Adidas And All Blacks Storm The Stage

NEWS RELEASE:

Adidas And All Blacks Storm The Stage To Pick Up World's Best Advertising Award

Local advertising agency TBWA\Whybin's 'Bonded By Blood' campaign ensures All Blacks creativity is acknowledged both on and off the field

Wednesday, 20 June 2007: The most important international festival in the advertising world has deemed a local campaign for the All Blacks Principle Partner adidas (by TBWA\Whybin) worthy of the best prize on offer - a Promo Grand Prix.

The International Advertising Festival in France - Cannes Lions - is the largest gathering of worldwide advertising professionals and advertisers as well as the most prestigious annual advertising awards.

The 'Bonded by Blood' campaign involved the All Blacks contributing their own DNA (in the form of sterilised blood) which was then infused into the ink used to produce limited edition All Blacks posters.

These posters were numbered with certificates of authentication and were only available to those who bought adidas All Blacks jerseys.

Developed by TBWA\Whybin's Creative Director, Andy Blood, and Head of Art, Guy Roberts, the creative concept of taking All Blacks DNA and infusing it into the All Blacks brand was lauded by Cannes judges as 'a strong, simple, brilliant reflection of the idea behind the brand.'

Over 25,000 ads from all over the world are showcased and judged at the Festival. Winning companies receive the highly coveted Lion trophy, honouring the most creative TV/cinema, print, outdoor, interactive, radio, sales promotion, integrated advertising as well as the best media and direct marketing solutions.

David Walden, CEO of TBWA\Whybin, says the award reflects well not only on adidas, the All Blacks and TBWA\Whybin but on the New Zealand creative community as a whole.

"We are first and foremost an ideas company and we are constantly striving to create compelling communications for our clients. To receive an accolade such as this one - arguably the biggest trophy on the international advertising awards stage - confirms the value of our approach," he says.

Each year over 10,000 visitors from the advertising and allied industries attend Cannes to celebrate the best of creativity across the entire media mix, discuss industry issues and network with one another.

Andy Blood, CD at TBWA\Whybin, says the win positions the agency at the forefront of the global creative community. Not only has the campaign scooped the pools internationally, it also triumphed recently on New Zealand soil, picking up the top award of Chairman's Best in Show at the 2007 CAANZ AXIS awards

"It doesn't get much better than this in terms of creative kudos and is testimony to the great work of our entire agency and the forward thinking and collaborative client we have in adidas," he says.

adidas New Zealand Marketing Manager, Craig Waugh says claiming the Grand Prix award last night was a great honour for adidas and a reflection of the hard work TBWA\WHYBIN does for the adidas and All Blacks brands.

"To be recognised as creating the world's best promotional idea in 2006 for Bonded By Blood is an amazing achievement in itself," Craig says.

"The award comes on top of multiple international and local accolades that TBWA\WHYBIN has achieved for adidas New Zealand, including the 2005 Grand Prix for the 'Be the Ball' campaign, demonstrating the fantastic work the agency has done for the brand.

"TBWA\Whybin's campaigns not only help us to sell product, they have also built great brand equity across multiple areas of the adidas business."

New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) Commercial Manager, Fraser Holland, says the All Blacks and the NZRU were equally proud of the campaign, which connected the All Blacks with their fans.

"Bonded By Blood was a unique campaign for the All Blacks, and created a real point of difference for our national team," Fraser says.

"The campaign really connected the team with their fans by giving them their own piece of the All Blacks. It's great to see it take out the Grand Prix."

TBWA\Whybin also picked up a bronze in the Direct category and a Gold in the Promo category for its work for PAGO, an innovative mobile-to-mobile payment service launched last year.

ENDS

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