The Eatons ‘aubergine’ TV campaign, best described as a mini-movie, is the winner of On the Spot’s Top Spots 2001 competition as Canadian commercial of the year. In terms of both ambition and execution, the three-spot campaign, consisting of ‘Dilemma,’ ‘Discovery’ and ‘Big Finish,’ represents a milestone in Canadian ad history.

The commercials, adding up to a four-and-a-half-minute narrative in the style of a 1950s musical, have already racked up craft awards in numerous ad competitions, and according to the Top Spots judges, could not be beat. The spots were directed by New York- and Toronto-based Floria Sigismondi of The Partners’ Film Company, with creative from Ammirati Puris, Toronto. The spots’ elaborate score, by Pirate Radio & Television’s Mark Hukezalie and Chris Tait, also captured the win in the music category.

Curiously, this year’s runner-up is also titled ‘Dilemma,’ but it is a very different spot in many ways. Plugging the new dual-sweep Panasonic vacuum cleaners, the ad features an engineer ordered to make his company’s vacuums better. Initially clueless, he begins to see the world in pairs – two janitors, a young couple, his twin daughters – which ultimately inspires the new design. As opposed to the slam-bang ‘puttin’ on a show’ sensibility of the Eatons’ spots, this ‘Dilemma’ is told almost entirely without dialogue.

Whereas the winning campaign was directed by the well-established Sigismondi, the Panasonic ad, with creative from Palmer Jarvis DDB, was helmed by first-year director Matt Eastman of Radke Films. It has been a remarkable year for Eastman, who was the winner of the 2001 Saatchi & Saatchi/Playback First Cut Award as Canada’s best new commercial director.

Toronto-based Radke, in collaboration with Montreal’s Voodoo Arts, also has the number four spot, ‘Sensitive Skin,’ directed by Phil Brown for client 7UP. The sexy ad, highlighted by slick camera and editing work, features a Beck wannabe apparently goosing a bevy of willing young females at a house party. We later learn that he is merely cooling the ladies down by placing a cold pop bottle on their exposed midsections.BBDO Montreal provided the spot’s creative.

Generator Films’ Zach Math has the rare distinction of placing two spots in the top 10: the riotous ‘Nerd Club’ (number seven), which he made for a dentist but which so effectively spoofed the film Fight Club that The Movie Network chose to run it as an ID; and the kitschy ‘Tiny Sparrow of Love’ (number eight), for client Sugar Mountain Confectionery Co. What makes Math’s accomplishment all the more impressive is that he is a rookie director. He was a runner-up to Eastman at First Cut, but finishes here with the highest grade in the director’s category.

The number three spot is ‘Umbrella,’ directed by Jean-Marc Piche of Montreal-based Cinelande for agency Young & Rubicam, Toronto and Montreal, and client Ford of Canada. Not your average car spot, the ad has some eye-popping and seamless visual transitions, contributing to Flashcut’s Chris Parkins’ win in the editing category.

Radke director/DOP Steve Gordon got top marks in the cinematography category for his dreamlike visuals in the PSA ‘It’s Only Natural’ for the Reach for the Rainbow organization and Toronto agency Wolf Group.

Last, but not least, Toronto’s Spin Productions won for F/X/animation for the third straight year, for the work of Hiep Pham on The Bay’s Fashion Cares spot ‘Fun with Fashion,’ directed by The Players Film Company’s Bradley Walsh for Toronto’s Wolf Group.

This year’s Top Spots were whittled down from 144 commercial submissions by the OTS staff, with the (much-appreciated) help of industry guest Steve Hillman of Toronto design and animation shop exhibita.

For a complete list of this year’s Top Spots, see page S-6.