in a test of the mobile networks coverage in towns, cities and rural locales.

In doing so it champions the freedom offered by Vodafone’s  30 day trial which allows new subscribers to cancel their contracts within 30 days if they are unhappy with the provided service.

Simon McPhillips, head of brand at Vodafone, said: “The ad brilliantly captures the freedom the 30 Day Network Guarantee now offers our customers and shows we’re confident that after 30 days they’ll know they’ve made the right choice to join us. It’s great that we can bring it to life in scenes from all over the UK in a way which demonstrates the importance and strength of our network in an engaging way.”

The campaign will premiere during Channel 4’s Gogglebox at 9.10pm tomorrow.

Never mistake Nils Leonard for an adman. Even if he wants you to. He’s not. Nils’ meteoric rise and dazzling recent success have come, I believe, because he is anything but an adman. He’s primarily a stranger. In a strange land. His design background and mindset have shielded him from the clichés of creative directorship, chairmanship and all the other tripey tropes of adland; and given him a clarity of vision. His skill has been to bring everyone else on board.

To make people believe in his mission. Above all, Nils Leonard has done what people have often (unsuccessfully) challenged José Mourinho to do: take charge of a mediocre, intrinsically grey but well-meaning team and turn them into rainbow-coloured, glow-in-the-bloody-dark world beaters. In two seasons. Someone who is capable of that can only be a good influence...

Trevor Beattie: You appear to be a man in a hurry. Let’s see if you can answer the first three questions in three words or less...

TB: Who are you?

Nils Leonard (NL): Man on fire.

TB:Why are you?

NL: Life won’t wait.

TB: What the bloody hell do you think you’re up to?

NL: Ride or die.

TB: You’re a designer by trade. How big a role does design still play in your thinking?

NL: Ive is a designer. Heatherwick is a designer. McQueen was a designer.

Designers actually make things. They’re not dependent. And the best ones matter outside the industry they work in. The best ones have changed how we live or given us memorable, remarkable, powerful moments.

They don’t see the answer as the same every time. They are empowered, and remain open to influence and change. Advertising agencies are bad at that, so I try to bring that.

TB: Who (or what) has been the single greatest influence on your career?

NL: A man named Simon Fairweather took me from being the bloke that pasted runouts on to boards in a spray mount cancer haze and gave me the rope to be a typographer and designer that believed in himself.

He taught me design. Taught me to choose wine. Taught me to blag my way into The Player after midnight.

Then David Patton did the same at a higher level when I first came to Grey. There is always someone who can see inside you.

Both of these people have taught me that unswerving trust and belief in people can make powerful things happen. Really what I learned here is that trust is the single most motivating thing on the planet, and that it’s also something agencies are terrible at on the whole.

TB: The Volvo ‘Life Paint’ campaign has put you (and Grey) into orbit above adland. It’s ‘advertising’, Nils, but not as we know it. Explain yourself...

NL: The best ads don’t look like ads anymore. If you’re trying to communicate a purpose or promise to the world, often an ad is the last thing you want to do. Just like people, the actions and creations of brands (not manifesto promises) can say the most.

When we launched Life Paint some people called it bullshit. They couldn’t understand how making a life-saving paint could reach people the way an advert might. It needs new skillsets to make this sort of work. You need to package your ideas differently, create assets that people can share and be a part of. It’s like leaving a hole in your ideas for people to fill.

Life Paint has a part number now. It’s sold in every Volvo dealership globally. That feels good.

Grey London's 'Life Paint for Volvo. watch the case study video here 

 

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TB: Are industry awards still relevant?

NL: I hate what awards can turn people into. They can breed monsters inside the creative department, the ones asking you to ‘look at that shelf up there, son’ as they attempt to appraise ideas they most likely don’t understand.

But whether I like them or not, we wouldn’t have the department we have now if we hadn’t picked up a Pencil or two. They speak to the world’s best talent. Choose the awards that define you. That will take you to new places and help you chase the right dreams.

Winning the most awarded UK agency at D&AD was a real thing for Grey, and Cannes is a path to global recognition, but it’s the awards from outside our industry I’ve always chased – the British Comedy Award we picked up for The Angina Monologues meant a lot.

It’s the most powerful briefs we covet now. I’d like Grey to design the next Olympic torch.

TB: Given the remorseless shape-shifting of ‘ad agencies’ in recent years, how on earth can a young person seeking their first job hope to showcase their work? And what form should that work even take?

NL: The best thing a young person can do to get noticed is create something famous without needing a budget or platform of any kind. Which isn’t easy but speaks volumes.

If we discover someone who’s managed to make an impact in culture without all of the support and mechanics agencies depend on, we snap them up.

It doesn’t matter what form that takes. A still image. A product. A stunt. It’s a rare skill. I’d chew my arm off for more people like that.

TB: As you’re doubtless aware, you’ve had your doubters. Have they ever made you doubt yourself?

NL: If you are doing something different, there will be haters. Despite the title ‘creative’ our discipline can be the most cynical, the least open to change. And, of course, doubt can sting. But it can also motivate.

There is a Western where a guy goes around with the coffin of his dead brother tied to his leg. He pulls it around to remind him constantly and physically of the revenge mission he is on, and to stop him deviating from killing those who put his brother in the box.

