Inside the Jury Room: Why the Immortal Awards Europe Jury Chose these 10 Projects

You’ve gotta laugh, haven’t you? (Let’s just let the other half of that idiom go unsaid.) Following the comic relief that the UK round of the Immortal Awards jury process turned up, it’s encouraging to see that the uptick in humour seems to be held up on a continental level. Of the 10 projects named as finalists by the Europe Immortal Awards jury, four of them caused the advertising leaders in the room to erupt in laughter, from scattered chuckles to uncontrolled guffaws.

But that’s against a backdrop of a serious context, with brands and charities trying to find ways to make the world a better place through the creative work that they put out into the culture. Whether adding nuance to people’s perception of people with disabilities with wry wit, or playfully depriving the far right of their symbols, even the cause-led creative work that the jury loved was finding more lighthearted ways to change the world.

After a lively (and full) day of discussing work at Lego’s London headquarters alongside European jury partners Our Lego Agency and Park Pictures, the nine jurors from across Europe whittled 55 pieces down to the best 10 from the continent. LBB's Alex Reeves spoke to the judges to find out what they particularly loved about the work they sent through.

“This work not only challenges your perceptions, your experiences, but – through the brilliant craft – your senses.”

"There's something like a grace in this film. It's totally magic having this girl, in terms of casting. She's talking to us, and you're totally OK with the first part. Then you realise that you're more than OK with the second part. And it's like a trap. She's talking to you, and you feel like an idiot at the end, like you're an old fart or an asshole. She has this energy. And there is something of grace in the direction, something magic."

"What I think is brilliant about this case is that it's utmost cost effective - turning things upside down and just basically hacking the right system in the German law by buying the copyrights and turning them against the people who are using these particular motifs to actually fight against democracy. Making their money fuel democracy is a very smart, hacky idea. I love hacks. It's just brilliant. It's an NGO. They don't have money. All of their campaigns are being done pro bono, and it's a really nice continuation of the legacy that they already had years ago with the march against Nazis.

"I loved the fact that it was so unexpected, you couldn't anticipate which way it was going to turn, and it went to a place that I couldn't imagine going. But at the same time, as someone that spends a lot of time looking at rubbish on my phone, it resonated actually. That idea of 'you are what you watch,' and switching to doing something of quality with your time, rather than just skimming through the phone, I felt that that piece of craft really brought home that detritus that we all consume on a daily basis. As I get older, my time is more precious, and that just made me smile, whilst it also made me think about the sort of stuff that I do allow to fill my head space. So I felt that whilst we all laughed in the room and were very engaged with it, there was a very important message that came through that could potentially change behaviours. I was very impressed. It was beautifully cast, beautifully shot. And I think everybody in the room was laughing at regular intervals because there was something that all the genders in the room could relate to, somehow, even though it was a guy that was the main protagonist, I think we could all appreciate the overall message."

"It's a really simple idea that would have been hard to sell to the client. For me, the thing is that they are following the same message through the years, and they always find a different way – and a really simple way – to execute it. Using the black and white is amazing, because it's the opposite of what you think if you think about summer moments. You are looking for these warm colours – golds and yellows. To do it in black and white gives a lot of magic and power to both the print and the film."

"This is a very strong, meaningful piece of work based on a simple creative device: contrast. It juxtaposes newly elected politicians’ first lofty words with images of people listening to them but, in reality, the juxtaposition is between these words and their ensuing disgraceful actions — who revealed them as dictators. It’s a simple, stark and sober campaign, which punches you in the gut, without using special effects, or over-dramatising the source material. It’s absolutely perfect for a journalistic organisation like Reporters Without Borders."

"I thought the performances in it were incredible. The subject matter of the ad was a brand promise. I mean, the whole script and the joke around people and places and that natural anxiety and awkwardness that we all have when you're meeting somebody famous for the first time is so true. And the craft of the film was great. The humour, the performances, the craft. It was just an all-in great ad."