Dan Lucey on Film’s Enduring Power in Advertising
Dan Lucey says that film craft in advertising has never been higher and the styles of storytelling coming out of the industry have never been more varied.
After chairing the London International Awards’ TV & Cinema and Online Film categories, the Havas New York CCO and co-CEO alongside his jury awarded short-form film stunts, 20-minute documentaries, 90-minute Amazon Prime specials and everything in between.
“The best work in film blurs the boundaries between entertainment and advertising,” says Dan, speaking with LBB. “Film is still the best way to drive emotion, whether it's delivering a laugh or a lump in your throat. Brands still need to drive emotion to be engaging no matter the channel or length of content.”
Ten to 15 years ago, the best the advertising industry had to offer showed up in the film category, but with the ever-evolving media landscape, Dan says that it’s taken a bit of a backseat to newer and more modern categories. “I guess you can say it's a bit of a challenger these days, which I love,” he adds. “And even though people have been calling for the death of it for years, film is still around.”
Whether that film runs on social media, in the cinema or at the Super Bowl, it still plays an important role in culture, says Dan. And as brands experiment with evermore interactive and non-traditional content, film remains one of the few formats that can bridge lifestyles and generations. “Film still has the power to reach millions of people, and bring audiences of different ages and backgrounds together. Ask anyone not in our industry what their favourite ad is, and I guarantee they name a film.”
Dan and the jury awarded the Online Film Grand LIA to BBDO Bangkok for ‘Death of A Salesman’, created for Five Star. The four-minute mockumentary-style comedy that follows an overly passionate street vendor who desperately tries to sell everyday items – pillows, chairs, even cologne – as if they possessed the same irresistible qualities as Five Star Chicken.
“It made our jury laugh every time we watched it,” says Dan. “The performances, the music, the timing of the edit – it all worked to deliver a laugh. We loved that it had the power to entertain beyond 15 or 30 seconds.
“We all need a laugh now more than ever,” he adds. “If we’re going to disrupt someone's feed, their show or sports game, the least we can do is leave them smiling and laughing.”
The TV & Cinema Grand LIA was awarded to McCann Paris for its highly recognised short documentary ‘The Final Copy of Ilon Specht’ for L’Oréal Paris, which Dan says was “super powerful”. He also highlights ‘The Shooting’ for Article 19 and Diario La Union, Toblerone ‘Tantrum Girl’, and 'Group Therapy' by AXA as particularly noteworthy.
“Any film that we considered for an award had incredible craft,” says Dan. “The difference was that the winners had an ambition to break out of a traditional ad-like structure. They felt like things people would want to seek out and watch.”
As the lines between platforms continue to blur and attention spans shrink, Dan believes the core of what makes film powerful hasn’t really changed. “People want to be entertained and they are usually pretty lazy,” he says. “A successful film catches an audience's attention and doesn’t ask for much in return. Film also has a lot going for it – it’s not just a series of engaging visuals but can also draw upon the power of music.”
Looking ahead, he’s confident that no matter how much technology changes the way we consume stories, film will remain an emotional heartbeat of brand communication. “Brands will always need to connect with their audience emotionally,” says Dan. “The length, the platform, and the tools used to make film will change, but the need for powerful stories will not.”
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