My coffin is a dumped shopping trolley from a green in Wealdstone Zone 5 where I grew up. My coffin is the arseholes drunk by 3pm in offices telling me to respect the chain of command. And it propels me.

A friend sent me a quote I love: ‘Sometimes I feel like giving up then I remember I have a lot of motherfuckers to prove wrong.’

 

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TB: Does the omnipresent ‘This girl is powered by girl’ theme-du-jour have any substance, or is it just a shortcut to a bauble at the Grosvenor House?

NL: We need change, Trev. We need more women in the mix. We need more youth in the mix. We need more people that haven’t been to uni in the mix. We need more ethnic backgrounds in the mix.

Otherwise it will continue to be the way it is. And that, on the whole, is slow and lacking in original thinking. Change will widen what is possible. But yes, alongside the powerful intention, there is a load of spaff written by literary ambulance chasers.

A clever man named Faris said recently that we live in the age of outrage. People love a cause right now. The things we share have gone from being things we love to the things we hate and want to kill. Bullshit overwritten hashtags aside, this isn’t a theme-du-jour, it’s a barrier to progress. Our white, male dominated industry needs a bit of a kicking so that things can move on.

TB: Sans or serif?

NL: Akzidenz-Grotesk

TB: Saul Bass or Peter Saville?

NL: Saville. A more tender, flawed aesthetic. A grottier, sexier lifestyle to aspire to.

TB: Punch in the face: Trump or Putin?

NL: Trump. I’d make Putin look like an accident.

TB: The words ‘skip-ad’ and ‘adblocker’ have struck fear and fatalism into adland. The output of an entire profession, dismissed in 3, 2, 1... (can you imagine the outcry ‘skip-doctor’ or ‘electrician-blocker’ would cause?) Is there any hope for advertising?

NL: Did it take adblockers to tell us that most people hate ads? If it’s not motivating enough to create entertainment, to create cultural platforms, stunts, apps, shows, products or experiences that people love, then use adblockers (these totems of us at our worst) to force you to readdress what you spend your day doing.

If the world is blocking ads, let’s stop making ads. Let’s make entertaining, useful things. Things that matter and contribute to culture. Stuff that takes our industry out of the shadows.

A client once asked me: ‘how do we go from being a company that sells stuff to people, to a company that people are happy exists?’ Never mind the clients or brands we partner with, we should be asking ourselves this question as an industry.

TB: Who would you most like to influence?

NL: The ones that really matter in the world make the people around them shine. And their influence lasts long after they have left.

I’ll start with that. Anything else is a bonus.

TB: If I gave I you a (return) ticket to space, would you go? And if so, where to..?

NL: I’d go high enough to look back and see the planet we live on look small. Then, thrilled and lost, I’d come back and grip everything I love with white knuckled fists.

You can also find nils Leonard on twitter @nilsleonard and watch Grey London’s ‘Life Paint’ for Volvo case study video here.

This piece was first published in The Drum's 20 April issue, guest-edited by Trevor Beattie. Also featured in the series is photographer and model Elsa Bleda.

Welcome to The Drum Creative Works, in partnership with Workfront.

As always this section is dedicated to showing the best creative work and gives you, the reader, the chance to decide which work we feature as our 'Creative Work of the Week'. 

We've now introduced our new five-star voting system. To vote for your favourite, make sure you click on the stars. The winner be chosen based on the average rating and the number of votes cast. Voting closes on Monday 13 June.

For project information, credits and more hover over the 'i' icon or expand to full screen. 

To submit work for future publication contact Gillian West or Rebecca Stewart.

For voting updates and more follow The Drum Creative Works on Twitter @TheDrumCreative.

Minima Advertising People: Good Food Products 'Brand Identity'

Agency: Minima Advertising People

Client: Good Food Products

Date: June 2016

Good Food has been delivering products to international markets for 25 years now and as the range of products offered has recently expanded now was the perfect time for the brand to freshen up its image. As the company collaborates with many chain stores around the world the new communications strategy focuses on the business nature of Good Food Products. Working with Minima Advertising People, the new brand identity shows how the brands popular rice and corn cakes can be used to prepare delicious meals.

Credits:
 

 

 

 

Creative Director: Krzysztof Fabianowski

Art Director: Dorota Wątkowska

Copywriter: Agata Tomaszewska, Paweł Dobrowolski

Additional Credits: Business Director: Anna Szymczak 

Photographer: Tomasz Olszewski

Stylist: Artur Bugno

Tags: Europe, Minima Advertising People

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Coley Porter Bell: Royal Air Force 'RAF100'

Agency: Coley Porter Bell

Client: Royal Air Force

Date: June 2016

To mark the centennial of the RAF, award-winning branding agency, Coley Porter Bell has developed a new strategic and creative campaign proposition celebrating the oldest independent air force in the world. With a core target audience of millennials (13 – 24 years old), the campaign is entitled: RAF100 - http://www.raf.mod.uk/raf100/

Coley Porter Bell was charged with a brief to develop a concept that will help change people’s perception of the RAF so that it is seen as innovative, diverse and full of opportunity. The work will also encourage the wider public to remember and acknowledge the RAF’s great historical achievements over its 100-year life span and provide a springboard for its future.  

