Last-gasp Cannes win

Cannes - A last-gasp win for the campaign for The Zimbabwean exile newspaper earned TBWA Hunt Lascaris its fifth Gold Lion on Saturday night.

It won in the Integrated category, for the effective integration of a multiple channel strategy. The widely acclaimed Australian campaign for "the best job in the world", offered by Queensland Tourism, did not feature in the final night's climactic awards.

But it's a moot point as to which of the two campaigns could be considered the best of the 2009 festival. The Australian campaign won three Grands Prix, while the South African campaign won only one Grand Prix, but also took more Gold Lions, including the crucially important Integrated.

The Barack Obama presidential campaign won two Grands Prix, in the Titanium category (for the Big Idea) and in the Integrated category.

The Saturday night events also include the Film awards, for any of the four different kinds of screens in use - cinema, television, personal computer or laptop, and mobile phone. It is still considered the most important category. But unfortunately South Africa suffered a wipeout.

It had two candidates in the shortlist, but neither was converted into a gong.

- Fin24.com