Three Drunk Monkeys, GPY&R, Saatchi’s and Leo Burnett snare lion’s share of 2010 Caxtons

George Patterson Y&R Melbourne, Three Drunk Monkeys Sydney, Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney and Leo Burnett Sydney headed a clutch of 12 agencies to score gongs at the 36th Annual Caxton Awards and Seminar, held tonight at the Quay West Resort, Noosa.

GPY&R Melbourne won five Caxtons – two for Defence Force Recruiting and one each for National Australia Day Council, Cadbury and Connect Furniture.

Three Drunk Monkeys Sydney won four Caxtons, one for Foxtel and three for the BBC Knowledge campaign – which also won the Quinlivan Black Trophy.

[The Quinlivan Black is awarded to the ad or campaign considered best overall for the year. Due to a conflict of   interest this year, the recipient of the Quinlivan Black was selected by the Caxton Chairman Rob Belgiovane, rather than by the chairman of judges, Justin Drape, from Three Drunk Monkeys.]

VIEW THE CAXTON SUPPLEMENT HERE

Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney won four Caxtons – all for the Toyota ‘Nothing soft gets it’ campaign; while Leo Burnett Sydney won three Caxtons – two for WWF and one for Subaru.

One Caxton apiece went to DDB Sydney for McDonald’s; DDB New Zealand for Sky TV; DraftFCB Auckland for Sky TV; Droga5 Sydney for CUB; Marketforce Perth for Western Power; The Campaign Palace Sydney for Bonds ‘Held’; Special Group Auckland for Orcon Broadband; and Whybin\TBWA\Tequila Sydney for Rabo Direct.

Commenting on the winners this year, Caxton chairman Rob Belgiovane from Belgiovane Williams Mackay said: “This has been a vintage year for the Caxton Awards. Excellent creative standards meant we had an incredibly strong field of contenders, reflected in the fact we notched up our highest number of finalists in the competition in ten years,” he said.

“The newspaper medium is without doubt one of the most agile and versatile of all, and as such inspires genuinely innovative and arresting creative advertising, qualities shared by every one of the winners in this year’s Caxton Awards.”

The 2010 Caxton Awards saw no fewer than 83 finalists, double the number in 2009 and the highest total nominated for any Caxtons this decade. The record number of finalists was nominated across 16 categories, including a very strong line-up of entrants in the Best Multi-Media Campaign, new to the Caxtons in 2010.

Also contributing to a doubling in the number of finalists this year was the fact that a number of campaigns performed very strongly in more than one category. This carried through to the winning entries with more than one Caxton winner awarded in six categories.

Justin Drape, chairman of judges:

“People don’t read newspapers for the ads, but the best ads always get read.”

The best ads entered into  this year’s Caxtons were not only read by the jury – they were admired and unanimously  awarded. The winning work had a great idea, was well crafted, and it made an emotional connection with its intended audience in a way that was unexpected and/or entertaining.

Look out for the Caxton issue which is now in the mail to CB magazine subscribers – or view online later this week.