Credits:
 

 

Creative Director: Richard Clayton

Tags: Europe

 

 

 

 

 

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B&B Studio: Brewdog Lone Wolf 'Lone Wolf brand identity'

Agency: B&B Studio

Client: Brewdog Lone Wolf

Date: June 2016

A simple and eye catching brand identity for BrewDog’s new spirits arm, Lone Wolf, has been unveiled by B&B, featuring a wolf’s head distilled down to its purest geometric elements.

The identity is designed to reflect the purity of BrewDog’s products and its aim to disrupt the spirits sector. The Lone Wolf identity, created by B&B, will be used across the brand’s marketing collateral.

B&B is also working with Lone Wolf to design packaging for its range of gin, vodka and whisky, which looks set to be revealed later this year.

 

Credits:
 

 

 

 

Creative Partner: Shaun Bowen

Tags: Europe

 

 

 

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FCB Inferno: BMW 'No other car is more connected'

Agency: FCB Inferno

Client: BMW

Date: June 2016

To celebrate the 100-year anniversary of BMW, FCB Inferno has created a series of striking press adverts that demonstrate the innovative technology available within the range of cars.

The work is the first set of above the line communications for the 100-year anniversary, and will run in a four-page consecutive spread on 28th May in The Telegraph and The Times, as well as on social channels.

In an unusual departure from traditional car advertising, the press adverts do not feature a car at all; instead, a road is seen from the perspective of the driver, set in three dramatic landscapes. Each execution demonstrates a different function of the car and how this advanced technology makes driving as enjoyable as possible. All copy reiterates the messaging of the 100-year celebrations, which highlights the brilliance of BMW technology and look towards the next 100 years of ‘Ultimate Driving Pleasure’.

Credits:
 

 

 

 

Chief Creative Officer: Owen Lee

Creative Team: Nick OBryan-Tear, Neil Durber

Designer: Alex Gill

Additional Credits: Planning: Ben Jaffe

Senior Account Director: Hannah Slater

Senior Account Manager: Kirsten Barnes

Digital Retouching: Richard Bagley

Tags: Europe, FCB Inferno

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Design Bridge: Lyle’s Golden Syrup 'Queen’s 90th Birthday'

Agency: Design Bridge

Client: Lyle’s Golden Syrup

Date: June 2016

Independent brand design agency Design Bridge has announced details of its work creating a limited edition tin for Lyle's Golden Syrup in celebration of The Queen’s 90th birthday. Design Bridge have incorporated newly crafted elements into the design of the iconic Lyle’s tin, officially the world’s oldest unchanged brand packaging, creating a new, highly collectable design while staying true to the original Lyle’s identity.

 

Credits:
 

 

 

 

Creative Director: Mike Stride

Tags: Europe, Design Bridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Publicis Milan: Heineken 'The Final Hashtag'

Agency: Publicis Milan

Client: Heineken

Date: June 2016

Heineken and Publicis Italy placed on hundreds of billboards in Milan a very long hashtag that let fans win the tickets for the UCL Final.

This year, the UEFA Champions League Final was held in Milan. So, during the second half of May, Heineken used the most discussed topic on social networks to talk about something people may not know: its own product qualities. Heineken does so by creating The Final Hashtag: a contest that lets people win the tickets for the Final match.

To enter the contest, all you had to do was tweet to @Heineken_IT the hashtag that showed up on hundreds of outdoor ads created by Publicis Italy and placed all over Milan. By doing this, people spread both the Heineken product qualities and the instructions to enter the contest itself. 

 

Credits:
 

 

 

 

Executive Creative Director: Bruno Bertelli, Cristiana Boccassini, Luca Cinquepalmi, Marco Venturelli

Associate Creative Director: Alessandro Candito

Art Director: Andrea Raia

Copywriter: Matteo Gatto

Additional Credits: Strategic Planner: James Moore

Account Team: Lorenza Montorfano, Maria Elena Gaglianese, Veronica Stellato

Photographer: Michele Gastl

Post Production: Studio Ros

Tags: Europe, Publicis milan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Three of Grey London's most senior staff have resigned, with chairman and chief creative officer Nils Leonard, chief executive Lucy Jameson and managing director Natalie Graeme officially stepping down from their roles. 

While the trio have yet to confirm where they will be moving on to next, The Drum understands that they have plans to launch their own business. 

The agency has moved quickly to fill the gap left by the departures, noting that it has "long had succession plans in place". 

In a statement, the creative shop said chief strategy officer Leo Rayman will succeed Jameson as chief executive "in due course".

Vicky Maguire and Dominic Goldman will continue in their executive creative director roles and continue to oversee the day-­to-­day running of the London creative department. Likewise, Perry Nightingale will continue in his role as executive creative technology director.

Commenting on the news Rayman said: “Grey’s culture is what makes us different and it’s bigger than any one of us. We’re now going to accelerate the Grey project, strengthening our position as the most progressive creative firm in London, with brave culturally-­impactful work and acquisitions in tech and data.”

Leonard joined Grey in 2007 and was promoted to the role of chairman in 2014 with a brief to drive innovation across the business alongside creative remit.

Jameson, meanwhile, arrived in 2012 as chief strategy officer and replaced Chris Hirst as chief executive in 2015. Previously at Mother London, Graeme started at Grey in 2013 as managing partner and was promoted to the managing director position last year.

