MELBOURNE: Clemenger Melbourne creatives Paul Reardon and Jonas Peterson have won the 2007 Gold Siren award for best radio ad of the year for their two-minute Snickers “Hoedown” campaign.
In addition to taking out the best radio award, the creative due also scooped a Silver Siren in the single advertisement category for their unusually long radio campaign.
The two-minute ad is the length of an entire ad break on radio and goes against the tradition of shorter, more frequently played, radio spots. The ad will now automatically be entered into the Cannes Radio Lions to be held next month.
John Mescall, creative director Smart Melbourne and member of the Siren Creative Council, said "Hoedown" won because it started life not as a radio commercial, but as an idea.
“And it was then brought to life free of the usual constraints most people put on themselves when creating a radio ad (it has to be 30 or 45 seconds, it needs a gag with a voiceover at the end, etc, etc). So it’s different, but still relevant. Which is what we all look for in a good ad, regardless of the medium,” Mescall said.
A series of commercials for Boag beer called “French, Teddy Bears and Roses” written by Glenn Dalton and George Freckleton from Melbourne’s AJF Partnership won the campaign category and a Silver Siren Award.
Other winners from today’s presentation included agency Song Zu, which picked up a Silver Siren Award for the 2007 craft category for an ad for Commercial Radio Australia called ”Shareholder”. The ad was produced by sound engineer, Rod Enright and written by creative director, Ralph van Dijk.
Joan Warner, chief executive of Commercial Radio Australia, said it was very pleasing that one of the industry brand campaign ads had been chosen as a winner in the craft category.
“We have made a conscious effort to push the boundaries in our radio campaign and set an example about what great results can be achieved – which has been recognised today with a Silver Siren,” Warner said.
She added that the credibility and importance of the Siren Awards was growing each year.
“The Siren Awards provide a fantastic opportunity for excellent Australian radio creative to be recognised both at home and again at Cannes, alongside the world’s best.”
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