Inside the Jury Room: Why Our US Jury Sent 11 Projects Through to the Final Stage
Last month, a jury of creative heavyweights were handed a weighty task: To whittle down a list of the best creativity from across the USA to represent the nation at the North American stage of Immortal Awards judging.
Hosted at Whitehouse Post and in partnership with Chelsea Pictures, the decision-makers landed on 11 projects to compete at the regional judging stage after some careful and combative deliberation.
Those 11 campaigns include some lauded for their visual style, some for finding ways to connect with new audiences, and others for sheer storytelling delight. In no particular order, the full jury was comprised of Rosie Bardales (VML New York), Heidi Black (Whitehouse Post), Warren Marenco Chase (Copper Giants), Islam ElDessouky (Coca Cola), Pum Lefebure (Design Army), Sergio Lopez (Omnicom Production), Lisa Mehling (Chelsea Pictures), Juan Javier Peña (GUT) Joel Simon (JSM Music), and Pelle Sjoenell, (Droga5).
And the brands included in the 11 chosen projects range from global giants like Apple and Dove, to a Staten Island-based realtor. So without further ado, here’s what our experts made of the work…
AICP - Museum-Worthy (submitted by BBDO New York, Cutters Studios and O Positive)
Kicking things off is a darkly comic ad that may hit somewhere close to home for anyone in a creative role. “All aspects of this work are perfection - writing, casting, direction, and editorial”, said Joel Simon. “For an awards show to create a film to call for entries illustrating that the client wants revisions from Van Gogh's to Frida Kahlo’s work is both hilarious and honest.”
The result is a portrait of professional frustration that resonates with anyone who’s been caught in a feedback chain. “Ironically, the one thing that doesn’t need revisions is this film itself,” concluded Joel.
Apple - Privacy Flock (submitted by Parliament)
Forty years ago, Apple aped George Orwell’s 1984 in one of the most iconic ads of all time. But in 2024, many of us are more concerned about our phones watching us than we are of Big Brother. This ingenious ad took on the theme of surveillance head-first, and our jury loved it.
“It’s a masterpiece in filmmaking, editing, sound design, and music,” commented Warren Marenco Chase. “An idea inspired by a unique product truth; this is storytelling at its finest.”
Apple - Fuzzy Feelings (submitted by TBWA\ Media Arts Lab Los Angeles)
When told in new ways, classic holiday stories can leave you feeling as fuzzy as you did watching Christmas films as a kid. This effort for Apple left our jury in awe at the film craft and storytelling in equal measure.
“Everyone was blown away by the stop motion craft in this heartfelt spot,” noted Heidi Black. “The attention to detail was really impressive, and we loved how creatively this classic holiday message was told.”
“The emotion the artists and director were able to bring to their animated characters was really outstanding,” added Lisa Mehling. “The jury really responded to the story – the holidays remind us to look outside ourselves to experience the meaning of Christmas – which is pretty timeless and they did it well. But the kicker was the main character in the live-action story used her iPhone to create her animated film – and in animating her boss’ life she in turn became empathetic.”
To top it all off, the film fits naturally into Apple’s pre-existing tone and brand identity – a fact that didn’t escape our jurors. “It was a way to conceptually bring the ‘Shot on iPhone’ platform to life in a way that lands the ‘making of’ product demo aspect of Apple’s marketing as an integral part of the story”, observed Juan Javier Pena. “It has product and heart at its core.”
Coca-Cola - Thanks for Coke-Creating (submitted by VML)
‘Bravery’ is a word you’ll hear a lot in creative conversations – but a campaign that sees one of the world’s most recognisable brands opening up its iconography to grassroots creators the world over truly walks that walk.
“Playing with the world’s most iconic brand to make it local is both bold and innovative,” said Pelle Sjoenell. “Allowing local businesses to adapt its famously strict brand guidelines showcases Coca-Cola’s humanity and bravery. This key moment in the brand’s history doesn’t weaken its identity — it strengthens it. That’s where its Immortal potential lies.”
Coca-Cola - The Santa Stories (submitted by PRETTYBIRD US)
There’s more to the holiday season than well-decorated trees and jingle bells, as two cuddly pieces of creative from Coca-Cola underline. After all, if Colm Meaney’s brilliantly dour character can find the festive spirit within his heart in this branded short, then there truly is hope for all of us.