The three departures come as the agency joins other WPP-owned firms in pitching for Marks & Spencer's creative and digital business. 

With Rayman taking the helm of the agency, it’s likely the digital initiatives he had been working on in the background will accelerate to the forefront of the agency. Much of Grey’s efforts in the digital space have come via Grey Possible but the agency has been quietly assessing how it can make technology and data more integral to its core proposition. 

Today’s circuit of the internet gleans a fair few nuggets of gossip, amongst them news of a mammoth £210m P&G media account up for grabs, a bar on ad blocking in China and a further blow to HSBC’s reputation

Campaign reports  that multinational consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble has instigated talks over its £210m UK media account, opening discussions with a number of agencies who hope to win a slice of the lucrative contract.

The agency portal also carries news that Grey London are in process of completing their revamped management team as new chief executive Leo Rayman asserts his vision for the business upon succeeding Lucy Jameson.

Retail Week meanwhile notes that online retailer Shop Direct has appointed customer intelligence director as it seeks to make more intelligent use of its data to improve personalisation for individual shoppers.

The BBC carries news that energy committee MPs have urged new business secretary not to interfere with the present rules on price comparison websites amidst fears that such platforms would no longer be required to list all offers currently on the market.

Elsewhere Business Insider carries an in depth report on electric car manufacturer Tesla’s future road map; including solar roofs with integrated battery storage, roll-out of additional vehicles, continue to improve self-driving technology and an expansion of its car sharing program.

At Reuters comes news of increasing bitterness with in the US Republican party following reports that defeated presidential candidate Ted Cruz refused to endorse Donald Trump during a keynote speech, much to the chagrin of Trump supporters in the audience who booed and jeered hime off stage – shattering hopes of party unity.

The Times takes a different tack, relaying news of a Pokemon Go ban in the Indonesian army after the monster hunting hit took the world’s most populous Muslim nation by storm. The government acted over concerns that distracted security personnel might compromise safety or offer a loophole for would be suicide bombers to access sensitive sites.

The Guardian reports a ruling by press watchdog IPSO against Mail Online over that websites coverage of the killing of a Muslim girl using the headline ‘Islamic honour killing’. The regulator said use of the term was incorrect in this context as there was no evidence that the killing was religiously motivated.

Back at Ad Exchanger sits a piece on Google discussing the launch of a new customer call centre measurement and attribution product with tap to call functionality tying inbound calls to specific AdWords campaigns.

Lastly The Telegraph reports on allegations of illicit financial chicanery which continue to dog HSBC, with the issue thrust back under the spotlight following the arrest of a senior executive by FBI agents at JFK airport on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud a client.

Grey London has moved swiftly to bolster its senior team following the departures of three of its most senior staff, announcing that Wayne Brown and Matt Tanter will take on the roles of chief operating officer and chief strategy officer respectively.

The creative shop said it is "on a mission to become the most progressive agency in the world," after its chairman and chief creative officer Nils Leonard, chief executive Lucy Jameson and managing director Natalie Graeme, all handed in their notice earlier this month.

Now Brown, currently managing director of GreyPossible, will take up the mantle of chief operating officer, with Grey’s former head of planning Tanter being promoted to chief strategy officer. Both joined the agency in 2013.

They will report to chief executive Leo Rayman, who was revealed Jameson's replacement when the slew of senior breakaways was announced.

While the departure of its management team caught the agency off guard, Rayman has responded swiftly with a team of his own that will steer his agenda. Technology and diversity now guide the decisions at Grey, which is developing an acquisition strategy for the former while introducing new working models -  ie not billing for time, but by making and owning.

Brown will focus on acquisitions to continue to diversify Grey London’s offer, especially in the areas of tech, data, entertainment and earned media. He will also continue to run GreyPossible and further build the bond between it and other group companies, including GreyShopper and GreyWorks.

At 35-years-old, Tanter is now one of the youngest chief strategy officers of a large agency. He was appointed Grey London’s head of planning in April last year, having spent two years as planning director on some of the firm's most recognised work including Lucozade’s ‘Conditions Zone’ campaign.

Leo Rayman, chief executive Grey London said: "By promoting Matt and Wayne, Grey London is accelerating its push to be the most progressive creative firm in the world. Their energy and diversity, combined with their modern marketing expertise are a brilliant representation of the open culture we continue to build at Grey."

As Grey’s new management team settles in, The Drum talks to those tasked with replacing the Grexit trio and how they plan on doing things their way.

To say it’s been a testing month for Grey London would be an understatement. The high of Cannes to the furore of the referendum vote, quickly followed by the shock departures of its senior team, would suggest the agency might pause for breath. And yet it’s doing the opposite; led by chief executive Leo Rayman, a new look management team is already in place formulating what will be the agency’s next phase of growth in digital and data.

The Drum caught up with Rayman alongside Wayne Brown and Matt Tanter, who step into the roles of chief operating officer and chief strategy officer respectively for their thoughts on achieving a richer talent mix, new payment models and why technology and data are both key to the agency’s future

The Drum: Since the management change, it’s been clear that the agency is going to be making changes to its offering and the way it works. How do you plan on making such changes while also not losing sight of what makes Grey Grey?

