CANNES ’97: Leo Burnett wins print prize with ’skidmarks’

Leo Burnett London landed the prestigious Press and Poster Grand

Prix at the 44th Cannes International Advertising Festival, held in

Cannes this week, with ’skidmarks’ for Mercedes-Benz.

The press ad, featuring a silver Mercedes SLK parked alongside a set of

dramatic skidmarks, emerged as the clear winner on Tuesday from more

than 6,000 entries.

Bo Ronnberg, chairman of the jury, said: ’It was in a class of its own.

It was the number one by an easy margin.’

Gerry Farrell, the UK press and posters judge and creative director of

the Leith Agency, added: ’This ad is going to be flashed all around the

world. It is simple and goes from the eyes straight to the back of the

head.’

The Mercedes-Benz ad beat a witty press campaign for Polaroid cameras

created by Goodby Silverstein and Partners in the US, which came second,

and ads about football obsession from Young and Rubicam Brazil for

Umbro, which came third. Both runners-up won gold lions.

Burnetts’ triumph was topped by a record number of UK wins this

year.

British agencies took 13 of the 38 gold lions handed out. Leagas Delaney

won for Adidas, GGT for the Big Issue, Saatchi and Saatchi for nursing

recruitment, Bates Dorland for Banham Zoo, BMP DDB for ’use your vote’

and the Leith Agency for Irn-Bru.

Bartle Bogle Hegarty came away with two golds for Levi’s, as did Lowe

Howard-Spink for its Smirnoff Red ’surgeons’ poster and Vauxhall Tigra

’nice’ execution. Burnetts landed gold for United Airlines, and a

further gold for the Grand Prix-winning ad.

Seven of the 35 silvers went to British agencies, including Lowes for

Smirnoff Red, the Leith for Irn-Bru, M&C Saatchi for Silk Cut and the

Independent, and Saatchis for its campaign for a handgun ban.

The UK also picked up ten of the 43 bronzes handed out, with Leagas

Delaney, Lowes, BMP, TBWA Simons Palmer and Saatchis all featuring.

This article was first published on Campaign