The Radio Advertising Bureau has revealed its shortlist for the
1998 Aerial Awards, to be judged at a ceremony on 22 October at
Bafta.
A panel of 13 judges chaired by Chris O’Shea, the joint creative partner
of Banks Hoggins O’Shea, has whittled hundreds of entries down to 16 ads
in six categories.
As well as the traditional product/sector categories, a new category,
for craft skills, has been created this year to award prizes for
direction, sound design and casting (Campaign Craft, 21 August).
The shortlist is as follows: Health Education Authority, the Army,
Samaritans, Marstons Pedigree, Holsten Pils, Marmite, Hamlet, One2One,
British Airways, Eurostar, Sunday Times, Woolworths, Ringways Ford,
McDonald’s, Volkswagen and Seat.
Billy Mawhinney, one of the jurors and a creative director at Euro RSCG
Wnek Gosper, said: ’The hardest job in advertising is making a
cutting-edge radio ad. With radio being treated as wallpaper, an ad
needs to really stand out. This year, some of the work was excellent and
had an irreverence that set it apart. The one thing that a good radio ad
has is character, and not a well-known celebrity overacting.’
Andrew Ingram, the account planning director at the RAB, added:
’Everyone now knows what an Aerial Award is. Both senior and junior
creatives recognise the awards, and picking one up can help you get a
job. This year’s work shows that creatives are realising there is an
open playing field for good radio ads, as many people don’t try hard
enough.’
