Inside the Jury Room: 7 French Projects Become Immortal Awards Finalists

Tuesday, October 15th was the day of judgement for 16 French projects at this year’s Immortal Awards. During the France judging session, seven earned Finalist status and made it through to the next round – the European jury day – where they will compete against those from the rest of Europe to be lauded among among the region’s best work.

The French Jury Room was made up of: Pierre Cazenave-Kaufman, chief executive officer and producer, Soldats; Anne-Sophie Guerin, creative director, McCann Paris; Damien Guiol, chief creative officer, Change, an FCB Alliance; Clara Noguier, creative director, DDB Paris; Ibrahim Seck, creative director, Monks Paris; Marco Venturelli, chief executive officer and chief creative officer, Publicis Conseil, and chief creative officer, Publicis Groupe France; Esha Woottum, executive producer, BIRTH Paris; and Stéphane Xiberras, president and chief creative officer, BETC.

The seven projects these jurors selected as French Finalists were: Distance ‘Rob It To Get It’; Solar Impulse ‘A.I IMPULSE’; CANAL+ ‘Super’; Heetch ‘Heetchhhh’; Renault ‘Cars to Work’; Renault ‘Push It To The Limit’; Orange ‘Safe Phones’. They stood out for their platforming of French humour, cheeky ability to get around legal matters, and capacity to create genuine impact. Here’s what the judges had to say about each one…

Distance - ‘Rob It To Get It’ (submitted by BETC Paris)

Ibrahim said, “I think it's a great follow up to ‘Outlaw Runners’, which was also a great campaign with an idea that resonated a lot with a very small budget. This uses the same equation – great idea, small budget, great exposition, and a subject that’s often discussed on socials – which to me is one of the KPIs. It’s a great piece of work, definitely.”

Anne-Sophie added, “I thought it was super, super entertaining and fun. It's true. It really hits the mark and makes you want to get running.”

Solar Impulse - ‘A.I IMPULSE’ (submitted by Publicis Conseil)

Stéphane commented, “When you see the work, when you see the case study, it's totally unexpected from a French agency. It’s really world-class work. It's cool to know that French agencies are able to do something like that.”

Damien said, "The Solar Impulse campaign is one of the most remarkable of the year, as it highlights the collaboration between artificial intelligence and sustainable solutions. Its strength lies in its ability to illustrate how AI can accelerate the transition towards a greener future, while combining essential themes: technological innovation and environmental responsibility."

CANAL+ - ‘Super’ (submitted by BETC Paris)

Marco said, “First of all, it’s an amazing concept, and super surprising. I really do think that we are losing, as an industry, the ability to take things lightheartedly, and it's very important we fight for this. I'm very glad about this selection for that reason.”

Esha added, “We need to push for comedy in the French market to represent us as a whole. We often talk about British comedy, but French comedy has its place too, and this piece crystallises that for us. The link made with movies and CANAL+ also ticks a lot of boxes for the brands involved.”

Heetch - ‘Heetchhhh’ (submitted by Soldats)

Anne-Sophie commented, “It’s super strong on the part of managing to convince a client to sell something like this. It's positioning itself in a Burger King versus McDonald's kind of fight, and you want to see more.”

Ibrahim said, “To keep it short, I think this is a fun and bold idea – and it can be hard to find the right balance between the two.”

Clara added, “This campaign serves as a prime example of how brands can stand out more effectively by speaking boldly rather than loudly. It's interesting to note that traditionally, brands were not allowed to mention or make any references to The Olympics unless they were official partners. However, this challenger brand circumvented this in a very clever and innovative manner. It resonated well with the French cultural context, particularly considering the initial scepticism among the population about hosting such a huge influx of tourists.”

Renault - ‘Cars to Work’ (submitted by Publicis Conseil)

Pierre said, “I actually received this brief, but wasn't chosen. When I saw the idea, I saw the potential, because in France, the cultural conversation we have right now completely fits with the topic of this commercial. It's totally brilliant, and it's absolutely well done. It has everything from my point of view.”

Esha added, “I love this campaign and the mobility scheme – I was very impacted.”

Renault - ‘Push It To The Limit’ (submitted by Soldats)

Ibrahim commented, “It's very exciting and rare to have this type of emotion watching a car commercial.”

Stéphane added, “The music, which is also the title of the campaign, is quite amazing too.”

Clara said, “What I particularly appreciate about this commercial is not only the craft and meticulous attention to detail, but also its honesty in representing the market and old traditional approaches to advertising. The automotive sector frequently attempts to oversell us a new lifestyle or a new reason to purchase its vehicle. However, this ad's straightforward assertion of the most basic and evident reasons to buy is refreshingly bold and resonates more deeply with people. Moreover, the commercial captures various periods in a lively and engaging manner – a refreshing deviation from the overly futuristic tone typical of car commercials.”

Orange - ‘Safe Phones’ (submitted by Publicis Conseil)

Damien said, "I greatly appreciate Orange’s ‘Safe Phones’ initiative, which perfectly aligns with its commitment to a responsible digital world. By focusing on the gaming universe, this initiative creates a space where young players can seek help and express themselves about cyberbullying. It’s an ideal place to reach the current generation while providing them with a safe and supportive environment to discuss these sensitive topics."

Pierre commented, “Using a video game to talk to the youth, as well as the anonymity aspect, makes this campaign quite disruptive. It's what young people actually need, because it's always very hard for them to talk about these kinds of issues face-to-face. Here, they face nobody, so I think it's brilliant for that.”