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Rothco Scoops Three Cannes Lions for ‘JFK Unsilenced’ at the 2018 International Festival of Creativity

20/06/2018
Advertising Agency
Dublin, Ireland
116
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Accenture Interactive swept Radio & Audio Lions with AI-powered campaign that allowed JFK to speak once more
At the 2018 Cannes Radio & Audio Lions awards ceremony Tuesday evening, Rothco, part of Accenture Interactive, took home three Cannes Lions trophies for its artificial intelligence (AI)-led campaign ‘JFK Unsilenced’ for The Times / News UK & Ireland. The campaign used specialist AI technology to create the speech the 35th US president was meant to make in Dallas on the day he was assassinated – The Dallas Trade Mart speech.

The campaign picked up nods in three categories:
Gold: Innovation in Radio and Audio -- Use of Audio Technology 
Silver: Sector: Media/Entertainment 
Bronze: Excellence in Radio and Audio -- Sound Design 

The campaign’s breakthrough audio technique has been adopted by companies around the world to help ALS suffers rediscover their voice.

Alan Kelly, Executive Creative Director at Rothco, commented: “We’re thrilled to have this work recognised by the Lions judges at the most famous creativity festival in the world. Fifty-five years later, through advanced sound technology, JFK’s unspoken speech captivates a new generation. It was ahead of its time, addressing topics such as freedom, power, wisdom and restraint. We’re proud of our effort to use creativity and technology to deliver profound human impact.”

Over 8 weeks, Rothco (with help from their partners at The Times / News UK & Ireland and CereProc), reviewed 831 JFK speeches and interviewsand, through an intricate process of sound engineering, the world was able tohear The Dallas Trade Mart speech -- delivered in JFK’s voice, for the firsttime.


Added Patrick Hickey, CEO of Rothco: “Winning a Gold at the Cannes Lions puts you among the world’s elite, and I believe our best work is still ahead of us. I’d like to thank our team and our partners at The Times / News UK & Ireland for their contributions to making history and bringing the voice of one of the world’s most beloved orators to a new generation.”

Launched this spring, the ‘JFK Unsilenced’ film generated more than 4.5K registrations to The Times & The Sunday Times, as well as a 51 million Twitter reach and one billion media impressions globally. Many of The Times’ competitors covered the campaign, including The Guardian, Daily Mail, The Sun, The Daily Mirror, The New York Post, The Washington Post, The Independent, The Evening Standard, plus many more.

Last night’s wins mark the first-ever Gold and Silver Lions for Accenture Interactive, which has been strategically bolstering its creative capabilities, as part of its end-to-end customer experience offering. 

“We’re delighted that the Lions judges have again recognized our contributions as part of the new fabric of the industry,” said Anatoly Roytman, head of Europe, Africa, Middle East, Latin America – Accenture Interactive. “Our new breed of agency model – which melds creativity with business consulting and technology -- is coming to life in the service of delivering breakthrough customer experiences. We look forward to celebrating many more across the Accenture Interactive family.”

The Rothco team takes the stage during Tuesday evening’sCannes Radio & Audio Lions ceremony for its celebrated ‘JFK Unsilenced’campaign


The Lions are the latest industry accolades for ‘JFK Unsilenced.’ Last month, Rothco became the first Irish agency to win Gold Pencils at the One Show in New York City; and, in April, the campaign garnered three coveted D&AD Pencils in London. 

Celebrating creativity since 1954, the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity is considered the most prestigious international advertising and creativity showcase. Its 65th annual festival drew more than 32,000 award entries from all over the world.

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