In 2013, the Cannes Titanium Lion went to a campaign called Bridge of Life.
In fact, the campaign won 37 awards around the world.
So it was a success, at least as far as awards went.
And that’s pretty much the only metric advertising measures anything by.
But was it a success by any other metric, like what happens in the real world?
Well that isn’t quite so clear.
The back story is the Mapo bridge in Seoul was famous for suicides.
In fact it was known as the Bridge of Death.
The normal way to stop people jumping off a bridge would be to put up railings or fences, to make it physically impossible to jump.
But this didn’t seem very creative to the advertising agency or their client.
So they ignored that idea and instead spent the money on emotional triggers.
As people walked across the bridge sensors would switch on lights to illuminate messages.
“Worries Are Nothing”
“Tomorrow’s Sun Will Rise”
“I Love You”
“The Best Is Yet to Come”
“Have You Been Eating Alright?”
“Let’s Walk Together”
“What’s Troubling You?”
In the centre of the bridge was a bronze life-size sculpture of a young man on a bench, touching the cheek of another young man.
Also there was a selection of illuminated images: photographs of babies, grandparents, young couples smiling.
This, the awards jury were told, caused the bridge to be renamed, from ‘Bridge of Death’ to ‘Bridge of Life’.
And as usual, on the submission video, there followed a string of statistics.
The main one was that suicides had fallen by 77% because of the installation.
Which is why it won all those awards.
But about a year after it won, some people expressed different views.
On Sora News 24 the headline said “Seoul Anti-Suicide Initative Backfires”.
According to them, the statistics showed an increase in suicides due to people being drawn to the now famous bridge.
The Yohap News Agency said that attempted suicides rose to 396 in 2014, 543 in 2015, and 532 in 2016.
The advertising agency responded that this was a mistranslation.
These figures were for people who came to the bridge contemplating suicide but changed their minds.
They said, correctly interpreted, the true figures were 15 attempted suicides with 8 actual fatalities, a greatly reduced number.
But other figures show 24-hour telephone counselling lines staffed by 6,000 volunteers stopped at least 85 people from jumping.
The debate is confused and unresolved, and gradually it petered out.
Last year’s awards were old news, all everyone cared about was this year’s awards.
Meanwhile the authorities say they are now putting up higher railings at Mapo bridge.
2.5 metres high instead of 1.5 metres.
Evidently the authorities don’t believe an emotional appeal is superior to physical barriers.
So how about the installation, did it do its job, did it work?
Well yes, because it won awards.
Which is after all, the real job for any piece of advertising or marketing.
An advertising idea is 68% more likely to win an award with a well produced submission video.
Hi Mr. Trott!
I enjoy so much your post every week!
Have you heard about the emotional case used in ancient Greek?
I read it in the book “Ride my own tiger” of Giorgio Nardone!
It stopped the suicides!
Here is case:
Simon the wise:
He was a wise who had studied with the sophists and had to solve a very real problem: an epidemic of suicides.
At Miletus in this city the air was unbreathable, so that some women had a “furious desire to hang themselves”. Some tried to stop them.
No attempt of conviction worked. So they asked Simon for help. He analyzed the situation without seeking the truth.
He suggested the following prescription: “Make a decree in the city proclaiming: from tomorrow any young woman who committed suicide, will see her body be exposed naked in the main square until it arrives at the putrefaction state. “
Same story for “dumb ways to die” and “meet graham”
Creative responses to genuine problems, because making things safer isn’t that sexy, despite the creative talent available.
As well as setting up our main awards, we also funded some smaller opportunities. In 2016, we offered a manuscript appraisal with the award-winning novelist Lesley Glaister and a screenplay appraisal with screenwriter and producer, Douglas Dougan . We helped Paul Robertson of Lust and the Apple to take six emerging Scottish artists to exhibit their work at the Sculpture Gym in Philadelphia, and we were proud to support the artist
Years ago I remember a recruitment consultant asking me “whats a Cannes Lion?” I can’t remember her name but I will never forget the question.
Hi Dave.
This is my first time seeing your blog.
Firstly, the design is SO easy to use. SUCH a pleasure, truly! There’s way too many complicated websites out there.
Secondly, I absolutely love your opinions. They are so on point. I actually got to your blog via https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/ok-radio-ads/1423889
I was looking at articles on radio ads, because I’m nearly finished my copywriting diploma, and I really don’t like radio as a medium, but I’m being told as a copywriter that I may have to write radio. So I’m trying to learn how to write great radio ads, not those generically irritating ones.
Anyway, thanks so much for the blog. Really, really awesome to read.
Advertising outside of the London bubble is a very different animal, and I have firsthand experience of this having lived and worked in Aydney, Hong Kong, Jeddah and Riyadh, Tokyo and Beijing. Advertising it is not about ideas, it is about facts. It is why should this product fit into your life. Why spend any money on it. London has historically been ignorant and disdainful of other cultures, not all Lonodners are like that I know you are not Dave, but it is perfectly possible to have a full and meaningful life and make good money a long way from London. The most significant change I have observed in British advertising is that the voices used sound like someone I have actually met, in a pub, at the bus stop, in a supermarket, at my current workplace, not some RADA trained actor who would much rather be playing Hamlet than voicing an end line for WD40 or a frozen chicken dinner from Tesco.
Satire, definitely. The last sentence.
Pingback: Looking beyond awards to real-world impact: The 'Bridge of Life' campaign in Korea - Mumbrella Asia