BBDO ad misses Grand Prix by one vote

“Competing and winning against the best in the world is what defines a leading agency. Cannes is the Olympics of advertising, and winning Gold is a really proud moment for the agency,” says creative director Ivan Johnson.

“We are on a creative roll this year - at BBDO, success is an exclamation point and not a question mark, and this is the reason I joined BBDO last year,” comments BBDO Cape Town MD Eric D'Oliveira. “This is the type of performance that we need to do to realise our ambition of industry leadership”.

BBDO South Africa head of creative, Mike Schalit, says that the Gold is just the right tonic for the effort that Johnston and D'Oliveira have been putting in to move BBDO Cape Town to the top.

Conceptualised by BBDO Cape Town and produced by Play Play Music Productions, “Drums” has already drawn international accolades, including a Clio award and South Africa's only Yellow Pencil in this year's D&AD awards.

The ad, which uses the sound of celebrity names such as Dick Cheney, Pamela Anderson, Dolph Lundgren and George Bush, to create the distinctive beat of American Idiot By Green Day, advertises Cape Town speciality music equipment store, Marshall Music.

Marshal Music “Drums” Script

MVO: Hey, ever considered playing drums but thought, dude, it can't be easy? Well, it can be. You have your hi-hat, snare, bass, and crash. Now try putting a face to those. Dick Cheney is your hi-hat.

MVO (as drum SFX): Dick!
MVO: Pamela Anderson, your snare.
MVO (as drum SFX): Pam!
MVO: Dolph Lundgren, your bass.
MVO (as drum SFX): Dolph!
MVO: And George Bush, your crash symbol.
MVO (as drum SFX): Bush!
MVO: So it's...
MVO (as drum SFX): Dick! Pam! Dolph! Bush!
MVO: OK, let's just work on 8 beats.
MVO (as drum SFX): Dick!
MVO: ...'s on all of them, like this...
MVO (as drum SFX): Dick! Dick! Dick! Dick! Dick! Dick! Dick! Dick!
MVO: Now add Pam! on 3 and 7.
MVO (as drum SFX): Dick! Dick! Pam! Dick! Dick! Dick! Pam! Dick!
MVO: Cool. All we need is some bass on 1, 2 and 8.
MVO (as drum SFX): Dolph! Dolph! Pam! Dick! Dick! Dick! Pam! Dolph!
SFX: The tune continues under.
MVO: And there you have it - “American Idiot” by Green Day. Give drums a go at Marshall Music. That's right, Marshall Music, 65 Buitengragt Street.
MVO (as drum SFX): Dolph! Dolph! Pam! Dick! Bushhhhhhh!

Listen to the ad on the Cannes Lion website.