Unlike most awards, during the judging the team decided we need to make up a few more specific categories to reward some other moments, people and businesses we felt were deserving of a special nod.
Although they didn’t walk away with a special doorstop trophy, we hope they basked in a warm of glow of victory as they were announced.
Medium-sized Group of Humans Award:
True
The agency didn’t quite claim the Group of Humans of the Year, but damn did this team have a good year.
The ‘Tiny Hands’ Small Group of Humans Award:
The ASA
For the constant stream of banality, they have to deal with on a daily basis (and, more importantly, maintaining self-regulation of the industry). We salute you for not burning the place to the ground.
The Feeling Feelings Award for most Heart-Warming Ad:
Father’s Day for Spark and What’s your why (featuring Sophie Pascoe) for Rebel Sport
A two-way tie. There was a lot of dust in the eyeballs when Sophie Pascoe told her story and Spark substituted a father with a single mother for Father’s Day.
The Kim Jung Un-Truth in Advertising Award:
AA Insurance
Nobody cares about insurance and the team at DDB didn’t shy away from this. Instead, it embraced the moment and replaced policies with puppies and ponies in the ‘Reasons to Care‘ campaign.
The Lazarus Award:
Jacinda Ardern
Like a practised necromancer, Jacinda Ardern reanimated the Labour Party at a time when it looked as though rigor mortis was already settling in.
The Eliza McCartney Fence Jumper Award:
Vincent Heeringa
The man who regularly condemned PR stepped across the great divide and joined Anthem. Long will his previous comments haunt him. Many find the irony delicious.
Kieran Read holding a toilet in a Plumbing World brochure Award for Best Use of a Rugby Personality:
Arnott’s
A motorbike-riding, apocalypse-stopping Steve Hansen and his crew of biscuit lovers completely reimagined what the use of rugby talent could look like in an ad.
Best Use of Slam Poetry:
Milk slams
This year’s work for Anchor’s ‘Go Strong‘ campaign lactated creativity all over computer screens and left everyone keen for a sweet sampling of dairy. [ed: This category only made the cut because of NZ Marketing editor Damien Venuto’s deep love for a good slam].
The Zinger Burger Comment of the Year:
Leighton Howl
“Ong. OMG” – a perfect summary of the 2degrees account shift.
Award for Good:
Humans Rights Commission ‘give nothing to racism’
An important message about racism delivered hilariously by known New Zealand traitor Taika Waititi for the New Zealand Human Rights Commission.
Award for Evil:
Killer of self-esteems, sucker of time, facilitator of Russian interference, Facebook has no shortage of claims to this prize despite what the world’s richest manchild might say. Love is so short in media.
