303 Perth takes out June/July ‘Could be a Caxton’ with Office of Road Safety ‘Towards Zero’ ad
Western Australia’s Office of Road Safety ‘Towards Zero’ ad has been announced as the June / July winner of the Could Be a Caxton competition, established by the Caxton Committee and supported by The Newspaper Works to recognise and showcase great creativity on a bi-monthly basis.
Says Matt Smith, creative group head at BWM Sydney and the judge of the June / July competition: “My favourite is the Western Australia’s Office of Road Safety – Distracted Drivers ad. I love the interaction between smart phone and newspaper. It really brings to life the consequences of using a phone while driving. Very nice indeed. A little more attention needs to be given to the mobile vision. It could have been more shocking.”
Agency: 303 Group (Perth)
Client: Western Australia’s Office of Road Safety
Senior art director: Ross Dungey
Senior writer: Malcolm MacLean
A Highly Commended was also awarded to Virgin ‘Robin da Hood’.
Adds Smith: “The other ads I noticed were for Virgin Mobile. That Robin Da Hood is one freaky looking, lute strumming dude. Great use of mullet. Overall I saw some nice press. Enjoy.”
The August / September Could Be a Caxton competition is now open for entries. It’s free to enter and anyone can submit nominations. The copywriter and art director responsible for the newspaper campaign judged best of the year’s Could Be a Caxton bi-monthly winning ads, will score an all expenses-paid trip to the 2011 Caxton Awards.
For more information on how to enter the Could Be a Caxton competition and the Caxtons in general.
8 Comments
hmmm- someone’s gotta tell the judges that this ad looked great on paper but didn’t work on the page.
Well done 303.
I’ve always thought this was a cracker.
7.47am
What? As opposed to telling them that is was created specifically for a competition, with no genuine client brief and subsequently ran once at no cost to the client? Somehow I think functionality (or the lack of it) is the least of its worries. Personally I think it will clean up overseas since Johnny Foreigner knows nothing of The West Australian Caxton competition and simply likes work that reaffirms their collective belief in the power of advertising to constantly re-invent itself in new and gimmicky ways.
7.47. Clearly you are in the minority here. Sorry. Well done Mal and Ross.
1.06 & 8.22… You have got to be kidding me. You both saw this ‘ad’ run in ‘real life’ and there’s no denying that the whole idea did NOT work as it was first intended. It’s obvious you’re close with the two dudes at 303 but don’t let this make you both look like fools.
7.58 where were you when the ad won.
That’s the best description for the concept I’ve seen to date.
Ok it had a couple of bugs, but overall, we are in the ideas industry, and as an idea it was brilliant.
Well done to the guys.
11.12… Yes, we are in the ideas industry. But don’t you usually try and execute the idea that you presented… Or at least get close? This ‘interactive’ ad ended up as a very basic press ad with some half-arsed video accessed via a URL. Hardly a great idea now is it?
Whether it executes well or not is a decision for the judges. Matt Smith obviously didn’t see a problem.
Congrats Mal and Ross.
Gordo.