TBWA\RAAD wins at Cannes Advertising Festival

Over 22,000 of the most creative advertising campaigns from across the world were showcased and judged at this year's Cannes Lions Festival.

The winning campaign for Nivea Hansaplast titled "Healed" included a series of print ads illustrating the plaster's instant healing properties.

Speaking from Cannes, Reda Raad, Group Managing Director of TBWA\RAAD, commented:

"The Middle East region has just added to its Cannes medal haul another trophy, and it's testament to the wonderful creative culture that we fostering at TBWA\RAAD and across our 14 agenciesin the Mena region."

Creating a first for the Saudi Arabian advertising industry at Cannes as well, TBWA\RAAD\SAUDI ARABIA received the first-ever creative recognition on behalf of their client Masa (pest control).

Complementing the Cannes-Lions awards, TBWA\RAAD also received the "World Gold Medal" for its self-promotional work "2009 Holiday Card" campaign in the direct mail category, and a "Bronze World Medal" for the "Deadly Distractions" Arabian Automobiles campaign in the radio ad category at the 2009 New York Advertising Festival staged recently.

The "2009 Holiday Card" objective was to transform approximately 500 old greeting cards, including weddings, housewarmings, new baby wishes, proclamations of love, 'Get well soon' and anniversary cards from throughout the year—using sharpies and colored pens—into new year's cards, in observation of the Agency's initiative to cut costs in the light of the global economic meltdown.

The results were a humorous, creative and successful campaign idea that resonated well with the gloomy economic situation at the end of 2008. Upon receiving one of these recycled cards Media Week Magazine editors commented, "Of all the fancy industry holiday cards we received this year, the most inspired was the one we got from TBWA/RAAD - a 'Congratulations-on-your-new-baby' card with words crossed out and others added in. It was signed "Here's to better economic times in 2009", - very inexpensive and funny!"

The "Deadly Distractions" campaign was a series of three radio ads titled, "The Blood Thirsty Sandwich", "The Malicious Phone", and "The Sadistic Cigarette". Targeting drivers in the UAE the campaign brought awareness to the three main activities likely to distract drivers, and for which are some of the major causes of accidents in Dubai.