On Tuesday October 22nd the Immortal Awards Netherlands jury gathered to discuss which pieces of work stood a chance of being deemed 鈥業mmortal鈥. The jury selected four pieces of work to be elevated to Dutch Finalist status, qualifying for the European regional round of judging.
The Netherlands jury room was made up of Gijs Determeijer, head of commercials, 100%; Niels de Wit, executive creative director, Monks Netherlands & Benelux; Nick Docherty, chief strategy officer, Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam; Ignacio "Nacho" Ferioli, chief creative officer Europe, GUT; Anne Fleming, creative director, 180 Amsterdam; Jo茫o In谩cio, creative director, DEPT Agency; Gijs Sluijters, creative director, Dentsu Creative Amsterdam; and Hannah Sterke, creative director, TBWA\NEBOKO.
As deliberations proceeded, the four projects that emerged as finalists were: DEGIRO - Pink Chip; KPN - A Piece of Me; Nike - Watch Where We're Going; and Patta, FC Barcelona, Nike - Culers del Mon. The discussion flowered with colourful debate, exploring the value of purpose driven creative that matches impact, impeccable craft, and the power words can yield when copy is honed to perfection. See what the judges had to say about each project below.
Patta, FC Barcelona, Nike - Culers del Mon (submitted by 100%)
Niels de Wit said: 鈥淲hen it first came out, it really grabbed me; it made me feel everything it wanted me to feel. I think it transcends just having a film with a good idea and a powerful slogan. It adds to the sneaker-wear and streetwear culture, and that鈥檚 what I love about it. It鈥檚 totally in the zeitgeist of their target audience and I love the craft. I was proud to find out that it was shot by a Dutch production company and director.
Gijs Sluijters added: 鈥淚 think people will remember it for years to come because of how powerfully it has been made. I think the Barcelona song is powerful鈥 But it鈥檚 also a great visual representation of the song. It鈥檚 actually an ode to the song that was already there. It was great that such a crafty level of execution came out of the Netherlands.鈥
Nike - Watch Where We're Going (submitted by 100%)
Ignacio 鈥楴acho鈥 Ferioli said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very powerful story. In the spot, they are portraying that sometimes sport is the only shelter. And that kills me. It鈥檚 so powerful. The copywriting is also amazing. The craft of the compelling copywriting coupled with the powerful story are the two things that made me want to highlight this work.鈥
Anne Fleming added: 鈥淭he sentence 鈥榃here do you come from?鈥 can carry a lot of pain and be difficult for people to deal with. I鈥檝e never seen such an apt, nice response to it. The copy turns it into 鈥榃atch Where I鈥檓 Going鈥. I felt that was such a nice flip on something that can be quite damaging. Particularly for refugee athletes, it was a really great insight into the world they live in, the kind of comments they get thrown at them, and turning it into an inspiring message.鈥
KPN - A Piece of Me (submitted by Dentsu Creative Amsterdam & Amp.Amsterdam // The Sonic Branding Company)
Niels de Wit said: 鈥淚t makes me proud that I鈥檓 in advertising. It does something that goes above and beyond to educate an audience. Sometimes you just make work that transcends your everyday job, and that鈥檚 what this does. It鈥檚 the thing you go into advertising for. I think this is work that you鈥檒l remember in five years.鈥
Anne Fleming added: 鈥淚 felt the creative idea of hijacking the genre of heartbreak songs to ask, 鈥榃hat does modern heartbreak look like today?鈥. It鈥檚 definitely not him breaking up with you. I felt it was an incredibly powerful message to put out in the perfect medium. The fact they had spoken to real victims really brings it up another level for me 鈥 it isn't just creativity unleashed, it is retelling someone's story in the most effective way possible.鈥
Nick Docherty noted: 鈥淲hat I love is that it鈥檚 not just highlighting a problem, but offering a solution. Yes, it鈥檚 an emotionally charged piece of film, but it鈥檚 clearly targeted at young men, and it gives them a solution to the thing some of them are generating. There鈥檚 some behavioural psychology behind it too, which I think elevates it.鈥
DEGIRO - Pink Chip (submitted by AKQA Amsterdam)
Hannah Sterke said: 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 great when an idea can also be a solution. So it鈥檚 not only about raising awareness about investing in female companies, but also has the facts to back it up and package that within the idea. So the medium was basically the message and I thought that was very powerful and well executed.鈥
Jo茫o In谩cio added: 鈥淲e all know this is a problem. White men in very important places aren鈥檛 trusting women with a lot of responsibility. That鈥檚 already the problem they are trying to solve. So it鈥檚 a big task but the way they do it is very efficient because it鈥檚 about business. That's what sells it really well for me. It solves a problem and faces it with numbers. It does transcend advertising for me, because it makes them think about investing in a different way.鈥
Thanks to our wonderful Immortal Awards partners
JSM Music
ARC Edit | Bear Meets Eagle on Fire
Boomtown Productions | Our Lego Agency | Park Pictures
The Lift | The Sweetshop Films | Whitehouse Post
86Tales | Banjoman | Brill Building | Chelsea Pictures
Company 3 | Framestore | Screen Scene | Zulu Alpha Kilo
Fin Design & Effects | Gramercy Park Studios
Kruger | Ridley Scott Associates | UNIT