Adelaide-based creative agency JAMES has won Round 3 of the 2020 Siren Awards, having been awarded top spot in the single category and the overall win for the commercial ‘Uncomfortable Cough’, which was produced for the Primary Health Network.
Creative director James Rickard from JAMES and sound engineer Scott Illingworth from sound studio Seeingsounds brought the ad to life using dramatic audio storytelling with the purpose of shining a light on immunisation.
In executing the ad, the duo embraced the medium of radio as a place to share compelling stories and show creative freedom in a way that puts the well-being of children at the forefront of messaging and forces the audience to take notice.
Of the important message behind the ad, Rickard said: “I wanted to leverage the universal truth, ‘a child’s safety is paramount’, against the fact adults were failing to get immunised and worse still, were endangering children as a result.
“I doubt any parent would be able ignore that terrifying cough, and not be moved by it.”
Illingworth also received a highly commended acknowledgement in the craft category for his work on the commercial.
The work of creatives Ben Clare and Michael Dawson from agency EMOTIVE on the ‘FOOLPROOF’ series of ads for online betting and entertainment website Sportsbet, secured them the win in the campaign category (three ads or more).
The campaign plays homage to the Sportsbet larrikin persona with a comedic juxtaposition of fake ads and a no-nonsense, irreverent counterpoint.
Southern Cross Austereo took the win in the craft category for the Beyond Blue ad ‘The Loop’, in which sound engineer Chris Gates cleverly uses a crescendo of looping vocals to produce a realistic portrayal of an internal struggle with anxiety. The ad has been an ongoing success for creative agency Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, as it was previously awarded the single category and overall win in Round 2.
CEO of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner, said: “Our congratulations go out to the talented winners of Round 3 of the 2020 Siren Awards. We continue to be amazed by the exceptional quality of Siren Awards entrants and this latest round of winners and highly commended applicants truly exemplify creative excellence and showcase the value of effective radio advertising.”
Five ads received highly commended acknowledgements in Round 3 in the single category – Sportsbet ads ‘Mail Order Oysters’ and ‘Height Surgeon’ from creatives Ben Clare and Michael Dawson at EMOTIVE, Homebuyers Centre ads ‘You Know It’s Time – Guitar’ and ‘You Know It’s Time – Wet Towel’ from creative Joe Hawkins at Wunderman Thompson and The Road Safety Commission ad ‘Miss a runner’ from creatives Niall Stephen and Lachy Banton from The Brand Agency.
Receiving highly commended nods in the campaign category were Ralph van Dijk and Dan Staudinger from Eardrum for the Commercial Radio Australia series of ads ‘CRA Tactical Marketing Campaign’, Ellen Woods and Megan Latter from McCann Melbourne for the Melbourne Airport Parking campaign ‘Genuine Bargains’ and Sarah Mould and Emma Frizzel from LOUD for the Ad Standards campaign ‘Terms & Kinder Conditions.’
In addition to Illingworth’s work on ‘Uncomfortable Cough’, sound engineer Nick Gallagher from Cue Sound also received highly commended acknowledgements in the craft category for the Homebuyer’s Centre ads ‘You Know It’s Time – Wet Towel’ and ‘You Know It’s Time – Guitar.’
Round 4 of the 2020 Siren Awards is currently open, with entries closing on 9 November 2019.
Browse the Round 3 2020 winning ads here