“These were very engaging from a pure entertainment standpoint, very well made and theatrical,” noted Heidi Black. “A continuation of Coke owning the Christmas space with a deft integration of product placement,”
“With these two films, the NA region flaunts its capabilities for filmmaking,” added Lisa Mehling. “The ambition of Coke and the caliber of these films shows the vast potential brands have in tapping filmmakers to engage their audience. The Jury regarded the two films for staying true to the integrity of entertainment and storytelling while weaving the Coke ethos into the story without overt branding.”
Dove - The Code (submitted by Cut+Run US)
We’re entering an era where artificial intelligence is helping many brands refine their communications and redefine their branding. That’s true of this campaign for Dove, too - just not in the way you might expect. Flipping the AI narrative around to something that’s unabashedly human-centric was a huge plus point for our jurors.
“In a world where most brands are trying to find unique and innovative ways to use AI to build narratives, Dove used it as the ultimate test to show the power of their ‘Real Beauty’ platform,” explained Juan Javier Pena. “Exposing a bias that AI can have, and opening up a bigger conversation around how it gets trained.”
DoorDash - DoorDash-All-the-Ads (submitted by Wieden+Kennedy Portland)
If you thought there were no more ways to do a truly original Super Bowl ad, you thought wrong. This effort for DoorDash had millions of us frantically hitting the pause button to note down a comically long code that appeared on-screen, all in the hope of DoorDashing every single ad from the Big Game.
“I am a big fan of the DoorDash work because of the way they hacked into Super Bowl without having to resort into big traditional television ads with celebrities,” explained Sergio Lopez. “It represented what modern creative content experiences should feel like. The idea is very much based on the product, it drives attention, it’s fun and it embraces how people connect with it.”
“It’s such a fresh and bold concept,” added Lisa Mehling. “The Jury was pretty unified in recognizing Door Dash: strong concept and a smart execution that tapped the real time attention of the Super Bowl audience while staying true to the brand's core business.”
“DoorDash made the biggest advertising moment even bigger,” posited Pelle Sjoenell. “Solving for their brand, all brands, and the audience, they redefined relevance. Its Immortal potential lies in thinking bigger than itself, making their product relevant to all products, and creating a potentially defining moment in creativity.”
Dramamine - The Last Barf Bag (submitted by FCB Chicago)
Spare a thought for barf bags – said no one ever. No one, that is, aside from the team at FCB Chicago. This delightful campaign had viewers gripped by the surprisingly human story of barf bags, a feat virtually nobody would have considered possible.
“This piece proves that a well-produced, creative and thought-provoking documentary can be made about any subject matter, even barf bags,” said Heidi Black. “This quirky doc somehow manages to take the viewer on a bittersweet and nostalgic journey through the history of a utilitarian product, all while also cleverly promoting the 75-year history of Dramamine.”
Island Wide Realty - Tony B (submitted by JSM Music)
This gloriously joyous ad will have Staten Island residents making a note of the number to call Tony B – and the rest of us simply wishing we lived there. It’s a project that relies on the performance of the main man himself, so it’s fortunate that Tony B sells the dream of Staten Island residency with oodles of charm, warmth, and charisma.
“This was incredibly refreshing and very unexpected. It's always great when in comedy you're not sure if you're in on the joke, or you are the joke,” said Rosie Bardales. “I especially love that Tony is actually playing himself. From what I hear this is him exactly… no stunt double needed. This guy is a character of his own, and seems to be quite popular in the region. He's one of a kind and so is the work. What's not to love!?”
Powerade - The Vault (submitted by Ogilvy North America and Soundtree)
Work that redefines its category is always likely to receive a warm reception from our jurors. So it was with this campaign, which leans into the humanity and reality of life at the top of the athletic tree in an era of judgement-fuelled 24-hour news and social media intensity.
“It’s a powerful message that went against the norm in sports marketing to make a bigger statement,” said Juan Javier Pena. “Sponsoring Simon Biles after she announced she was withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health, in a world that focuses mainly on performance, was a bold move to land the power of the pause.”
“Powerade is not only in competition with a lot of other sports drinks, it’s vying for attention against all sports brands,” added Rosie Bardales. “It’s a crowded space with a lot of players. So what really stood out to me in this spot was the strategic positioning of ‘the pause’ that led to a well-crafted, unique perspective of an athlete.”
Spotify - Spreadbeats (submitted by FCB New York)
Speaking of embracing the unexpected, this campaign pulled off something that surely nobody saw coming: A spreadsheet that actually entertains people. ‘Spreadbeats’ put smiles on the faces of media planners across the planet, something that our jurors were keen to celebrate.
“Who said Excel spreadsheets are boring?!” asked Warren Marenco Chase. “This was a brilliant use of media deeply centered in the target audience, masterfully executed.”