Rayman: “This is exactly what makes Grey Grey. We are always restless and urgent, because if you go to bed thinking that you’ve cracked it, you’re probably half way to failure. Everyone in the agency shares this feeling. It’s deep in our DNA and that's why we turned this business around - we're open to new ways of doing things, we always think like the underdog and we believe that energy and determination win in the end.”

Brown:“We are always trying to find better and more innovative ways to tackle problems, which of course extends to the challenges facing our own business. To continue making work that creates powerful cultural impact, you need to upgrade and invest continuously - new skills, new talent, new services. Three years ago Snapchat was just known for dick pics and no one in our business was thinking about AI. The only way to respond is to be open. Embracing that change is the nature of the business we’re in. Ignore it at your peril.”

The Drum: How do you plan on getting clients to come round to new ways of working, especially when it comes to changing the way you charge for work – do you think that could have an impact on new business?

Brown:“Many clients are desperate to change the way they incentivise and get value out of their agency partners. There’s a bunch of stuff that’s commoditised -  it can be hard to start charging differently for that – but there are many ways to reframe the value that an agency can bring and the ideas they are capable of generating beyond our current core product.  If these will transform a client’s market share or even share price, of course they’re open to find a different way to value this input. It’s not for every client, but we’re working on a plan to achieve 40 per cent of non-traditional revenue by the end of 2017.” 

Rayman: “We learnt a lot with Volvo LifePaint. A small innovation project using a dealer budget turned into one of the biggest marketing stories of the last two years. With the global roll out, we’ve realized a new commercial model based on sales of cans. When we made the iKitten app for McVitie’s, instead of giving away the IP, we licensed it to them. There are exciting projects in the offing on both Science Museum and GSK. It’s an experiment that is working.

“To accelerate this entrepreneurial approach and bring the same level of creativity to our business as we do to our work, we’ve recently given everyone commercial training. From account execs to creatives to heads of department, everyone understands how we currently make money and for how we could in the future. This empowers them to think differently and have different conversations.” 

The Drum: How do you plan on making diversity a bigger part of Grey’s agenda – are you going to be introducing quotas or hiring from different places?

Brown: “Diversity isn’t just a buzz word at Grey, it’s at the heart of our business strategy. We know the world is changing (just look at the past three weeks!) and clients respond well when we offer a much wider diversity of creative output. The age of one size fits all is truly dead. 

“And if you’ve got an open mind to the talent and skills you need, you also need an open door. So this isn’t just about partnering with or acquiring new businesses, it’s also about bringing different types of people into our company.

 “At one level that’s people with different skills, or even people who have been in different industries, but it’s also very much about bringing people with different perspectives and backgrounds in. People who don’t fit the mould. Our open culture not only supports this, it needs this.”

Rayman:”We’re against quotas. We have a genuine belief that diversity will make our agency better, more progressive, more creative and more adaptable for whatever comes next.  Targets are useful to ensure you’re heading in the right direction but you still have to make the right hires.

“That said, we’re already the only agency in the UK beating both the IPA’s 2020 targets for women and BAME in senior positions. 33 per cent of our workforce had a career in another industry before working in the creative industries: entrepreneurs, lawyers, butchers, management consultants and finance to name a few. More than a third (35 per cent) of our workforce didn’t go to university and get a degree. Some 13 per cent of our employees don’t have English as their first language. We have 17 different mother tongues. While 80 per cent of our workforce grew up outside of London and 35 per cent grew up outside the UK. This is good, but it’s never enough.”

“To achieve a richer mix of talent, it’s not just about changing your hiring policies, it means casting your net wider.  We need to reach as many people as possible and introduce the idea of a creative career to people who think it’s not for them or don’t even know anything about it.

“We removed barriers by taking education and even CV’s off entry-level recruitment three years ago, we hire apprentices, have programmes to support working parents, include male/female benchmarking in all reviews and are working on manager training in 'unconscious bias'.

“But we’re also growing our networks through a number of partnerships and initiatives such as the WPP micro fellowship for BAME grads, we’re also closing a deal with Code First: Girls to support women in tech through placements, later this year we’ll be going into schools and recording a primetime TV series about how to get into the industry. Bottom line, if you’re reading this and have a different start point, please come and talk to us.”

Tanter:“Diversity is a business imperative, not just the right thing to do. That’s patronising crap and those who diversify with that mentality are just quota chasers. Evolution is a necessity for businesses being disrupted.  Therefore, diversity and collaboration are critical for agencies to produce ideas to fuel that evolution.

Secondly, diversity is about creating a magnetic culture that draws and embraces talent from completely different walks of life. Talent that is currently looking at the old school ad model and saying 'not interested’. The right culture offers them a chance to express themselves in their own way, whilst being part of something bigger.”

The Drum: Tech and innovation are such broad churches – what specific areas in each are you planning to double down?

 Brown:“We are investing heavily in talent and technology - including a soon-to-be-announced data partnership - that can take our culture defining idea and impact individuals in a way that is unique, personal and ultimately changes their behaviour. Advertising is good at doing this when it’s great, but increasingly it’s not the only way we can help our clients make a difference in people’s lives. So while they are broad areas, we’re really just acknowledging that our palette is expanding. To continue your gambling analogy, we’re placing chips all around the board, because we believe this considered risk taking will ultimately benefit our clients and our business.”

