AME Awards announces 2020 finalists
A global crisis could not prevent AME’s grand jury from their commitment to judging world-class work. The 100+ jury panel, representing 5 regions from around the globe evaluated entries submitted from 6 continents to determine this year’s finalists.
Campaigns achieving finalist status employed a robust number of strategies to achieve brand engagement and increase market share including strategic partnerships, branded entertainment, brand challenges, cause marketing/public responsibility, out-of-home technology, and immersive event marketing.
Case studies highlighted integrated 360-degree marketing campaigns, brand activism, technology-driven campaigns, and leveraged celebrity star power. Campaigns achieving Finalist status positioned prominent brands in the spotlight including: Dove, BMW, McDonald's, Wendy’s, Guinness, New Balance, Singapore Airlines, Doritos, Lexus, Volkswagen, Spotify, Unicef, Becks and Virgin Atlantic. To view the 2020 AME finalists, click here.
In 2020, AME added new categories to its competition roster including Purpose-Driven Brands and Experiential Marketing. Finalists within those categories include: “The Ramadan campaign that didn't launch in Ramadan” (FP7 McCann Menat) Jawwy, “Moguls in the Making” (Ally Financial) for Ally, “The Force of Love” (ADK -Taiwan) 7-Eleven Taiwan CSR, “Here for Good” (TBWA Singapore) Standard Charter and “Road to Coachella” (Mirrored Media) BMW.
Challenging conventional thinking
Brands rallied to challenge conventional thinking, promote worthy causes, fight for the rights of those facing prejudice and help those in their time of need. Finalists include: “Viva La Vulva” (AMVBBDO) for Libresse broke conventions about intimate products and changed how women thought about these products and themselves. “The Sending Machine” (Publicis Sapient) First Love Foundation targeted the UK food poverty crisis that led to a rise in foodbank use. A digital vending machine was created that used a touch screen display and payment device to allow fresh food and long-life products to be donated. Additional entries advancing: “Backpack Graveyard” by Unicef, “#UnravelHate” (Zulu Alpha Kilo) Peace Collective, “Lifeboat - The Experiment” (Serviceplan Germany) Sea-Watch, “Toys” (TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno) Safer KidsPH, and “Helping Suicidal Youths Find #HopeThroughTheNight” (TBWA Singapore) for Samaritans of Singapore (SOS).
Creative Partnerships and Sponsorships set new standards and delivered results. 2020 Finalist “Project #ShowUs” Razorfish for client Dove acted with Getty Images and Girlgaze to create the world’s largest stock library created by women to shatter beauty stereotypes. Also advancing Guinness Clear. Why Guinness dared to tell everyone to drink water” AMVBBDO for Guinness, “#PauseToRemember” Zulu Alpha Kilo for HomeEquity Bank, and “Still Not Out Of The Water” FCB New York for Colin’s Hope.
Activation & Engagement shifted brand perception and achieved results. “The Runaway Pub” (VMLY&R) for New Balance achieved Finalist status. New Balance’s sponsorship of the London Marathon set out to establish NB as a true “runners’ brand” by opening a runners-only pub in the months leading up to the race where the only currency accepted was miles run. Additional campaigns advancing include: “Criminal Reviews” Serviceplan for Piper Verlag and “Abtal El Shawarea’ Stars on the Streets” (FP7McCann Menat) Unilever Clear.
McCann London’s Guerrilla campaign “The Urban Eye Test” (OCO Opticians) utilised trackable floor panels placed on pavements around Central London and encouraged Londoners to check their eyesight using the urban environment around them. A QR code tagged to each location allowed users to instantly book an optometrist appointment.
Technology helped create personalised immersive campaigns
Branded Content/Entertainment built brand affinity. “Do What You Can't Jimmy Fallon” (Starcom) (Samsung Galaxy S10), featuring Jimmy Fallon and “The Tonight Show” visiting his favourite places around New York with guest celebrities and musicians all shot on Samsung’s Galaxy S10. Additional Finalists include: “Hershey's Time Square” (LEAP Group) LEAP Frame, and “The Daily Show Investigates The Secret Life of Pets” (Viacom Velocity) The Secret Life of Pets 2.
