While candidates for special effects recognition among Bessies contenders weren’t overly abundant, according to the judges there was no dearth of quality, and those who distinguished themselves displayed an ample amount of technological and creative prowess.

‘This town is extremely skillful in the area of special effects,’ says editor and judge Andy Attalai of some of the effects work done in Toronto. ‘There are some extraordinary outfits for special effects.’

Notable Bessies efforts included the Molson Dry ‘Desk’ spot, the one with a quiet, stylish black-and-white street scene interrupted by a desk crashing out of a skyscraper window, pushed by the ambitious yet morally indignant narrator. Vickers and Benson’s Canadian Tourism Commission ‘Whale’ spot, which features a mighty whale composited mid-leap into a serene b.c. seascape, also drew raves. ‘The Tourism spot elicited a tremendous response,’ says Attalai. ‘The judges literally gasped when they saw it the first time. Everyone knew how hard it was to accomplish.’

Attalai also singles out the General Motors ‘Sunflowers’ spot, the Polaroid campaign and Coke spots as well-executed effects efforts. In terms of an artistic approach to transferring, Attalai points to the Hudson’s Bay pre-Confederation-look offering.

‘Special effects were strong as a whole,’ says v&b producer Bev Cornish.

MacLaren McCann creative Marta Cutler says the best examples of the craft were those that quietly added to the quality of the spot, enhancing the creative idea rather than providing a visually stimulating distraction.

‘Special effects in a commercial are only as good as the strength of the idea,’ says Attalai. ‘The judging was concept-driven. If it didn’t have a good advertising idea, it didn’t matter how good it looked, it didn’t earn an award; that was the criteria laid down by (Bessies chair) Tom Nelson.’

All judges were involved in assigning craft awards, which were only given to Bessies-winning spots.