 Tanter:“A broad church it may be, but fundamentally it is about building a culture that discounts nothing at the start. It’s about embracing any form of technology that can help create ideas of cultural impact, colliding brand and user-centric thinking to do so.  

Critically, we have to collapse transaction and a greater emphasis on the purchase and service experience, into this work. And it must all be driven by a desire for greater personalisation and smarter use of data to inspire creativity not just optimise performance.”

Four months ago, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the formation of a refugee team at Rio 2016, independent film production company Just So sought out refugee athletes from around the world to make a long-form documentary to change perceptions. Now, on the eve of the Games, the trailer for the film has arrived.

Co-produced by Grey London, the documentary tells the story of 65 million people forced from their homes and offers a human perspective on the biggest crisis of our generation.

Created in co-operation with UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, the trailer for the documentary aims to build respect and empathy for the global refugee population as well as the ten athletes who will participate in the Games under the Olympic flag.

“The word refugee provokes feelings of negativity, fear or at best, sympathy. We want to inspire admiration instead of pity. Because to be a refugee is to have survived, to have endured, to have never given up,” remarked Richard Ascott, managing director of Just So.

Reaching out through social media, Just So created a bond with the Olympic hopefuls, capturing training, family life and the world they now inhabit, whilst also providing them with their own cameras to film their daily lives and, at present, the final film is still in production.

“As a creative agency, we work with brands to raise awareness and change perceptions. In partnership with Just So, our ‘client’ is the global refugee population. And our goal is to change the way the world sees them,” added Sarah Jenkins, chief marketing officer at Grey London. “By co-producing this film and using our combined strategic and creative skills to help it land in culture, we hope to make a positive contribution to the refugee crisis.”

To keep up to date with the latest advertising, creative and design projects from around the globe visit our Creative Works homepage. 

Marks and Spencer has awarded its £60m creative advertising and digital account to Grey London following a 10-week battle amongst WPP’s biggest shops for the business.

It’s the first time the digital and creative has been combined and marks the end of a 16-year relationship with RKCR/Y&R, which handled the latter.

M&S’ marketing boss Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne said he was “delighted” with the result of the pitch.

“Grey will ensure M&S maintains strong creative leadership and engagement with both existing and new customers across all channels – in-store, digital, social and mobile, and our members club – Sparks,” he said.

But Grey has a tough job on its hands. Although M&S has been revered for its marketing efforts under Rainey Kelly such as ‘This isn’t just any food’ to ‘Magic and Sparkle’, it has failed to translate into sales.

New boss Steve Rowe recently implemented a five-point plan to reestablish itself with ‘Mrs M&S’ – the core customer that has been forgotten as it tried to win over trendier millennials.

Part of that plan will see M&S act as a more “data-driven” organisation, and so the integration of its creative and digital under one agency is a move that makes sense.

“We’ve championed integration across our clients for a long time but in many ways this win is the zenith of it,” said chief executive Leo Rayman.

“To bring advertising and digital together under one roof for one of the biggest retailers in the country sets a new benchmark, not just for us but for the industry.”

Meanwhile, for Grey the high-profile win is exactly what it needed after losing three of its top executives earlier this year, which led to a massive restructure within the agency.

David Patton, president and CEO, Grey EMEA, said the win shows Grey London’s new management “has hit the ground running.”

“To have a business as significant as M&S put its faith into that team, from day one, is incredibly gratifying,” he added. 

Creative agency Grey London has partnered with WDMP to launch a new direct marketing and CRM division called Grey Response.

The new division will be centred around data science, conversion analytics, customer experience planning, programmatic and demand generation. It launches with three founding clients in Vodafone UK, Fidelity and Marks & Spencer.

As part of the partnership, WDMP’s data science unit, The Science Dept, will provide a full suite of data-driven services and tools to Grey Response’s client base. These include its one-to-one communication that delivers personalised messages to consumers, based on predictive modelling and with a high level of automation.

Grey Response will be headed by Wayne Brown, chief operations officer of Grey Group UK, and will be led by a senior team comprising of Nathan Gainford, Cressida Eatson-Lloyd, Tim Hopkins and Laura Castrillo.

Discussing the new division, Brown said: “Grey Response is perfectly formed to capture the fame we create in culture for our clients and make it work at a deeply personal level. The team bring with them impeccable credentials, but importantly they are ambitious and share our collective vision. They are already breaking new ground in programmatic advertising and delivering double digit improvements in performance.”

Gavin Wheeler, chief executive at WDMP added: “For some time now WDMP has been pioneering the scientific use of data across digital, social and direct to drive the performance of client campaigns. Harnessing this to Grey’s renowned creative and engagement capabilities will drive a transformational shift in the nature of responsive communications.”

The team will be supported 12 new hires across creative, strategy, account management and data planning, as well as the full team at WDMP.

Often creative agencies are just told to create a bunch of assets that get sprayed around the internet until a winner is found. However, Grey is developing a proposition it claims will offer brands ads that’s more contextually relevant using adtech, not just a super-efficient media buy.

