Best + Worst Fair Go Awards finalists revealed

Thefinalists in the New Zealand Fair Go Ad Awards have been announced just ahead ofthe top rating programme going to air. Almost 750,000 people watchedthe show last year making it the second highest rating programme of2008 just behind Dancing with the Stars.  

“Theresponse we’ve had from viewers on our message board, webpage andFacebook site shows that interest is high and people really enjoytalking about what they love and hate on the box, so we thought we’dcontinue the conversation by revealing who is in the running to win theBest and Worst Ads tonight”, says Fair Go Editor, Graeme Muir.  

Fair Go believes the downsizing of marketing budgets has had asurprisingly positive affect on the ads this year. Says Muir:”Necessity really has been the mother of invention here, the finalistsin the Best Ad category are really innovative and funny it seems thatwe’ve lost our cultural cringe and found our sense of humour. TheCadbury “Eyebrow” Ad makes it into the best and worst categories. It’snot unusual to have a nomination in both and just demonstrates howpolarising the ad is.”  

The Fair Go Ad Awardsscreen from 7:30pm on TV ONE tonight (Wednesday 30th September). Thisyear the show also features an advertising retrospective – a look backat the marketing of some iconic NZ brands plus the making of 2 Degreesand the Mitre 10 ads.  Fair Go also play the best jingles as sung byviewers and announce the winners of the Student Ad Awards. 

SaysMuir: “As for the big awards, all I can say is there’s a clear winnerin the Best category and it was the closest run race in years in theWorst, it literally came down to a handful of votes”.   

FIVE FINALISTS FOR BEST AD:  

TOYOTA – SNOWBOARDING (Saatchi& Saatchi, Auckland). Snowboarding taps into Toyota’s marketing phrase thatwe believe anything is possible. This ad’s central conceit is that ayoung guy breaks into Snowplanet each night to practise hissnowboarding to impress a girl who works there; he’s hopeless. But byad’s end he makes it to the bottom and gets the girl.  

MITRE 10 – LITTLE BOYS DIY (DraftFCB, Auckland)Kids in the playground, talking in adult-speak, about getting togetherat the weekend to help one of them with his DIY job. It sounds like aconversation had by many a DIY’er in pubs up and down the country andseeks to reinforce Mitre 10’s catchphrase that “DIY’s in our DNA.” Italso has a poke at our Trans Tasman neighbours.                                    

INSTANT KIWI – MEXICAN DOUG (DDB Auckland)It seems many don’t know what product this ad promotes, but its line(in a Mexican accent)”get a perm” has entered the Kiwi vernacular. Itseems to be encouraging people to listen to the wild voice inside them,”live a little” and buy an Instant Kiwi.

2 DEGREES (TBWA\Whybin, Auckland)This ad, and its variants, launched the new mobile phone network 2Degrees. It stars comedian Rhys Darby from Flight of the Conchords andplays on the premise that everyone in NZ is linked, not by six degreesof separation, only by two.

CADBURY – MOVING EYEBROWS (Fallon,London) The kids with contorting eyebrows certainly provoke reaction -it’s hilarious or intensely annoying. These ads are made in Britain andhave global appeal but ultimately appear to say nothing aboutchocolate.   

FIVE FINALISTS FOR WORST AD:  

THIN LIZZY An advertising jingle that sings as it sells make-up you brush on that covers all.  TELECOM XT – RICHARD HAMMOND The big campaign that kicked off Telecom’s new digital mobile network  

CADBURY – MOVING EYEBROWS See above  

SENSODYNE – JELLY FISH The swimmer struck down by tooth pain in the pool  

TOWER INSURANCE – DISHWASHER DRAMA The ad that shows men can load dishwashers and women can be grateful for that.