CANNES, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At the 2018 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity last night, Accenture Interactive captured the Creative Data Grand Prix for its artificial intelligence (AI)-led campaign ‘JFK Unsilenced’ for The Times / News UK & Ireland. The win marks its seventh Lion all week, spanning four categories. Created by Rothco, part of Accenture Interactive, the campaign used specialized AI technology to create the speech the 35th US president was meant to make in Dallas on the day he was assassinated – The Dallas Trade Mart speech.
The Creative Data Lions celebrates the interplay of ideas and information – demonstrating how the execution of a campaign was enhanced or driven by the creative use, interpretation, analysis or application of data.
“Being awarded the Grand Prix for ‘JFK Unsilenced’ speaks to the rising influence of AI in producing great experiences today, not just in the future,” said Brian Whipple, CEO, Accenture Interactive. “It represents a dawn for new creatives as they ultimately consider how to work in collaboration with technology to bring stories to life and redefine what creativity means.”
“’JFK Unsilenced’ celebrates data aggregation as an art and science,” added Patrick Hickey, CEO, Rothco. “In most cases, data sharpens a story; however, in this case, it made it possible to tell it. Fifty-five years later, through advanced sound technology, JFK’s unspoken speech captivates a new generation. We’re thrilled to have this work recognized with a Grand Prix for its ability to combine data, creativity and technology to deliver profound human impact.”
The campaign swept the Lions throughout the week, garnering seven awards:
- Grand Prix: Creative Data Lions
- Gold, Radio & Audio Lions: Innovation – Use of Audio Technology
- Silver, Radio & Audio Lions: Sector: Media/Entertainment
- Silver: Digital Craft Lions – Technological Achievement
- Silver: Film Craft - Sound Design
- Bronze: Radio & Audio Lions – Sound Design
- Bronze: Digital Craft Lions – Music / Sound Design
Launched this spring, the ‘JFK Unsilenced’ film generated more than 4.5K registrations to The Times & The Sunday Times, as well as a 51 million Twitter reach and one billion media impressions globally. Many of The Times’ competitors covered the campaign, including The Guardian, Daily Mail, The Sun, The Daily Mirror, The Washington Post, The Independent, The Evening Standard, plus many more.
The campaign’s breakthrough audio technique has been adopted by companies around the world to help ALS sufferers rediscover their voice.
The prestigious nods by Cannes Lions mark the first-ever Grand Prix, Gold and Silver Lions for Accenture Interactive, which has been strategically bolstering its creative capabilities, as part of its end-to-end customer experience offering.
“We’re delighted that the Lions judges have again recognized our contributions as part of the new fabric of the industry,” said Anatoly Roytman, head of Europe, Africa, Middle East, Latin America – Accenture Interactive. “The award wins this week are a testament that our new breed of agency model – which melds creativity with business consulting and technology -- is coming to life in the service of delivering breakthrough customer experiences. We look forward to celebrating many more successes across the Accenture Interactive family.”
The Lions are the latest industry accolades for ‘JFK Unsilenced.’ Last month, Rothco picked up two Gold Pencils at the One Show in New York; and, in April, the campaign garnered three coveted D&AD Pencils in London.
Celebrating creativity since 1954, the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity is considered the most prestigious international advertising and creativity showcase. Its 65th annual festival drew more than 32,000 award entries from all over the world.
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About Rothco
Over the past 23 years, Rothco has risen to become a leading creative agency in Ireland. But they have always been driven by a global ambition. To this end, they have produced campaigns that have run in 23 markets, for brands such as Heineken, Aon, Unilever, AIB, Hailo/MyTaxi, Rory McIlroy Inc., Kodak and Tesco.
Their work has been globally recognised with awards from Cannes Lions, D&AD, Clio Sports, New York Festivals, EPICA, The Marketing Society (UK), The Webbies, The Mashies, MIDAS, ICAD, The FAB Awards, IMC’s, the Sharks Awards and the coveted AdFx Grand Prix.
In early 2018 they shook hands on an acquisition deal with Accenture Interactive, giving their ambitions an exciting new edge. For more information, visit: www.rothco.ie or follow them @rothco.
About Accenture
Accenture (NYSE:ACN) is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions – underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network – Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With approximately 442,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.
Accenture Interactive helps the world’s leading brands transform their customer experiences across the entire customer journey. Through our connected offerings in design, marketing, content and commerce, we create new ways to win in today’s experience-led economy. Accenture Interactive is ranked the world’s largest digital agency in the latest Ad Age Agency Report. To learn more, follow us @AccentureACTIVE and visit www.accentureinteractive.com.
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