It’s an ambition advertisers have been pursuing for years but there are few creative campaigns that have made smart targeting even smarter. Perhaps a symptom of what some observers believe is a disconnect between media and creative agencies? The lack of strategies that go beyond just media efficiency is a problem of using programmatic technologies, that Grey hopes to solve for its own ends.

This isn’t the first time a creative agency has admitted it needs to rely on data and automated technology but whereas previous efforts have fallen short in the actual implementation of said shift, Grey is putting its money where its mouth is.

The hefty investment in question is Grey Response, an in-house direct marketing division formed on the back of a partnership with CRM specialists WDMP earlier this month in what is described as an “agreement” to work together rather than a joint venture.

Led by managing partner Nathan Gainford, who joins from creative consultancy Animl, the division is focused on delivering messages based on what prospects are viewing and selecting without being hindered by the logistical challenges of updating and changing creative at speed. Usually, changing hundreds of banners would take weeks but because Grey Response can call on the creative processes of its production arm GreyWorks and the media expertise of MEC, those changes can be made in a matter of hours, claimed Wayne Brown, Grey’s chief operations officer.

He continued: “That advertising can be updated and changed within hours – not just one banner, but hundreds, all dynamically – which improves our clients’ speed to market and allows us to build, test and learn programs at scale, without resorting to an army of designers and coders.

“We see a big opportunity in the fact that 75% of all display is currently bought programmatically, yet only 3% of it is served dynamically, and our pioneering platform can get new advertising in market at lightning speed. In heavily competitive markets, this can be the difference between exceeding your sales number or losing your shirt.”

Such has been the success of early tests of this idea that the agency believes it will be able to use programmatic display to create one-to-one communications for existing customers shortly. This could (in theory) open new commercial opportunities for the business, built around ads that could be adapted to sequential, geographic and demographic factors as well as CRM data.

Having that edict sets Grey up to exploit the expected rise in digital ad standards spurred by a move to advertisers working directly with publishers. The industry is awash with private marketplaces, whereby brands opt to secure the best publisher inventory by reserving ad placements before campaigns go live, which in turn necessitates the need for better ads that translate well across screens.

Grey Response is currently working on projects for founding clients Vodafone, Fidelity and Marks & Spencer but will also chase separate direct marketing or CRM-specific briefs should they arise.

Diversifying further into digital advertising is part of the newly-installed management team's plan to future-proof the agency amid fragmenting business models in the agency space.

The notion of creativity in the minds of many senior marketers increasingly expands beyond just an advertising campaign and as such the more traditional creative shops like Grey are having to adapt.

Heineken bemoaned the lack of digital nous exhibited by its own creative agency last year to the point where it started giving its adtech supplier creative briefs.

Case in point is that a key part of what M&S wanted from its new ad agency was a strategy that could cover the breadth of channels people are using to interact with its brand and services on a daily basis, The Drum understands.

“We’re equally interested in influencing the performance of brand metrics as we are the commercials,” said Gainford.

“By unlocking the power of multiple data sources, we can ensure brand messages are highly targeted, relevant and optimized. For example, this could be for a piece of brand communication, product evaluation content, a useful video to help a new customer get the most from their recent purchase or to drive sales of a particular product or service a consumer is interested in. Our focus is always about making sure we deliver messages to the right person, at the right time – in a creatively engaging way.”

Volvo has expressed disappointment after its creative agency Grey London was found to have submitted an unapproved advert to Channel 4’s annual 'Diversity in Advertising’ competition. As a result, the auto brand has walked away from the £1m worth of free airtime the broadcaster had awarded.

The competition offered the airtime on the basis that the winning ad focused around a non-visible disability. Grey’s submission for Volvo was announced as the winner in July after being selected over entries from seven other brands, including Marks & Spencer, Bose and Ford.  

However, Volvo has since claimed it had not approved the ad created by Grey.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: “On this occasion, Grey London submitted an entry to the Channel 4 competition that had not previously been shared with us, nor approved for production. We are disappointed that this situation has arisen but will continue to develop our Human Made campaign, ensuring diversity remains a key pillar.”

Grey has been the brand’s global creative agency for the past four years and developed the highly praised ‘Human Made’ campaign, which profiles “defiant pioneers” in a bid to “position the brand as a people-centric one.”

Volvo said it was “proud” that diversity was a core theme within that wider campaign, which “aligns” its brand values.

The concept for the ad which had been submitted to the competition has not yet been revealed.

A Grey London spokesperson confirmed it had withdrawn from the Diversity in Advertising Award.

“It’s an incredible initiative and we wish the next iteration of it every success," the said. "As an agency we are fully committed to greater diversity, as is our Volvo client, and we will continue to both drive and support the industry’s efforts.”

The agency declined to comment further. 

A Channel 4 spokesperson said: "We're disappointed that Grey London and Volvo decided not to take forward their campaign and we will now be working with the judges to discuss the next steps."

The Drum's Shazam chart is based on the number of times each ad has been Shazamed over the past week using the music identification app.

TUI and PrettyLittleThing have made it into the chart this week, pushing Apple and Vodafone out the door. 

PrettyLittleThing's campaign, By Kourtney Kardashian, enters the chart at number nine with a stylish ad by Mirabelle. The creative features Kiiara's 'Whippin' and the celebrity herself strutting her new range of festive party wear. 

