The Big Won 2009 rankings are out today and if ever you wanted proof that 2009 was most exciting time to be in advertising, the report goes a long way to showing how much advertising has changed.

The Won Report was founded in 2003 to be the first analysis of what was happening in below-the-line and digital communications. Each year, the team logged around 1700 direct marketing awards and 1700 digital advertising awards. In 2006, they looked at all awards across all categories, awarding points according to what was won, and where. In 2007, The Won Report has grown to encompass all awards across all categories and, as a result, has metamorphosed into The Big Won.

The Big Won operates above-the-line as well as below-the-line.The reason for this broadening of scope is because agencies are increasingly becoming ‘discipline neutral’. They create solutions for their clients which work across all media, engaging consumers at multiple touchpoints.

While the recession has had an effect in 2009. what is emerging is a new kind of advertising, which is characterised by what Dale Gall, Worldwide Planning Director for Profero calls “ideas people want to be part of.” ‘Best Job in The World’ the most award campaign of the year is exactly that, an idea that encourages participation. So too does Leo Burnett Toronto’s brilliant ‘Share our Billboard’ work for James Ready. Crispin Porter’s ‘Whopper Sacrifice’ is another great example of a wildfire idea that spreads fast across social media.

What was exciting was to see the Clemenger Group do so well in the Won Report. Several Clemenger agencies and staff featured in the report being part of ideas that were strong enough campaigns to get people involved so communications moves from Business to Consumer into a Consumer to Consumer world.

The report said ‘The most interesting agencies of the year are BBDO New York, Shackleton Madrid, Ogilvy Frankfurt and AIM Proximity Auckland. As well as doing the bread-and-butter work to the highest standards, these agencies are also persuading their clients to meet the future with innovative work that defies categorisation.’

Some Clemenger BBDO Group highlights in the report were;

• Aim Proximity was ranked second in the world for direct marketing. It should also be noted Proximity Worldwide was ranked the No.1 Direct Marketing Network.
• Top worldwide advertising network was BBDO. For the third year on the trot, BBDO leads the world. Proximity worldwide made it into the Top 10 at No.7 in its own right, up from No. 12 in 2008.
• Clemenger Group had four campaigns in the top ten most awarded campaigns in the world for 2009. They were;
  

The Yellow Treehouse Yellow Pages NZ Aim Proximity/Colenso BBDO	Magic Salad Plate Four N’ Twenty Pies Clemenger BBDO Melbourne
iPhone Jonny Yellow Pages NZ Aim Proximity	Love Conspiracy The Warehouse Aim Proximity

• Australia finished the fourth most awarded country for all media. It was interesting that New Zealand finished at No.8 ahead of Australia at No.9 in the new’ media, digital and integrated work category. I expect some good rivalry in 2010.
• Distracted Driver the mobile/web campaign for New Zealand Transport Agency from Clemenger BBDO Wellington came in at No.10 for Top Digital campaigns of the year.
• Nick Worthington, Colenso BBDO and James McGrath, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne made the top ten Executive Creative Directors and Dave King, Aim Proximity (who left November 2009) and Ant Keogh, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne made the top ten Creative Directors in the world.
  

So all up a great result for 2009 from the Clemenger Group, but that was last year and it’s time to get into some all new 2010 work for clients.