fete accompli

Leagues of commercial production and advertising folk made their annual trek to the Bessies awards gala last Thursday as the industry paid homage to this year’s winners who made the brightest of advertising out of even the blandest of categories.

As usual, more than 1,000 industry types filed into Toronto’s Sheraton hotel at 10 a.m., heading lemming-like down the escalator en route to the theaters to view a reel of the top international spots and pontificate on what this year’s judges had chosen as the best of the best at the 35th Bessies awards, organized by the Television Bureau of Canada and the Broadcast Executives Society.

Director Steve Chase, from Fahrenheit Films in l.a., took the stage before lunch. Chase is the director behind the Bessie-winning ‘Possibility’ campaign for Bank of Montreal. The campaign won a Gold Bessie and a Gold Campaign.

Lunch yielded to the much-anticipated awards ceremony, which saw some of the big-buck categories – banks and automotive – take the brightest awards, while the red dog with the discriminating tastes made its expected appearances.

Virtually ignored by the Marketing Awards, Vickers and Benson’s ‘The Possibility Network’ campaign for the Bank of Montreal trolled in Bessies, taking home a Gold for ‘Trial’ and coming first in the Campaign category for ‘Trial,’ ‘No’ and ‘Future.’

Steered by creative director Bruce Philp, writer Terry Bell, agency producer Bev Cornish, and director Steve Chase, the in-your-face series with a whole lot of yelling going on, epitomizes one advertising maxim, summed up by Chase in an interview with Playback three months ago:

‘If you’re not afraid to fail, you’re going to make a mark. Half the people will love it, and maybe half will hate it, but no one’s going to say, `What was that?’ And that’s about all you can hope for in advertising.’

Chiat/Day took home the Silver Bessie for ‘Checked It,’ the perpetually funny spot for Toshiba Canada that has ‘Stop the plane. I’ve checked my notebook,’ rivaling Hakuna Matata for most quoted verbiage to come out of a broadcasting vehicle last year.

Written by Peter McHugh, produced by Carmelle Prud’Homme, and directed by Rob Pritts, it also took first in the Business Equipment and Services category.

A Campaign Second and the Bronze Bessie went to MacLaren Lintas for General Motors of Canada’s Pontiac pool, made up of ‘Hidden Camera,’ ‘Babies’ and ‘Test Drive.’ MacLaren’s Bradley Riddoch acted as writer and co-creative director with David Kelso, with Nancy Bradley as agency producer. Ian Leech was director/dop for all three spots, including the Bronze Bessie winner, ‘Hidden Camera.’

BBDO Canada’s Red Dog blitz took the Campaign Third with the ‘Steps,’ ‘Dog Show’ and ‘Dog School’ lineup. Creative directors Larry Tolpin, Michael McLaughlin, and Stephen Creet (also the writer), with producer Marie Robertson, frontlined the effort, which launched Tommy Lee Jones’ v/o career and pushed bulldogs up the pets-that-make-a-statement ladder.

Individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the commercial production and advertising industries were also honored, including ad exec Gary Gray, this year’s recipient of the prestigious Spiess Award.

Gray, most recently DDB Needham’s vice-chairman, creative director, is the man behind such creative as ‘When you eat the SmartiesÉ,’ and is credited with launching the careers of Red Dog creative team Stephen Creet and Michael McLaughlin.

The Spiess Award is named for the acknowledged deacon of cinematographers, Fritz Spiess, and is given to a person working in the ad business who has made a measurable contribution to television advertising. Spiess Award alumni include Alan Kazmer (1994), Lesley Parrott (1990), George Morita (1987), Brian Harrod (1985), Don McLean (1983), Terry O’Malley (1982), and Bill Irish (1980).

This year’s Bob Mann Post Production Award went to Al Lindsay, general manager at Spot Film and Video, in recognition of his long-standing contribution to the post-production industry.

The award, established in 1992 by Command Post and Transfer and The Partners’ Film Company, honors a member of the post industry who exemplifies the qualities the late Bob Mann brought to his post-production career. Past winners include Ross Briggs (1994), Ernie McAdam and Mike Smith (1993), and Bob Mann (1992).

The Kari Award for best performance in a commercial, sponsored by v&b, went to actor Richard Waugh for his larger-than-life 30-second portrayal of a panicked business man who checked his Toshiba laptop with the rest of his plane luggage.

Waugh says it’s difficult to say how he prepared for the role. ‘But when I walked in, (director) Rob (Pritts), said, `Go big.’ I went as big as I could, and he said, `Bigger.’ Then I knew we were headed for la la land.

‘The editing team did a brilliant job of letting the momentum of the panic build, and the agency took chances. Takes I thought would end up on the cutting room floor made the spot.’

For those following the trend towards hiring new talent, first place for the Jeffrey Reneau Award for commercials created and produced by students goes to Susan Beirnes and Kirsten Caspersen (creative directors/ producers) of Centennial College for their spot, ‘HMV. Music For All Walks of Life.’

Out of Ryerson Polytechnic University, Stephanie Shinkoda, writer, producer and creative director on ‘Canon Copiers,’ took second place.

Third place went to Mark Hesse out of the Ontario College of Art for ‘Bird Bath,’ 30 seconds for Crayola Washable Markers. Also a one-man effort, Hesse was writer, creative director and producer on the spot.

The masses rose after the last acceptance speech, shaking the pins and needles out of their feet, and headed off to the champagne reception, the last official function of the day. Later, many settled in at The Long Bar while others shuffled off to smoke-filled establishments across the city to toast the yearly celebration of the best in Canadian advertising.