Finalists announced for year’s best radio spots

The best radio ad of 2009 will be battled out between 26 ad agencies, radio stations and production studios as part of the national Siren Awards, which will be announced in Sydney next month.

The finalists include some of the best advertising agencies inAustralia including DDB; Clemenger BBDO; Leo Burnett; GPY&R, WhybinTBWA and JWT as well as agencies like 303 Advertising, The BrandAgency, and Marketforce in Perth; Eardrum Australia,  GorillaCommunications, RazorJunior, I.D.E.A.S and US in Sydney; and inMelbourne, Twenty20 and Marmalade.

Radio stations represented among the finalists include DMG Radio Australia in Melbourne and Austereo in Brisbane and Sydney.

A winner in each of the three categories: single, campaign and craft aswell as an overall winner who receives the Gold Siren, will beannounced at a breakfast on May 8 in Sydney. The winner is decided by apanel of industry experts, known as the Siren Creative Council. Thebreakfast will be hosted by Jonathan ‘Jono’ Coleman and Ian ‘Dano’Rogerson, from the drivetime show, ‘The Jono & Dano Show’, on-airon WS-FM (Sydney), GOLD 104 (Melbourne) and 4KQ (Brisbane), as well asmany regional stations across Australia.

The national Siren Awards, now in their sixth year, are run byCommercial Radio Australia and are designed to recognise the best radioadvertising in the country.  The 2009 Gold Siren winner will beautomatically entered into the Cannes Radio Lions – to be held in Juneand its writer will also win two tickets to attend the festival.

Last year’s Gold Siren winner, a spot for RACV Financial Servicescalled “Disclaimer”, written by Paul Reardon and Julian Schreiber fromClemenger BBDO in Melbourne, won a Silver Radio Lion at the 2008 CannesAdvertising Festival. The RACV ad was one of three 2008 Sirensfinalists and winners that made it to the radio shortlist in Canneslast year. Paul Reardon from Clemenger BBDO is this year’s Australianradio judge at Cannes.

Joan Warner, CEO of Commercial Radio Australia, said the Siren Awardsprovided a great opportunity to recognise excellence in Australianradio advertising and highlight the great work being achieved: “Eachyear the Siren Awards continue to raise the bar in terms of creativityand originality. There have been nearly 600 entries this year – afantastic result which shows how important this Award has become. Alsothe success of past winners and entrants at Cannes is testament to thefact that great work is being achieved with radio ads in Australia,” MsWarner said.

The breakfast will be followed by a one day seminar on how to write andproduce good radio ads, called “Getting radio off the Page”. Both theSirens breakfast and seminar will be held at Waters Edge, Sydney on May8. The breakfast will run from 7.30am to 9.30am and the Masterclasswill follow the breakfast and includes lunch. Tickets are on sale nowat $395 for the breakfast and Masterclass combined. Tickets for thebreakfast only are $65 and a table of ten is available for $595. For abooking form and more information visit the Sirens website.

To listen to the ads click here.

2009 Siren Award Finalists

SINGLE

303 Advertising, Perth, Richard Berney and Mark Fretten, IKEA, Mutant Bargains

303 Advertising, Perth, Richard Berney and Mark Fretten, IKEA, Return of the Mutant Bargains

303 Group, Perth, Dav Tabeshfar, IKEA, Not Funny

DDB, Sydney, Charlie Cook and Simon Johnson, NSW Police, Mugging

Eardrum, Sydney, Ralph van Dijk, Simon Hills-Johnes and Jon Williams, Ski NSW, Shut

Gorilla Communications, Sydney, Thomas Duncan-Watt, Viewsonic, Amazon

I.D.E.A.S Sydney, Max Landrak and Chris Mitchell, ABC Television, Substitutions

JWT, Sydney, Jason Ross, Ben O’Brien and Richard Apps, Tax Today, Spider

JWT, Sydney, Jason Ross, Ben O’Brien and Richard Apps, Tax Today, Chainsaw

Marketforce, Perth, Ryan Albuino and Andrew Chu, Lotterywest, More Words – Pilot

Marketforce, Perth, Ryan Albuino and Andrew Chu, Lotterywest, More Words – Weatherman

