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The top commercial spots for the past year are honored in the 20th annual AICP Show, which had its New York debut in June. The Art & Technique of the American Commercial, presented by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers, annually recognizes a handful of commercials in each of several categories. This year, seven Media Services clients had the honor of having their ads named some of the best of the best.
MJZtopped the list of production companies honored for the sixth straight year with eight mentions. The company thrice raised its figurative glass in celebration of the Jim Beam spot “Parallels,” directed by Dante Ariola for Strawberry Frog, as the ad was recognized in the Direction, Visual Style and Cinematography categories. Meanwhile, it came out smelling manly with Old Spice’s “Questions,” helmed by by Tom Kuntz via Wieden+Kennedy and honored for Humor and Performance/Dialogue. The spot was part of the “Smell Like a Man, Man” campaign, which was also honored for Next Integrated Campaign. The company battled to glory in the Production category with “There Is a Soldier in All of Us” for Activision Call of Duty, directed by Rupert Sanders for TBWA\Chiat\Day. And it beeped its way to Sound Design honors for the DirecTV spot “Robots,” also directed by Sanders for Grey, New York.
Park Pictures channeled its Dark Side with Volkswagen’s “The Force,” which ruled the spotmaking galaxy with honors in five categories, including a rare tie for the best-in-show category Advertising Excellence/Single Commercial. Directed by Lance Acord for Deutsch, Inc., the commercial also received honors in the Direction, Editorial, Performance/ Dialogue, and Next Viral/Web Film categories. Along with Alejandro González Iñárritu, Acord was the most honored director in the Show.
Hungry Man wrote its own ticket with two Copywriting honors, one for American Express’s Bryan Buckley-directed “Conan-India” and the other for VH1’s “Anti-Rockstar,” also directed by Buckley. received three honors for two commercials, both directed by Bryan Buckley. “Conan-India” also whittled out honors in the Editorial category.
Harvest Films made beautiful Original Music in “Unsweetened Truth,” directed by Baker Smith for Arnold Worldwide; the “Truth” campaign also was recognized in the PSA category for “Gruen/Denial.”
Mother New York was looking stylish with Target’s “Kaleidoscopic Fashion Spectacular,” which was recognized for Next Integrated Campaign and Next Experiential.
Boxer moved judges in the Cinematography department with VW Touareg’s “Origin,” directed by Robert Groenwold through AKQA, while Drive Thru TV melted their hearts with “Butter,” directed by Roger Sackett for YMCA via Preston Kelly, taking honors in the Low Budget category.
This year’s show was chaired by SMUGGLER managing partner & co-founder Brian Carmody, with over 300 judges participating from across the country. It had its traditional debut at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, where it will become part of the film department archives, and then appeared at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art July 27.
The show will next be seen in San Francisco on September 20th, then make its way through Minneapolis, Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Chicago and Boston throughout the fall. For more information and to see the honored work, visit the AICP site.
AICP Show 2011 – Complete List of Production Company Honorees
8 Honors—MJZ
Next Integrated Campaign—Old Spice “Smell Like A Man, Man Integrated Campaign
Production—Activision Call of Duty “There’s a Soldier In All of US”
Direction—Jim Beam “Parallels”
Visual Style—Jim Beam “Parallels”
Cinematography—Jim Beam “Parallels”
Humor—Old Spice “Questions”
Performance/Dialogue—Old Spice “Questions”
Sound Design—DirecTV “Robots”
5 Honors—Park Pictures
Advertising Excellence/Single Commercial—Volkswagen “The Force”
Direction—Volkswagen “The Force”
Editorial—Volkswagen “The Force”
Performance/Dialogue—Volkswagen “The Force”
Next Viral/Web Film—Volkswagen “The Force”
5 Honors—Independent Films London, Anonymous Content
Advertising Excellence/Single Commercial—Nike “Write The Future”
Next Integrated Campaign—Nike “Write The Future”
Production—Nike “Write The Future”
Direction—Nike “Write The Future”
Next Viral/Web Film—Nike “Write The Future”
4 Honors—Biscuit Filmworks
Production—Jameson “Fire”
Production Design—Jameson “Fire”
Visual Effects—Xbox Halo:Reach “Deliver Hope”
Sound Design—Xbox Halo:Reach “Deliver Hope”
4 Honors—SMUGGLER
Visual Style—Puma “After Hours”
Cinematography—Puma “After Hours”
Humor—Logitech “Kevin Bacon Fan: Ivan Cobenk”
Copywriting—Logitech “Kevin Bacon Fan: Ivan Cobenk”
3 Honors—Hungry Man
Editorial—American Express “Conan-India”
Copywriting—American Express “Conan-India”
Copywriting—VH1 “Anti-Rockstar”
3 Honors—PSYOP, SMUGGLER (co-production)
Design—Xbox Fable III “Revolution”
Visual Effects—LG Electronics “Something’s Lurking”
Animation—LG Electronics “Something’s Lurking”
2 Honors Each
@radical.media
Gorgeous@Anonymous Content
Harvest Films
Mother New York
Moxie Pictures
Rabbit
1 Honor Each
@radical.media, B-Reel Films (co-production)
Aardman Animations
Academy Films
Anonymous @ Exit Films
Anonymous Content
B-Reel Films
Blind
Boxer
Brandfirst
Don’t Act Big
Drive Thru TV
Epoch Films
FOX Sports Net
Hipstamatic
Local Projects
O Positive
PSYOP
PYTKA
Serial Pictures
SKUNK
The Mill, NY
