AIRBAG's groundbreaking tech work on the Melbourne International Film Festival's Emotional Trailer has been awarded with Gold, Silver and Bronze Lions at Cannes in the Creative Data Lions category.
Says
Adrian Bosich, managing partner, AIRBAG: "It's always great to walk
away with some metal - and we are absolutely stoked about the Gold Lion.
These new ways of advertising are really interesting to us, because
unlike traditional ads - which are often an interruption from what an
audience is trying to do - Campaigns such as these are something
audiences are willing to actively seek out and engage with. We
recognised the uniqueness of this idea, and AIRBAG invested
significantly to make this into a reality. Not something we do often,
but we were really passionate about wanting this odd little campaign to
exist."
Working with McCann Melbourne to bring the idea to life, AIRBAG's 'chief
geek' Steven Nicholson (left) experimented on himself until he found a way to
make facial muscles contract into on-demand expressions.
Says
Nicholson: "It's a personal goal of mine to try and learn something new
with each project; but for this we barely knew where to start. Our
involvement covered every discipline from electronics engineering to
neurology; data analysis to art department. Suffice to say we now know
dozens of ways to hurt people with electricity and about two to make
them smile. For those wanting a deeper understanding of the project's
journey, including the trials and experiments, you can read a little
piece I wrote here."
The result was a series of live
installations and 'emotional trailers' for each film that allowed the
movie-going public to "feel the film, before you see the film."
Says
Bosich (left): "A project like this is right up our alley at AIRBAG - it
collides technology with highly engaging, emotional storytelling. This
is where having directors, vfx artists and technologists all in one
space really elevates the work to the next level. With this collective
approach, we've managed to walk away with 62 pieces of shiny from major
worldwide award shows in 4.5 years - I'm super proud of the team."
Airbag
Creative Technologist: Steven Nicholson
Managing Partner: Adrian Bosich
Senior Producer: Robert Stock
Producer: Eliza D'Souza
Art Direction: Seth Aitken
Sets: Illusion Studios
Production Assistants: Laurie Walker & Robert La Terra
McCann Melbourne
Managing Director: Adrian Mills
Executive Creative Director: Pat Baron
Creative Director/Writer: Alex Wadelton
Creative Director/Art Director: Andy Jones
Senior Account Director: Caroline Macmillan
Head of Broadcast: Victoria Conners
Senior Producer: Anne Comber
Assistant Producer: Afrim Memed
Case Study Director/Editor: Patrick Jennings
Camera Operators: Anthony Koreny & Jack Murtagh
Camera Assistant: Adrian Ortega
Sound: Jack Mcculloch
Photography: Jay Hynes
PR: Chris Baker
Melbourne International Film Festival
Artistic Director: Michelle Carey
General Manager: Amber Sloan
Sponsorship Manager: Nathan Reynolds
Marketing & Communications Manager: Lauren Zoric
Publicity: Asha Holmes Publicity