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All three of the AICP Awards Shows -the AICP Next Awards, the AICP Post Awards, and the AICP Next Awards the AICP Show @MoMA – have moved online this year and will debut on June 9th, 10th and 11th, respectively, the originally scheduled AICP Week (click here to RSVP for the events, which are free of charge). In the lead up to the global premieres of the shows, AICP has released the first wave in a series of online panel discussions under the AICP Awards Shortlist Series : Inspiration from Home. 

A total of seven panels will be unveiled at a dedicated landing page found here. Each panel focuses on a piece that appears multiple times on the shortlists across all shows. To view all AICP Awards shortlist entries, click here. 

“These online conversations are a way for AICP to fulfill our mission of providing inspiration through valuable insights and thought leadership, not just for our members but for the industry at large,” said Matt Miller, President and CEO of AICP, who serves as the series moderator. “In each video we go behind the curtain with these projects’ respective creators, producers, directors and post production artists exploring their collaborations and contributions that produced such impressive results.” 

The Spotlight series examines the “Scoops Ahoy: Operation Snoop Scoop” project that united Baskin-Robbins with Netflix and the hit show “Stranger Things.” Created by 22 Squared and produced by m ss ng p eces, it was directed by experiential director Mike Woods. The piece was shortlisted in the Next Awards in the categories of Branded Content & Entertainment, Digital Experiences, Experiential, Innovation and Integrated Campaign. To view the entry, click here. 

Taking part in the online discussion are David Nagel, Senior Director of Consumer Engagement for Baskin-Robbins; Curt Mueller, SVP, Group Creative Director at 22 Squared; Chris Kyriakos, VP, Head of Production at 22 Squared; Mike Woods, ECD/Director of Immersive at m ss ng p eces and Dave Saltzman, EP/Partner at m ss ng p eces.

Also examined is “The Epidemic,” created for activist and author Monica Lewinsky by BBDO New York, Sanctuary Content and Arcade Edit. Directed by Cole Webley and edited by Paul Martinez, the video documenting this anti-bullying social experiment was shortlisted in the AICP Next Awards in the categories of Digital Experiences and Purpose Driven Advertising; in the AICP Post Awards in the category of Cause Marketing/PSA; and in the AICP Show in the categories of Advertising Excellence/ Single, Concept, Direction, Performance and PSA. To view the entry, click here. 

The online panel includes Greg Hahn, former CCO at BBDO, along with the agency’s Bianca Guimaraes, SVP/Creative Director; Roberto Danino and Jim Connolly, Creative Directors; Gary du Toit and Lance Vining, VP, Creative Directors; Jessica Coccaro, Executive Producer; and James Young, Head of Digital Production. Also on the panel are Director Cole Webley and Executive Producers Preston Lee and Kristen Bedard Johnson from Sanctuary Content and Editor Paul Martinez from Arcade Edit.

Another piece discussed is NFL’s “Next 100,” which celebrated the league’s 100th anniversary in a star-studded, coast-to-coast football romp that concluded with a live appearance at the Super Bowl. Created by 72andSunny and produced by PRETTYBIRD, it was directed by Max Malkin and edited by Biff Butler of Work Editorial. It was shortlisted in the Next Awards in the category of Experiential and in the AICP Show in the categories of Production and Editorial. To view the entry, click here. 

Joining Miller on the NFL panel are Tim Ellis, Chief Marketing Officer, NFL; Glenn Cole, Founder/Creative Chair, 72andSunny; Nicole Haase, Group Production Director, 72andSunny; Max Malkin, Director, PRETTYBIRD; and Biff Butler, Editor, Work Editorial. 

Rounding out the first wave of Shortlist Spotlight panels is Travel Oregon’s “Only Slightly (More) Exaggerated” campaign from Wieden+Kennedy, produced by PSYOP + Sun Creature and directed by Todd Mueller and Kylie Matulick. The animated piece, part of an ongoing, award-winning tourism effort, was shortlisted in the AICP Post Awards in the Character Design & Animation category and in the AICP Show in the separate categories of Animation and Design. To view the work, click here. 

Discussing the entry with Miller are Wieden + Kennedy Creative Director Ansel Wallenfang, Art Director Nick Stores and Producer Nicole Kapture, along with Directors Todd Mueller and Kylie Matulick of PSYOP.

Additional panel discussions will be appearing soon on the Apple “Daughter” spot created by TBWA\Media Arts Lab in Shanghai, produced by brother and directed by Academy Award-nominated Theodore Melfi. Shot entirely on an iPhone 11 to mark the Chinese New Year, it was filmed by Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Lawrence Sher. It was shortlisted in the AICP Next Awards in the categories of Integrated Campaign and Web Film, Over 15 Seconds; in the AICP Post Awards in the category of Storytelling; and in the AICP Show in the category of Original Music. To view the entry, click here.

Taking part in this discussion will be Kara Yang, Managing Director, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Shanghai, along with the agency’s Brian Ma, Executive Creative Director, and Phoebe Fan, Producer. Also on the panel will be director Theodore Melfi, EP Rich Carter and Gio Messner of brother; Messner edited the piece and was shortlisted in the Post Awards for Storytelling with the “Making of Daughter BTS” piece. They’ll be joined by Director of Photography Lawrence Sher.

There will also be a dive into “5B,” Johnson & Johnson’s documentary salute to nurses in the healthcare field, created by UM Studios, produced by Saville Productions and directed by Dan Krauss and Paul Haggis. The piece was shortlisted in the Next Awards in the categories of Branded Content & Entertainment and Purpose Driven Advertising and in the AICP Show in the category of Cause. To view the entry, click here. 

Discussing what went into the making of “5B” will be Brett Henenberg, SVP, Global Head of Production for UM, along with Saville Productions Founder Rupert Maconick and director Dan Krauss.

Still to come will be a panel examining the most recent campaign for the anti-gun violence initiative Sandy Hook Promise, created by BBDO New York and produced by SMUGGLER. Included on the panel will be Nicole Hockley, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Sandy Hook Promise; BBDO’s Bianca Guimaraes and Peter Alsante, SVP/Senior Creative Directors; and SMUGGLER director Henry-Alex Rubin. 

About AICP
AICP represents, exclusively, the interests of independent companies that specialize in the production and post production of commercials in various media—film, video, digital—for advertisers and agencies. The association, with national offices in New York and Los Angeles as well as regional chapters across the country, serves as a strong collective voice for this $5 billion-plus industry. Founded in 1972, AICP assists its members by: disseminating information; representing production and post production companies within the advertising community in business circles, in labor negotiations and dealing with employment issues; and before governmental officials; developing industry standards and tools; providing professional development; and marketing American production and post production via events and awards shows.