Prepared to win or lose but network at all costs, the well-coiffed, bright-eyed denizens of the advertising and commercial production community straggled en masse into the Sheraton Centre Thursday, May 2, for the 36th annual Bessie Awards.

As per usual at the yearly event toasting the finest ad creative in Canada, the caffeine-deprived herds made their way to the java machines first before settling in to watch the Kodak International Showcase reel of top spots from around the world.

Drinks and an hour of meet-and-greet followed before the scuttle to tables for lunch, guest speaker Bob Garfield, and the announcements of who made the cut of the best creative north of the 49th this year. The event is sponsored by the Television Bureau of Canada and the Broadcast Executives Society.

Exit banks and automobiles, last year’s big category sweeps. Enter women’s undies and pizza with an identity crisis, courtesy of two brilliant campaigns for Fruit of the Loom and Pillsbury Pizza Pops through Leo Burnett, both of which took top honors in the campaign categories and individual spots.

Much well-deserved grinning was to be had amongst the creatives-that-be at Burnett, which helmed the Campaign First and Third winners. ‘Clothesline,’ the three-spot pool for client Fruit of the Loom which dragged the women’s underwear category above the clutter, took first place with ‘Stuck,’ ‘Ex-boyfriends’ and ‘Our body.’ Also to Burnett’s credit went the Campaign Third, ‘More Stuff,’ a three-pack of ‘Baseball,’ ‘Burp’ and ‘Fork’ promoting Pillsbury Pizza Pops for client Pillsbury Canada.

Ammirati & Puris/Lintas cashed in on the clearly Canadian dialogue and beautiful production values of its latest pitch for Labatt Blue, the ‘Francois and Jacques’ pool of ‘Canoe,’ ‘Prairie Portage’ and ‘Niagara’ for client Labatt Breweries of Canada, which took home the Campaign Second.

MacLaren McCann’s body of eye-grabbing work for General Motors made its first appearance in the individual spots, with ‘Duel,’ the tale of a calculating pigeon and a car with lightning quick handling capacity, taking home the Gold Bessie.

While few hear it without visions of Michael Madsen and a razor blade, Leo Burnett’s funky adaptation of Stuck in the Middle with You took on a whole new meaning for client Fruit of the Loom, an effort yielding the Silver Bessie for ‘Stuck,’ directed by Ron Baxter Smith.

Leo Burnett also went home packing the Bronze Bessie for ‘Burp,’ the Philip Kates-directed 30 for Pillsbury Pizza Pops.

Sweeps were the order of the day in the big-budget categories, with bbdo’s pool for Polaroid Canada, already a pack of Marketing Awards in hand, taking the entire Appliance and Home Entertainment category with a gold for ‘Fishing,’ silver for ‘Puppies’ and bronze for ‘Stereo’ along with craft awards for art direction to Jamie Way (now with MacLaren McCann) for all three spots. Chris Stone Audio also took a craft award for music in ‘Fishing.’

MacLaren McCann’s campaign for gm was robbed of a sweep in the automotive category by bbdo’s 45 seconds for Chrysler Canada, ‘Snowball,’ which took the silver along with a craft award for direction for Imported Artists’ Richard D’Alessio.

But ‘Duel’ drew the category gold as well as a craft award for sound design for the Einstein Brothers and MM2’s ‘Design Team,’ directed by Jolly Rogers’ Steve Chase took the bronze.

The four automotive merit winners – all through MacLaren McCann for gm – yielded more than their share of crafts winners. The inspired cinematography of ‘Wildflowers’ earned dop Robert Gordon the cinematography award. Einstein Bros. did themselves proud with craft awards for music for both ‘Wildflowers’ and ‘Tried, Tested and True.’

In the alcoholic beverages category, Ammirati & Puris/Lintas came up aces for Labatt Breweries of Canada, scoring gold with ‘Kelly’ and her Labatt Genuine Draft directed by Dale Heslip at Partners,’ and bronze for Francois and Jacques and their ‘this great country’ ruminations in ‘Canoe’ for Labatt Blue directed by David Wellington.

MacLaren McCann’s signature ‘I Am’ campaign for Molson Canadian ranked silver for ‘Classic,’ directed by SPY Films’ Pete Henderson and picked up a merit for ‘Be Yourself.’

The alcoholic bevies category too took a host of craft awards, including Isabelle Gilles for performance in ‘Kelly.’ ‘Classic’ yielded an editing prize to Third Floor Editing’s Gillian McCarthy and a music craft to Einstein Bros. ‘Night Life’ for Labatt Ice through Ammirati & Puris/Lintas picked up a craft award for music for Rosnick MacKinnon. Vickers & Benson’s ‘Desk’ for Molson Special Dry scored a merit and a special effects craft award for Laird McMurray Services and Spin Productions.

Besides spots and campaigns, three individuals were honored for their outstanding contributions to the industry. Veteran freelance producer Elaine Miike accepted the Fritz Spiess Award, given each year to one working in the advertising business who has made a lifetime contribution to the industry. Miike, the second woman to ever receive the award (won in 1990 by Lesley Parrott), joins an exclusive alumni including, from the production side, Bob Fortier (1992), Bill Gimmi (1988), George Morita (1987), George Pastic (1986), Larry Trudel (1984), Don McLean (1983), Ben McPeek (1981), Bill Irish (1980) and Fritz Spiess (1979).

The Bob Mann Post Production Award went to Daily Post founder Archie Van Dyke, who this year marks his 36th year in the editing business. The Bob Mann Award, established in 1992 by Command Post and Transfer and The Partners’ Film Company, honors a member of the post community who reflects many of the same qualities the late Bob Mann brought to his career. Previous winners include Al Lindsay (1995), Ross Briggs (1994), Ernie McAdam and Mike Smith (1993), and Bob Mann (1992).

The Kari Award for performance went to the actor those on the East Coast know best as ‘Snook,’ aka Pete Soucy, once a regular feature on the Newfoundland 6 p.m. newscast where he espoused his sometimes lewd but always sharp views on politics, religion and life in general between drags on a ciggie. Long a fixture in the St. John’s theater community, Soucy takes home the Kari for his work in spots for Newfoundland Telephone through Bristol Communications in Newfoundland.

Falling into the up-and-coming category, Bill Mallory, creative director on ‘College Experience’ through Mount Royal College, took home first in the competition for the Jeffrey Reneau Award for spots created and produced by students. Ryerson Polytechnic University’s Stacey DeWolfe followed in second as the creative on ‘A Beer is Not a Beer,’ and Ian Harvey placed third with ‘Consumers Gas – Date’ through the film and television program at Humber College.

Another year, another Bessies, wrapping as per usual with the long, slow walk to the Water Garden Courtyard, champagne, and the last official grip-and-grin of the day. The repositioning of the traditional Long Bar, now off-track betting only, sent pods of winners and losers scurrying to their own corners of the city to celebrate or salve wounds at the end of the annual festivities, a showcase of the finest of this year’s homegrown advertising.