Lest we forget

Lest we forget...

...or more accurately, overlook.

Yes, Clemenger Melbourne is spectacular. Cannot, would not take away from them their place in the spotlight . MADC Agency of the Year. We did all see it coming. Exit Films Award for Best Junior. Icing on a cake adorned with gold leaf.

But, let’s have a sneaky look at someone else who put in a brilliant effort. McCann Melbourne took home 10 awards in total and Best in Show for the V/Line Guilt trips campaign. And McCann had to fight for its snapshot in the sun. It shared second place with two stellar rivals. 

What a difference a little less than a year makes.  McCann admits with pride that it has staged a significant turnaround since the Smart people took their places at the helm.

McCann Worldgroup chief executive Ben Lilley’s plans to move the agency away from the traditional model, towards a “transformational agency with digital at the core when he came on board”, have been the catalyst for some stellar creative outcomes.

Ten months ago, executive creative director, John Mescall, stated that McCann's goal was to assemble the most impressive pool of talented people who aren’t just clones of each other, to underpin the diversity of the work they do. He may well be thinking today, "mission accomplished".

Agency of the Year                   Clemenger Melbourne:  8 gold, 6 silver and 18 bronze. 
Second (shared)                      McCann Melbourne:  Best in Show, 1 silver, 8 bronze
                                              Leo Burnett Melbourne:  3 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze
                                              JWT Melbourne: 3 gold, 1 silver, 6 bronze
Fifth                                       Grey Melbourne:  3 silver, 6 bronze         
MADC Creative Person of the Year             Jason Williams, executive creative director Leo Burnett Melbourne,
MADC Award for Lifetime Achievement      Scott Whybin, chairman Whybin TBWA Group, MADC Award for Lifetime Achievement