Across The News

Euro RSCG is one of “the most creative advertising agency”. Founded in Paris in 1994 by Remi Babinet and Eric Tong Cuong, the agency has been responsible for some of the world’s most-awarded campaigns in recent years, including the « rollerbabies » viral for Evian, which made it into the Guinness Book of Records in 2009 after accumulating more than 45 million online views. According to Forbes magazine, the Rollerbabies “megahit” is the most viewed online ad in the history. It is true that, watching babies performing a series of increasingly skilled roller-skate stunts, set to the tune of “Rapper ‘s Delight”, is really creative. Do you think so?

Well, this time, the agency was in a new project: the year’s TED Ads Worth Spreading competition. It was among the 10 winners for its ‘Walls’ campaign, which captured people gathering in the streets and alleyways, picking up brushes to cover up their city’s grey spaces with a rainbow of colors. (the other winners were : the ‘Born of Fire’ Chrysler Super Bowl spot by Wieden+Kennedy Portland, The Chase for Intel by Venables Bells & Partners in San Francisco, ‘Infinity’ for Batelco by FP7/BAH in Bahrain).

Walls by Euro RSCG

The aim of the Ads worth Spreading is to ignite a conversation about advertising and its role within the wider culture. The contest, which was free to enter, attracted 1,000 submissions. Millions of people access its website to watch videos of numerous TED Talks given by academics, artists, scientists, entrepreneurs and so on. As a non-profit organisation, TED relies on the benevolence of commercial partners to fund universal access. Great idea, no?

I believe that Ads Worth Spreading was a real opportunity to provoke a debate about the future of advertising and to encourage agencies to be more creative for free. I think Ads Worth Spreading can help to conversation between the ad business and consumers. Capturing people gathering in the streets, Euro RSCG was enough clever to understand the importance of the relation between the ad business and consumers.

Indeed, to introduce people in the creation of it advertising was a chance to be closer to the potential clients. Also, ideas may be free, but distributing them around the world costs money, especially when the audience is in the many millions. And the best chance of attracting the audience is if the ads evoke emotions, make you think, make you respond, make you want to share. They should amplify your passion, and make you feel concerned.

The top-10 winners receive a featured dedicated page in Ted.com’s winner’s gallery. And if you want to watch the ads their ads will also appear on YouTube’s homepage and they will receive an ad on Ted.com.

Born of Fire by Wieden+Kennedy Portland