Case study: Smart ways to communicate


To me, one of the best ways to understand how effective marketing works is to look at campaigns that have won the most or the biggest creative industry awards, and you won’t find a recent campaign that has been more successful at winning major awards than this one from McCann’s office in Melbourne, Australia. I discuss many awards submissions with my clients every year, and in my experience, oftentimes what makes a project award-worthy is the documentation you can provide – especially when you can clearly present valid results the work has helped deliver. This theory is backed-up by the documentation for Dumb Ways to Die from McCann Melbourne, which was named “Most Awarded Agency” by Advertising Age in 2013 thanks to this project earning numerous “best of show” honors from the major international programs, including a record five Cannes Lions Grand Prix (in the Film, Integrated, Direct, PR and Radio categories).

Here are some highlights of the verbiage the agency used for this project, which was produced for Melbourne Metro Trains.

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Explore brand as possibility with Lippincott

Lippincott is a leading brand strategy and design firm with a 70-year heritage crafting authentic stories, memorable experiences and winning strategies for the world’s most iconic brands. Its expertise spans all aspects of brand building including strategy, design, experience innovation and organizational engagement. Recent clients include 3M, Delta Air Lines, Hyatt, Infiniti, Samsung, Starbucks and Walmart. Lippincott is part of Oliver Wyman, a global professional services organization owned by Marsh & McLennan Companies.

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Fireflies: For Those Who Suffer

For the sixth year in a row, 50 “Fireflies” will soon take to the coast of California to ride their bikes a grueling 550 miles in benefit of cancer research. They will depart San Francisco on September 27, and arrive into Los Angeles on October 2.

Cancer affects us all. Please consider helping the fight by making a donation here. Alternatively, you can view the project on Vimeo and make a “Tip Jar” donation using PayPal, where all funds will be directly transferred to the City of Hope research hospital.

Project credits for “For Those Who Suffer,”

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Forces for good: Kobe Bryant

In this first episode of Mission: Kobe Bryant, the renowned NBA star visits Skid Row to learn about the issues facing homeless people in LA, and speaks to four extraordinary men seeking to improve their lives. You can learn more about the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation’s fight to end homelessness in LA by visiting www.kvbff.org. You can also follow the link to the YouTube posting to find a Homeless Service Organization near you through the National Coalition for the Homeless.

More on Mission

In Mission, Kobe Bryant documents an honest account of challenges facing residents of Skid Row, the downtown Los Angeles area with the largest concentration of homeless people in the United States. Through his personal and candid conversations with residents of The Los Angeles Mission

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Gift Togetherness

I am very proud to share Thornberg and Forester’s “The Gift of Togetherness,” part of a powerful campaign from DDB Chicago promoting Ronald McDonald House Charities. The campaign’s goal is to raise $1 million by December 31; for every dollar raised, 90 cents support programs globally! To learn more about RMHC and be a part … Read moreGift Togetherness

Get out and vote!

AIGA, the professional association for design, believes designers serve a critical role as communicators, educators and innovators. The association’s 2012 “Get Out the Vote” campaign invited members to create nonpartisan posters and videos that inspire the American public to participate in the electoral process and vote in the 2012 general election. The video above comes … Read moreGet out and vote!

Inspiration from Gaian.me

With its digital album releases including designs, music and articles, The Gaian Project celebrates nature by inspiring people to preserve our planet. Over the past six years a group of more than 10,000 designers joined in – including members from Behance, deviantArt and other major design websites. Steffen Knoesgaard, Fredrik Ekholm and Simon Holmedal created … Read moreInspiration from Gaian.me

Scion’s moving story…

The evolving brand campaign from Scion and its creative agency of record ATTIK debuted in late September, and the newest facet entitled Motivate launched last week. Motivate presents young self-starters in the creative arts community with opportunities to achieve their dreams by winning personal business mentors, up to $10,000 and Scion vehicles. Full contest rules … Read moreScion’s moving story…

Half the Sky: Thanks for the Documentary

Thankfully, the Half the Sky Movement is well underway tonight, continuing a vital quest to turn oppression into opportunity for women worldwide. The Movement’s documentary begins its two-night engagement on PBS about an hour from now on the U.S. East Coast. Produced for PBS’s Independent Lens by Show of Force, the film is based on … Read moreHalf the Sky: Thanks for the Documentary

America’s national parks, part 4

As you have seen over the past several weeks, inspired by the epic 2009 PBS documentary from Ken Burns entitled “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” my family and I have taken up the challenge of visiting — and extolling the virtues of — the national treasures which form the heart of the film… and of America itself. This is the final week of our travels, and while our 2012 time in Yellowstone and Grand Teton has ended, like Mark Twain, the experiences are now integral aspects of us all, which we shall each continue to fathom forever. We will actually be making our way through the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri, and spending time exploring caves and waterways that form the backdrop of some of Mr. Twain’s most wonderful tales. Entering these adventures, as privileged as I felt, I did not dare hope to experience revelations, but in truth, the knowledge we are gaining of people and places is already priceless to me. To say the least, I encourage you to follow these trails, or those you come across which inspire you the most.

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