At the 2016 Epica Awards – the 30th year of the competition – there were Grand Prix winners from Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Norway and France.
Network of the Year: Leo Burnett, with 49 awards including 12 golds.
Agency of the Year: BBDO New York, with 19 awards including 1 gold.
Independent Agency of the Year: TRY, Norway, with 9 awards including 4 golds.
The USA topped the country rankings, obtaining 69 awards, including 12 golds.
GRAND PRIX
DESIGN: “Simplified stories” by DDB Brussels for Alzheimerliga
DIGITAL: “The Next Rembrandt” by J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam for ING
FILM: “Kenzo World” for Kenzo World Eau de Parfum by Kenzo Parfums, France
PRESS: “Brad is Single” by TRY for Norwegian Airlines
OUTDOOR: “Doors of Thrones” by Publicis London for Tourism Ireland
Summing up the awards, Jury President Norman Pearlstine, Vice Chairman of Time Inc, said: “The remarkable range of entries reminded us that culture and commerce are not incompatible, and that this is a global industry where there is no monopoly on creativity or on great work.”
Epica’s very first Design Grand Prix went to DDB Brussels for a new kind of pared-down publication which simplified reading for Alzheimer’s patients through concise storytelling and visual cues that meant they never lost the thread of the story.
Peter Ampe, Chief Creative Officer of DDB Brussels, commented: “It's great to see Epica rewarding creativity as a force for good. Journalists are known to be more critical than anyone else – that’s what makes winning an Epica so special.”
The Digital Grand Prix was won by “The Next Rembrandt”, an ambitious project from J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam that used data, historical research and 3D printing to create a “new” Rembrandt painting that looked exactly like the real thing. The goal was to draw attention to the bank ING’s support of the arts.
Creative Partner Bas Korsten said: “We’re so thrilled and proud, winning the Epica Grand Prix for the second year in a row! Especially because it is judged by some of the leading journalists in our industry. It’s a great honour. And since The Next Rembrandt owes much of its success to the press writing about it like they did, we would like to thank everyone who has engaged with this campaign – especially the journalists.”
Kenzo grabbed the Film Grand Prix with a literally eye-popping spot for its new Kenzo World perfume that featured a bored model freaking out and performing a bizarre dance inside a deserted theatre. Director Spike Jonze referenced one of his previous videos but placed it in a new context that disrupted fragrance advertising conventions.
Patricia Tranvouëz, CEO of Kenzo Parfums, said: “We’re very touched and extremely proud of this project, which is the first we’ve worked on with Carol Lim and Humberto Leon – artistic directors of the Kenzo fashion house. The project brought together great artists like Spike Jonze, Ryan Heffington, Sam Spiegel and of course Margaret Qualley, whose talents as a ballerina and actress burst out of the screen. Thank you to my entire team, who made this project a priority and brought it to fruition.”
Norwegian agency TRY won the Press Grand Prix with a timely ad inspired by Brad Pitt’s breakup with Angelina Jolie. “Brad Is Single. Los Angeles one way from £169” for Norwegian Airlines was a simple idea that gained a halo of PR coverage extending far beyond its original placement.
The agency’s creative duo Susanne Hovda and Marius Aasen commented: “A big thanks to everyone involved for moving fast, and for having the guts to go for this idea. Winning a Grand Prix is beyond what we ever expected. It’s like booking tickets for only £169, and realising that you actually have really good leg space. An amazing feeling.”
The Outdoor Grand Prix went to Publicis London for an unusual initiative that involved taking trees felled in a storm on a Game of Thrones filming location, and turning them into hand-carved doors depicting scenes from the cult TV show. These were then installed in a selection of Irish pubs, becoming tourist attractions that led fans to travel across Ireland visiting each one.
Dave Monk, Executive Creative Director at Publicis London, said: “Who’d have thought combining two of our favorite pastimes – pubs and Game of Thrones – would help us pick up an Epica Grand Prix? We feel hugely honored. It also feels all the more significant because it was voted for by a jury outside our usual advertising bubble. So huge thanks to them. Also to our client, Tourism Ireland, and everyone involved in the campaign, as well as a respectful doff of our helmets and swords to the craftsmen and women who created and carved out the idea so brilliantly.”
Entrants & Entries by Country
This year Epica received 3,800 entries from 66 countries, a 2% increase over 2015. Germany, Belgium, Denmark and Canada were especially present, along with the Netherlands, Greece, Argentina, Japan and Hong Kong. New and returning countries this year included Belarus, Namibia, Estonia, Taiwan and New Zealand.
Results by Country
The USA was top in the country rankings with 69 awards including 12 golds, followed by France and the UK. Other top non-European performers were Canada, the United Arab Emirates and Japan.
You can find full details of all the winners at www.epica-awards.com
Founded 30 years ago, Epica is the only worldwide creative award judged by journalists from the marketing and communications press.
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