Marmalade, Melbourne, Neil Mallet, Vic Roads, 6 Foot Blonde

Marmalade, Melbourne, Neil Mallet, Vic Roads, Amun Ra

Twenty20, Melbourne, Matthew Ellis and Andrew Panozzo, Thirsty Camel, Drink and Dial

Whybin TBWA, Sydney, Steve Dodds, Adults Surviving Child Abuse, 21st Birthday

Whybin TBWA, Sydney, Steve Dodds, Adults Surviving Child Abuse, Birthday

CAMPAIGN

303 Advertising, Perth, Richard Berney and Mark Fretten, IKEA, Mutant Bargains Campaign

Clemenger BBDO, Sydney, Michael Dawson and Chris Berents, Thredbo, Thredbo Summer Campaign

DDB, Melbourne, Jim McKeown, UBD Street Directory, UBD Traffic Chopper

Eardrum, Sydney, Ralph van Dijk, Commercial Radio Australia, Small Market/Professor/Small Market Support

Eardrum, Sydney, Ralph van Dijk, Simon Hills-Johnes and Josh Robertson, Commercial Radio Australia, Economically Sound

Eardrum, Sydney, Ralph van Dijk, Simon Hills-Johnes and Josh Robertson, 13 TAXI, Duh

GPY&R, Melbourne, Simon Bagnasco, Intralot, Luck Factory Radio Brand Campaign

JWT, Melbourne, Carly Williams and James Orr, Ford, Never Leave

JWT, Sydney, Jason Ross, Ben O’Brien and Richard Apps, Tax Today, Tax Today Campaign

Leo Burnett, Melbourne, Eamon Dixon, British Paints, Pub/Cricket/Strip Club

Marketforce, Perth, Ryan Albuino and Andrew Chu, Lotterywest, More Words

RazorJunior, Sydney, Josh Moore and Nigel Clark, Animal Australia, Animals Australia Campaign

The Brand Agency, Perth, Kurt Beaudoin and Josh Edge, Perth Zoo, Find Your Animal

US, Sydney, Josh Moore, David Roberts, Danny Wehbe and Tim Chenery, Luxbet, Expert Advice

US, Sydney, Josh Moore, David Roberts, Nigel Clark and Danny Wehbe, Hachette, Short Stories

Whybin TBWA, Sydney, Steve Dodds, Adults Surviving Child Abuse, ASCA Radio Campaign

CRAFT

Austereo, Brisbane, Cameron Heit, Geoff Esdaile, My Fun, Roller Coaster

Austereo, Sydney, Glen Styles, Kade Robinson, International Sports Clothing, My Conscious

Best FX, Adelaide, Pete Best, Greg Knagge (Clemenger BBDO, Adelaide), Motor Accident Commission, Creepers

Best FX, Adelaide, Pete Best and Scott Illingworth, Sip ‘n Save, The Wrong Beer

Best FX, Adelaide, Pete Best and Scott Illingworth, Sip ‘n Save, Thirsty

Best FX, Adelaide, Pete Best, Sip ‘n Save, Empty Fridge

Brainestorm, Perth, Marty Braine, Murray Laird (Marketforce, Perth), Scitech, Scitech Plane

DMG Radio Australia, Melbourne, David H
inchey, Paul Varrasso, Paintball Games, Paintball – Bring Out Your Wicked Side

Eardrum, Sydney, Scott Collins, Ralph van Dijk, Perth Zoo, Small Clawed Otter

Macquarie Southern Cross Media – HotFM/RadioWest, Perth, Jerimiah Busniak, Tristan Ozinga and Karina Bradley, Street Art Wheels

Risk Sound, Melbourne, James Ashton, Peter Murphy (OMG Advertising, Melbourne), Epworth Foundation, Flying Knee

Soundbite, Perth, Brad Habib, Paul Coghlan (Meerkats, Perth), Murdoch University, Voice Journey

The Cutting Edge, Brisbane, Ross Batten, Dale Simmonds, Craig Buchananand Kurt Beaudoin (The Brand Agency, Perth), RAC Insurance, Everything

Whybin TBWA, Sydney, Beau Silvester, Garry Horner and Matt Kemsley, Adults Surviving Child Abuse, Birthday

Whybin TBWA, Sydney, Beau Silvester, Garry Horner and Matt Kemsley, Adults Surviving Child Abuse, Rugby