“Van Gogh’s Bedrooms”, a campaign from the Art Institute of Chicago created by Leo Burnett Chicago, took the Grand Prix in the Creative Effectiveness category.
The exhibition was notable for marking the first time that art-lovers in North America could see three paintings which Vincent Van Gogh made of his bedroom in the same place. “It’s one exhibition, in one building, in one city, and yet it created a huge global conversation. And that conversation created incremental attendance of 133,000 visitors,” said Jonathan Mildenhall, the President of the Creative Effectiveness jury, and Chief Marketing Officer at Airbnb.
Moreover, he suggested, the campaign’s “fantastic, exquisite” display of creative craft drove short- and long-term revenue for the cultural institution.
“But the most important thing, for us, is it was using creativity to introduce a broader and younger demographic to the Art Institute of Chicago”, Mildenhall added.
One of five Golds handed out in the category went to the Swedish Tourist Association’s “The Swedish Number”, which let people across the globe call a single phone number and be connected to one of the many Swedes who volunteered to take part as ambassadors for the country.
Elsewhere, “The McWhopper Proposal” from Burger King claimed Gold for a marketing effort which asked McDonald’s, traditionally a fierce rival, to consider creating a combination of their respective iconic burgers.
The other Gold winners were “Man Boobs for Boobs” from MACMA in Argentina, Ariel’s “Share the Load” campaign in India, and Bajaj Auto’s “The Nation’s Bike”, also from India.