PARIS – Epica is delighted to announce that Omnicom is its Holding Company of the Year. Omnicom’s agencies – TBWA, DDB, and BBDO – won a combined total of 82 awards during the 30th edition of the Epica Awards. It was a gratifying result for Omnicom after a battle between DDB, BBDO and Leo Burnett for the Network of the Year title, which was finally won by Leo Burnett from rival holding Publicis Groupe.
But DDB was close behind with some truly groundbreaking work. In particular, DDB Brussels won Epica’s very first Design Grand Prix with its “Simplified Stories” entry – a streamlined book designed to make reading easier for Alzheimer’s sufferers. AdamandeveDDB won Golds for its “Tiny Dancer” and “Man on the Moon” spots for retailer John Lewis, while DDB Group Germany won Gold for an innovative campaign that used Facebook to combat breast cancer.
TBWA scored no less than 8 Gold awards. Heimat Berlin led the charge with three gold winners: for the Hornbach spot “You’re alive, do you remember?”, the surreal “Way of the Master” for Das Handwerk (a German craft association) and the animated spot “The Letter” for retailer Otto.
TBWA\Istanbul won Gold in the hotly-contested Social category with its anti-homophobia film “Gay Turtle”. TBWA\Raad in the United Arab Emirates scored Gold twice with an innovative print solution for Go Sport, which digitally effaced the heads and bodies of soccer players, leaving just their clothes and boots on the page. “It’s all about the gear,” read the copy. TBWA\Hakuhodo in Japan created the “intelligent parking chair” to promote Nissan’s advanced technology.
BBDO New York also made a big contribution, scooping Agency of the Year with 19 awards including one Gold – for its stylish spot “La Pursuit” for Grey Goose vodka. Other BBDO Golds were the romantic “Sarah and Juan” spot for Extra Gum, from Energy BBDO, and a moving campaign featuring Down Syndrome sufferers working in an animal care centre, from BBDO Russia.
Epica celebrated its 30th edition at the Panama club in Amsterdam on November 17. Epica is the only global creative prize awarded by journalists from the marketing and communications press.
