Australia’s heading for a bumper haul at Cannes and the hot favourite is leading the charge from the start. The juries are lapping it up, Dumb Ways to Die is cleaning up. So far it’s picked up seven lions, all gold, with two grand prix – and one of those in the PR category. If only there was a cliché about trains and running away with things.
“It’s very humbling,” the man behind it, McCann Melbourne ECD John Mescall told AdNews. And, after initial reticence, he’s also comfortable with now forever being known for that ad.
But not without an initial struggle.
He points to the other ads McCann’s won recognition for this time around – the work for VLine (Guilt Trips) has two bronzes in the Direct category and another in the promo and activation category. McCann’s Impossible Orchestra ad, as part of the Care Aware campaign for the Federal Government has also bagged a PR Bronze.
“I can’t remember any Australian agency winning awards for three separate clients and we have done it on day one.”
In all, the McCann haul (11 Lions) is better than any Australian agency did last year. Not bad for a Monday. And having taken great pains to point out all of McCann’s other award-winning work, Mescall admits the truth. “Yes, I am the Dumb Ways to Die guy.” Not a bad legacy.
Some commenters, usually below the line, may snipe about the lack of cut-through.But six months on, the campaign is credited with reducing accidents and deaths for Melbourne Trains by 21% compared to the same time last year. Plus, almost a million people pledged to behave more safely. So while people are “right to be cynical when something is lauded” Mescall believes those results answer the critics.
“Results are important, but this is just the start of a long term campaign. Behavioural change takes time. But we have taken an important issue and created a framework for discussion. It was invisible before. That is our job.”
In all, the McCann Cannes haul is already better than any Australian agency did last year. Alright, for a Monday and it probably won't won't stop there: Dumb Ways is in the running for 12 gongs in all.
Needless to say, it has put Melbourne Trains not on the map, but the atlas. That proves “you don’t have to be a Nike or a VW to do great work,” said Mescall.
“Anybody anywhere can do it. People should take heart from that.”
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