TUI, previously Thomson's, has jumped in at number six this week, with a showstopping ad from Y&R, sampling the lyrics of Woodwork Music's 'Ain't Nobody' and taking viewers on a West End journey from plane to home. 

The top three ads stay the same, with a slight rejig as Apple Watch Series 3 + Apple Music take the number one spot and Google Pixel 2 and Asda following respectively. 

Shazam Chart

The Drum's Shazam chart is based on the number of times each ad has been Shazamed over the past week using the music identification app.

Three new entries have made their way into this week's chart, with Apple reappearing with the new iPhone X as well as Simply Be and All Things Hair, taking out TUI, Asda and Lloyds Bank. 

The iPhone X smoothly moves in at number two with an ad from TBWA that showcases a marvel of marble colours sashaying across the device to Soffi Tucker's 'Best Friend'.

Taking the number four spot is Simply Be with an ad from Carat. The creative features a group of party ready ladies strutting around in the brands' winter collection to Bakermat's Baby.

Also making it into the top ten is All Things Hair's new ad from BBH, spotlighting Shamir's 'On The Regular'.

Shazam Chart

The Drum's Shazam chart is based on the number of times each ad has been Shazamed over the past week using the music identification app.

The Christmas celebrations are in full swing and it's only November. 

While John Lewis reigns at number one and Boots (Ogilvy&Mather) jumps up three spots, House of Fraser and Goodstuff bring the merry back into Christmas, [new at number five], with a festive story of two sisters through two decades, the 80s and today and The Staple Sisters''Who Took the Merry Out Of Christmas'. 

Pushing up to number three is M&S Food, showcasing its Xmas range of festive treats and food with 'An Extraordinary Christmas' (Grey London) and Ed Sheeran's Shape of You. 

Shazam Chart

2017 has been the year to push boundaries and shine a light on equality within the industry. Now more than ever, following the Harvey Weinstein scandal, it is important to recognise creative women and their contribution to the work created and the changes they make, for the sector.

That is why The Drum Creative Awards, in sponsorship with Facebook Creative Shop and partnership with Creative Equals, brought back the creative women of the year category, for a second year. The category was launched in 2016 to promote diversity within the industry and attracted more than 20 entries this year, with 10 creative women, shortlisted by the judging panel.

This years winner is Alice Tonge, executive creative director at 4creative.

Caitlin Ryan, chairperson of the judging panel and group executive creative director at Cheil Worldwide expressed how all of the women shortlisted were "phenomenally talented" and came from a spectrum of eclectic, innovative creative backgrounds.

"What made us choose Alice? Firstly, her work is extraordinarily good. Her tribute to the Paralympics ‘We’re the Superhumans’ is rightly considered one of the finest pieces of work to come out of UK in the last couple of years. But just as important is the way she thinks and leads. She pushes boundaries, takes creative risks, celebrates diversity and challenges the status quo."

"I honestly cannot think of a better advertisement for female creative leadership in 2017 than Alice."

Winner: Alice Tonge, executive creative director/head at 4creative

​Tonge was the creative and creative director on the 2016 Rio Paralympics campaign 'WE’RE THE SUPERHUMANS', a big celebration of super-ability involving 140 disabled stars. The campaign won 2 D&AD black pencils, a Cannes Grand Prix and had been adopted by the U.N. as a worldwide disability aid, as well as becoming part of the national curriculum in UK schools.

Highly commended: Resh Sidhu, creative director at Framestore

​Sidhu has been breaking new grounds in virtual reality and is a well-respected woman driving the medium forward with her fearless creativity and innovative approach. She was recently voted as a Top 50 Creative Leader by Creative Review, named as a leading female pioneer in VR by Marie Claire Magazine and featured in Campaign as Top 30 Women creative trailblazers redefining ad land. Her most recent work is the 'Fantastic Beasts Virtual Reality experience' working with Google, Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling.

Highly commended: Caroline Pay and Vicki Maguire, chief creative officers at Grey London

Pay and Maguire are an unstoppable duo in the advertising world, with their trademark ‘leading generously’ management style and their focus on diversity and inclusivity in both the workplace and in their award-winning work, shown when they changed the company’s name to Valenstein and Fatt.

One of the few female-only teams leading a major player in the advertising world, their passion for diversity was demonstrated during the 2017 Cannes Lions, when they took part in #CampaignforEquality.

Nominees:

Becky McOwen-Banks, creative director at FCB Inferno

Charlotte Adorjan, creative director at AMVBBDO

Lizi Hamer, creative director at Octagon

Margaret Johnson, partner, chief creative officer at Goodby Silverstein and Partners

Melissa Ditson, executive creative director at 360i Europe

Shahnaz Ahmed, senior designer at Livity / Knit Aid

Thea Hamrén, creative director at Mr President

All of the shortlisted nominees were invited to the awards and brought a guest with them, a junior female rising star in the industry, to promote creative gender equality across different levels of businesses.

The Drum Creative Awards puts creativity back in the spotlight and flys the flag for creativity during the digital revolution. These global awards are open to advertising agencies, design consultancies, digital agencies, production companies, marketing agencies, PR and more.

To register your interest for 2018, go to the event website.

This years awards were sponsored by: Facebook Creative Shop and One Minute Brief and partnered with: Creative Equals.