The Film Grand Prix No Project Without Drama, from HeimatTBWA\ Berlin for long-running client Hornbach, transforms advertising into theatre with handcrafted sets and choreography that turn a leaky pipe into a "plumbing opera", says the awards.
Guido Heffels, Co-Founder and CCO of HeimatTBWA\, says, "This film was made from start to finish with bare hands, passion, and the best materials. That's HORNBACH in its purest form."
The second Film Grand Prix went to We Need to Talk About Eli, by Morgenstern for Maxbo in Norway. It portrays a little girl who's picked up some seriously bad language from Dad. The jury felt that it was pure entertainment, perfectly pitched, adds the awards.
Creative team Bjørnar Buxrud and Torkild Jarnholt say, "We are beyond proud to win the Epica Film Grand Prix for We Need to Talk About Eli. Recognition at this level from top industry journalists from around the world is a huge deal for a small independent ad agency like Morgenstern."
The Responsibility Grand Prix — celebrating work for good causes — was also awarded to two different projects. AXA — '3 Words' from Publicis Conseil in France takes victims of domestic violence into protection as part of a groundbreaking new insurance coverage, says the awards.
The AXA team at Publicis Conseil adds, "We are deeply honored to receive this Grand Prix. '3 Words' is more than a campaign, it is an initiative that engaged the entire company. AXA had to rethink the way it operates: while insurance contracts usually cover only named individuals and require proof of loss, this clause now protects the entire household, women and children, without requiring proof of domestic violence."
Meanwhile, Miniatur Warmland from Grabarz & Partner, for Deutsche Telecom, combined technology with the world's largest model railway, in Hamburg, to demonstate the potential impact of global warming to a young audience, adds the awards.
Ralf Heuel, CCO and Partner, at Grabarz & Partner, says, "Receiving an award from fellow creatives is already fantastic. But receiving a Grand Prix from journalists is in a completely different league. Together with our friends at Telekom and all our production partners, we are overjoyed about this Epica Grand Prix. Special thanks go to Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg for their cooperation and selfless and unconditional support. We could use all the help we can get to protect our small world from an impending catastrophe."
There was a first Epica Awards Grand Prix for South Korea, thanks to INNOCEAN, which won the Innovation prize for the film Night Fishing, shot entirely on the cameras of the Hyundai IONIQ car, says the awards.
Na Ri Moon, Creative Director, INNOCEAN Korea, says, "It is especially meaningful to us that the project was recognized by the press jury not merely as an advertisement, but as a new approach to storytelling and a bold technical experiment. This acknowledgment has given our team greater confidence and set a new benchmark for our future challenges."
The PR Grand Prix went to McCann Paris and L'Oréal Paris for 'The Final Copy of Ilon Specht'. At the campaign's core was a documentary about the copywriter behind the iconic line, "Because I'm worth it". But the agency used the film's launch on International Women's Day to provoke a far wider conversation about the ability of that single line to empower women and its importance in the battle for equality, adds the awards.
Charlotte Franceries, McCann Global Business Leader for L'Oréal and Ferrero, President of McCann Paris, says, "Winning the PR Grand Prix from a jury of journalists is an exceptional honor. We're proud that 'The Final Copy of Ilon Specht' was recognised as a meaningful PR platform for L'Oréal Paris. This win is shared with our team at McCann Paris."
The Print Grand Prix was awarded to the 'IKEA — Made For Life' campaign, from TRY in Norway. The classic and beautiful print ads link two different IKEA products with a line of touching or humorous narrative. They combine copywriting and art direction to sublime effect, says the awards.
Creative team Caroline Riis and Eirik Sørensen says, "It's such an honour to get the prestigious Grand Prix at Epica, and it means a lot that our campaign resonated so well outside little Norway as well."
This year there were no Design or Media Grand Prix, as the jury felt that the candidates had equal merit and decided not to single out an individual project. The Grand Prix debate took place in Paris. The President of the jury was Claire Bridges, Founder of the Now Go Create consultancy, who hosts a podcast of the same name and is the author of the book In Your Creative Element, adds the awards.
Commenting on the awards, she concludes, "Much of the Grand Prix work, from the digital condom to AXA's domestic violence lifeline, used creativity as a tool for solving problems and protecting people. Yet the tone of the two Film Grand Prix took a different route, celebrating imagination to cut through in 'dry' categories using storytelling. This contrast is what made the year so exciting: bold creative thinking that has the power to change a system, and the celebration of a thousand tiny craft decisions that come together to make us engage and care."
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*Image courtesy of contributor