Technology helped create personalised immersive campaigns that engaged consumers with the brand. “Do Your Own Stunts” (Inspire & Goodstein) Volkswagen Touareg created a social media-led activation campaign to drive sales/test drives featuring Chinese action film star Wu Jing. A custom-made feature within the VLog Platform VUE invited people to replace the test driver in the online film with their own selfie videos right next to Wu Jing. Finalists include: “Laugh Tracker” (VMLY&R Kansas City) for Tennessee Tourism employed the first wearable device that could turn kids’ laughter into travel reviews and “Deep Fake: You the Action Hero” (PHD China) for VW.
Digital & Mobile campaigns launched brands and effectively created awareness. “Big in Japan” (Zulu Alpha Kilo) SingleCut Beersmiths, used mobile media for their campaign for SingleCut, a New York City craft brewery inspired by rock and roll. For the debut of their new beer in Japan, Big in Japan IPA, a Spotify-enabled beer featured QR codes that were designed as clues for classic rock songs in a name-that-tune game. Finalist “100 Words Pain_ting” Overman for Save the Children fought verbal abuse and increased its presence as a children's rights NGO by featuring paintings created by children that illustrated hurtful words in an online and offline exhibition. Additional Finalists include: “Pop-Up Books” (FP7 McCann Menat) WHSmith and “Empower Gen-Z: Reproducing WLJ” (Inspire Communications Group) Wanglaoji.
Integrated campaigns provided a seamless engaging brand experience. “Doritos “Another Level” + 2019 MTV VMAs” (Viacom Velocity) leveraged the magnitude of the 2019 VMAs to unveil Doritos as a culture-transforming iconic brand and placed brand hip hop heavy-hitter A$AP Ferg at the centre of all the VMA cross-platform integrations. Additional Finalists include: “Building a big brand from Little Adventures” (Affinity) Tourism Central Coast, and “Lifecell Super Clear Image Campaign” (Rafineri Istanbul) Turkcell.
Consumers bonded with brands
Social Savvy campaigns resulted in consumers bonding with the brand: “McPickle: our most successful social moment, without spending a cent” (VMLY&R Sydney) McDonalds launched an April Fool’s prank that ignited a social debate fueling passion amongst committed fans. Other social campaigns advancing include: “Altuve” (Dieste) ATT Direct TV,” Help a Small Dane” (&Co) Danish Cancer Society & Trygfonden and “Igniting the Relaunch of Spicy Nuggets” (VMLY&R) Wendy’s.
Healthcare campaigns educated, solved problems, and potentially saved lives. Finalists include: “Breath of Life” McCann Health China for GlaxoSmithKline, and McCann New York’s “Puzzle Head” for Unbranded disease education along with “It’s Time to Brain Better” for Neuriva. Health & Human Services Finalist, “The Sending Machine” Publicis Sapient for First Love Foundation (Promotion of Health & Human Services) targeted the UK food poverty crisis by creating a digital vending machine that uses a touch screen display and payment device allowing fresh food and long-life products to be donated to the right people at the right time.
Automotive brands gained traction and drove results, Finalists include: “Lexus UX: “Sole of the UX” Team One Advertising for Lexus, “How Lexus Gamed The Big Game” Team One for Lexus Automotive, and “Greatest Outback Of All Time” Zulu Alpha Kilo, Subaru Canada.
USA agencies take the lead
AME’s award-winning grand jury from 5 global regions region (Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa, North America and Latin America) thoughtfully reviewed all entries with global knowledge and perspective from the industry with attention to cultural and economic relevance.
Regional judging saw the USA agencies take the lead with 29 entries advancing, followed by Germany with 23, China, South Korea, and the United Kingdom each saw 9 entries advance, Canada with 8, United Arab Emirates 6, Australia 5, Singapore 4, and Austria, Denmark, Philippines, and Taiwan each advanced with 2 Finalists, followed by India with 1.
To view 2020 AME Awards Finalists click here, and for more information on the AME Awards, click here.
