CANNES – A print ad that keeps you from looking at your phone for five minutes–this, according to Print & Publishing jury president and DDB Singapore Group Executive Creative Director Joji Jacob, was one of the most important criteria that the jury looked for in a grand prix winner.
“A print ad should be as engaging as a social media feed,” adds Jacob.
Among the 3775 entries that Cannes Lions Print & Publishing category (formerly Press) received this year, one print ad that was a ‘simple print work but at its most powerful’ stood out–the ‘McWhopper’ by Y&R New Zealand. ‘McWhopper’ was an initiative by food chain Burger King to promote awareness about Peace Day. In an attempt to set a good example of promoting peace, Burger King asked McDonald’s to join forces and form a one day only mega burger chain. The letter ran on newspapers and was quickly shared all over the internet.
“It’s a very simple print ad but it started a huge movement. It got hijacked by the press, hijacked by TV. Everybody was talking about it. That’s the power of a great print ad.”
Jacob revealed that there was a massive debate among the jury about the grand prix winner. It will probably raise some eyebrows, too because it deviates from the usual winning print ads that we are all familiar with. Last year, the Press Grand Prix was awarded to The Community for ‘Never Stop Riding’ a series of beautifully designed posters for Buenos Aires Public Bike System.
But Jacob clearly pointed out that what they looked for was the scale of the impact and based on the results–good publicity for Burger King, huge awareness for Peace Day and customers taking the matter of creating the hybrid burger into their hands–the print ad had definitely done its job and more.
