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National Australia Bank Takes Top Honours At Cannes PR Lions

Asia Pacific, EMEA, Global, North America

Arun Sudhaman 21 Jun 2011

CANNES--A campaign that saw Australia’s biggest bank “break up” with the poorly-regarded financial industry has won the Grand Prix at the third edition of the Cannes PR Lions.

The National Australia Bank (NAB) programme, created by ad agency Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, began with a fake accidental tweet, and included a variety of components that aimed to distance the bank from its rivals.

Jury president Dave Senay, CEO of Fleishman-Hillard, pointed out that the campaign was based on the “single, compelling insight” that people “consider all banks the same” following the global financial crisis.

“Based on that insight came a very creative idea,” said Senay. “If you think we are together, then why don’t we stage a public break-up? Underlying all of this was using this massive force of negativity about banking against your competition.”

Senay called the approach “conceptual jujitsu”, allowing NAB to hone its positioning while “depositioning its competition”. He also praised its integrated use of social media, and other paid, owned and earned channels.

The Australia entry topped a list of Lions winners that, for the third year, remains dominated by advertising agencies. Of the 10 gold Lions, just two came from PR firms: London’s PLMR for a public affairs campaign on behalf of Durand Academy; and perennial contender Prime PR, for an Electrolux programme in Sweden.

Four PR firms won silver Lions: Hill & Knowlton Warsaw for Gedeon Richter Marketing; OneVoice London for Philips; Burson-Marsteller London for the Royal British Legion’s 2010 Poppy Appeal; and, Brazil’s FSB for a Rio De Janeiro state government campaign.

A total of 39 lions were handed out, down from 44 last year.

In response to a question about the preponderance of successful ad agencies, Senay said that “creativity in PR doesn’t have an address.”

“We’re in an era where the labels matter less and less,” said Senay. “Especially when we have this mashup of channels and disciplines.”

Senay expressed disappointment with the quality of entries in the corporate categories, and also pointed out that the PR industry is “doing fabulous work in the area of marketing.”

“The industry is still at a nascent stage in competing at a global level with organisations that make a living doing this, and I think we have a lot to learn.”

Category : Consumer

Tags : Awards, Cannes Lions

Comments

Arun Sudhaman- 6/22/2011 9:56:51 AM

Dave, thanks for your comment. I'm not sure reporters are 'ignoring' the integrated nature of this campaign. It is pretty clear the campaign demonstrates awesome integration. Rather that the campaign, according, to the entry details, originated from Clemenger BBDO (rather than Clemenger Group) - a firm that is described as an advertising agency on its own website, and is better known for its advertising output than its PR work.? It is also worth noting that our decision to report which types of firms won which awards is simply reflective of the fact that this is the exact information our readers want. ?Actually, I think the broader point, and one which is of some concern, is that integrated efforts led by PR firms are not winning (in any categories) to the same extent as ad agencies. I agree that, for the client, it really doesn't matter where the idea comes from. But I think it would be nice to see PR firms leading integration, as we know they can and do. And not for purely selfish reasons. But because I think PR firms have a unique ability to drive discipline-neutral programmes that are culturally complex. ??The issue, as you say, is that this evidence - at Cannes at least - is in short supply. And to remedy that, the industry can only make more effort to showcase its best work at Cannes.

Dave Senay- 6/22/2011 9:26:20 AM

Good job on the Cannes story. But I think before we lose our blob entirely on the “advertising vs. PR” thing, I’d like to make a few points. Let’s start with BBDO Clemenger, the “winner” of the Grand Prix for the “Breakup” program. Have a look at this company. A close look. You’ll find that it lists itself as having ad agencies (10 of them), CRM agencies (7 of them), media agencies (6 of them), specialized services (11 of these), and “consulting” (5 of these and all PR agencies, two with Porter-Novelli brands.) So what’s the point of this pedantic breakdown of this agency structure? The point is that Cannes only allows one agency to be the author of an entry. In this case, the mother entity is BBDO-Clemenger (BBDO owns 73.67%, the employees the remainder.) The Grand Prix entry, “Breakup” was a masterpiece of integrated communications. As one industry sage once put it to me when I mentioned integration as a necessity nowadays, he said, “Well, why wouldn’t you integrate? That seems pretty basic.” Indeed it is. And here we have a combined effort that no doubt included PR in the mix, if not at the center, and because of an entry technicality, this is being reported as “an ad agency win.” I have no doubt this is not an isolated case and that PR firms are playing key roles in many of these wins. So c’mon everyone. Take a deep, cleansing breath. The real pity is not only that PR was critical to this effort and ignored by reporters led astray by a technicality and our industry’s inherent inferiority complex and paranoia. No, it is that we were so weakly represented (as you reported) in the core areas where PR can dominate, and where other disciplines play supporting roles, like public affairs, crisis, internal comms, even healthcare and environmental! On the marketing side, we are, despite the shrill commentary to the contrary, integrating very well. Sometimes we lead the orchestra. Sometimes we only play the tuba. Have a look at the “Vac from the Sea” or “Durand” case histories from Cannes if you’d like to see PR holding the baton. My view: Cannes is not going away. PR needs to start showing up, and showing up BIG in its legacy areas of strength, while not shrinking from its role as an integrated partner elsewhere. We ignore Cannes at our peril. We cannot isolate ourselves in some pity party while the world moves on. For my part, I’m going to lobby Cannes to allow multiple “authors” of entries. Going “single” is contrary to the obvious trends, contrary to what our clients want, and contrary to what is really happening. We could take the feathers off this canard with one reasonable adjustment in the rules. And based on my conversation, I’ve got the support of at least one heavy-hitting consumer products CMO to back me up. More later. Warm regards from Cannes. Dave Senay