ROHRBACK OUT IN Y&R SHAKEUP FOLLOWING HONDA LOSS TO SUGAR

Y&R has retrenched four staffers including Brands CD Jeneal Rohrback after the loss of the sizeable Honda business to boutique agency Sugar.
Y&R's recently appointed deputy CD Steve McCabe has taken over from Rohrback.
From Monday, he will be teamed with senior art director, Wendy Lawn, who Rohrback has only just snared from DDB Auckland.
Rohrback told NZ Creative Circle: "Y&R needed to make some big savings and that meant getting rid of some valuable people - like me. It's a shame that they couldn't weather the loss a little longer as we were on a winning streak. Everything was good; our other clients were very happy and the creative profile was improving. So in my view, the decision is short sighted. But, alas the almighty dollar rules".

FINAL NIGHT IN CANNES: TIME FOR KIWIS/AUSSIES TO CELEBRATE A BRILLIANT WEEK

AWESOME PERFORMANCE: NEW ZEALAND 9TH IN THE WORLD AT CANNES THIS YEAR

New Zealand put in a brilliant overall performance this year at Cannes, snaring a record 8 Gold Lions (including Promo Lions), 5 Silver Lions and 5 Bronze Lions to place us 9th in the world with 780 points.
Australia also had its best ever haul of Lions at Cannes this year, with one Grand Prix, 10 Gold (including Promo Lions), 6 Silver and 19 Bronze, placing Australia 4th in the world (1320 points) behind the mighty USA (2860 points), UK (2600) and Germany (1800). South Africa came 5th (1020), Brazil 6th (940), Argentina 7th (920), France 8th (800) and Spain 10th (640).
CB POINTS METHOD: Grand Prix (100), Titanium (80), Gold (60), Silver (40), Bronze (20). Promo Lions are equal to Gold.

DISAPPOINTMENT FOR NEW ZEALAND AT CANNES FILM LIONS

New Zealand had a disappointing final night at Cannes, with only two Bronze at the Film Lions, one for Land Transport NZ ‘High Rise’ via Clemenger BBDO Wellington and Auckland City Mission ‘Pavement’ via Publicis Mojo, Auckland.
Australia just missed out on yet another Grand Prix at Cannes, with the Carlton Draught ‘Big Ad’ via George Patterson Y&R, Melbourne beaten by the Guinness ‘Noitulove’ spot via AMV/BBDO, London. Big Ad scored Australia’s only Gold Lion, one of only 12 handed out on the night. Australia scored six Bronze Lions, with Publicis Mojo Sydney leading the way with three: Nike ‘Reincarnate’, Nike ‘Maureen’ and Wateraid Australia ‘Blackwater Springs’. Bronze Lions also went to Olympus ‘Laksa’ via Saatchi & Saatchi, Sydney, McDonald’s ‘Inner Child’ via Leo Burnett Sydney and the Lynxjet campaign via Lowe Hunt Sydney.
Regionally, Thailand did well, scoring two Gold Lions, one for Smooth-E ‘Love Story’ via JEH United, Bangkok and Bangkok Insurance via Creative Juice\GI Bangkok.

JAPAN WINS SOLE TITANIUM LION

In a controversial decision, the Cannes Titanium jury, led by BBDO worldwide ECD David Lubars, awarded only one Titanium Lion, to Design Barcode, Japan and only two other entries made it as finalists - Droga 5’s ‘Still Free’ for Ecko Unlimited, which won the Cyber Grand Prix earlier in the week, from the USA (although Droga says we can claim it for Australia) and Monopoly Live via Tribal DDB London.
The jury all agreed that the Design Barcode work was a totally original concept, which is exactly what the Titanium was all about.
The awarding of the Titanium Lion to a small Japanese design agency that has re-designed barcodes caused its fair share controversy.
Feathers weren’t ruffled because the barcode idea won – it truly is a ground-breaking and stunning concept – but the fact that the judging panel wanted a never-been-done-before idea meant that integrated campaigns like VB ‘Boonie’, Virgin Mobile ‘Jason Donovan’, Adidas ‘Be the Ball’, Tooheys ‘Stolen Glasses’ and Lynxjet did not get up.
Integrated campaigns can be brilliant, but they are not new, argued the jury president David Lubars.
“We wanted to return to the original charter of the Titanium – Titanium is about the new, the first,” Lubars said.
Cannes chairman Terry Savage conceded the goal posts had been shifted and he is considering introducing Integrated Lions next year.
Controversy aside, the jury was unanimous in its decision to award Design Barcode.
The concept is a simple one – the agency has scored copyright to design all barcodes as branding devices. An example is the barcode on all merchandise for the Hiroshima Museum – it is in the shape of a mushroom cloud.
“We think this idea can lift the world and lift people. It could become a beautiful, global piece,” said Lubars. “It talks to literally everyone on earth.”
Another jury member, Australia’s Craig Davis, said the idea was literally an invention.
BMF Sydney ’s Warren Brown added: “This has been right under our noses. It’s quite stunning. It stopped us all in our tracks the moment we saw it.”
Lubars praised the VB ‘Boonie’ concept, saying all jurors thought the idea was brilliant and it was seriously considered for a Titanium Lion. The Boonie Doll was given to all jurors and were the hottest merchandise piece of the week.

KIWIS, AUSSIES ROCK AT THE CB VILLA POOL PARTY

Another big day yesterday, with the Campaign Brief Villa Pool Party attracting a huge crowd of creatives from Australia, New Zealand, Asia and around the world. The party, held in conjunction with Curious Films, Bob Industries and YoungGuns, featured saucy French nurses who helped soothe poor hungover creatives with drip fed shots of vodka and later entertained the throng with a few topless laps of the pool. Yes, it was like one of Hef's parties in 75.