The annual awards frenzy began this year with little agreement between the major shows. The Clios gave Aqualtis "Underwater World" (a Gold winner at last year's Cannes awards) its Grand Clio for Television and at the AICP show no individual spot received more than two honors. Similarly, D&AD iced TV out of its Black Pencil party, confirming the industry-wide sentiment that the 2006-2007 awards season, artificially culminating in Cannes in June, has no real frontrunner.

The only consensus came regarding Nike's breakthrough Nike+ site from R/GA, New York, which received a coveted D&AD Black Pencil, the Andy's Grandy Award and the Grand Clio for Interactive. While that may make things difficult for ad watchers like ourselves, it does mean that a wide array of work is finding its moment in the spotlight. Here, we provide some handy-dandy crib notes to the awards spring. Committing this information to memory will make you a bit of an impressive know-it-all in Cannes.

International ANDY Awards
April 25, 2007

*R/GA's Nike+ website received the Grandy Award.

*Top television work at the Andy's included Coca-Cola "Happiness Factory" (Wieden+Kennedy, Amsterdam), Skittles "Beard", "Leak" and "Trade" (TBWA\Chiat\Day, New York), Honda "Asimo" and "Choir" (W+K, London); Toyota "Humanity", Hakuhodo, Tokyo) and Coca-Cola "What Goes Around" (Mother, London).

*In the Integrated category, Crispin Porter + Bogusky's VW "Safe Happens" and BK "Wonderful World of King" campaigns both scored Gold.

The One Show MAy 8-11, 2007

*Gold winners at the One Show included Skittles "Beard", "Leak" and "Trade", Dove "Evolution" (Ogilvy & Mather, Toronto, which was also awarded Best of Show at Canada's Bessies), Arnet "Bald" (Santo, Buenos Aires) and Coca-Cola "Videogame". Golds also went to Tate Modern "Tate Tracks" (Fallon, London), American Legacy Foundation "Song" (Arnold/Crispin Porter + Bogusky), and CP+B's Burger King Games for Innovative Use of Media.

*On the Interactive front, Gold awards went to Nike+, Philips "Shave Everywhere" (Tribal DDB, New York), Dove "Evolution", BK Games, and "Stockholm The Musical" from Swedish interactive agency Farfar.

48th International Clio Awards
May 9-11, 2007

*The Grand Clio in Television, as well as a single Gold, was awarded to Leo Burnett, Milan's "Underwater World" for Aqualtis, while the Grand Clio in Interactive went to Nike+ from R/GA, which also received two Golds.

*Gold-awarded spots at the Clios included Skittles "Beard" and "Leak", Sony "Paint" (Fallon, London), Coca-Cola "Happiness Factory", Vaseline "Sea of Skin" (BBH, New York), Sears "Arboretum" (Young & Rubicam, Chicago) and Travelers "Snowball" (Fallon, MN).

*adidas' 10+ campaign from 180, Amsterdam received the Grand Clio in the Integrated category, while Axe "Gamekillers" (BBH, NY) and CP+B's "Wonderful World of King" received Golds.

*Interactive Golds went to Philips "Shave Everywhere", Nike Football "The Chain" from Framfab, Copenhagen and Nike+.

*In Content & Contact, no Grand Clio was awarded, but Ford's Bold Moves (JWT, New York), BK Games and Victoria Bitters' "Talking Boony" work received Golds.

D&AD
May 24, 2007

*D&AD doled out one of its rare Black Pencils this year to R/GA's Nike+ site. No TV work received this highest honor.

*Yellow Pencils were given to TBWA's Skittles and Combos work, Vaseline "Sea of Skin", Aqualtis "Underwater World", Honda "Choir" and Tribeca Film Festival "Transvestite" (Ogilvy & Mather, NY).

*Virals that received Yellow Pencils included Sky One "The Simpsons" (Devilfish, London), the Adicolor podcast series (Idealogue), Dove "Evolution" and Charmin "A Little Bit Rude" (Publicis, London). Nike+ and Philips, along with Microsoft "Clearification" (Mekanism) and Weave Toshi "Daydream" from Japan received Yellow Pencils in the Websites category.

16th Annual AICP Show
June 5, 2007

*This year's AICP Show was a true mixed bag with no individual spot receiving more than two honors. Double-honorees included Vaseline "Sea of Skin", Coca-Cola "Happiness Factory", Sears "Arboretum", American Express "Wes Anderson" (O&M, NY) and MTV Staying Alive "Fetish" (Y&R, NY).

*Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, and the New York offices of BBDO and BBH were the most awarded agencies with four honors apiece, while MJZ repeated its turn as the most awarded production company with eight honors (Skittles "Leak", "Trade", Travelers "Snowball", Sears "Arboretum" x2, Coca-Cola "Parade", Fruit of the Loom "Blue", American Legacy Foundation "Singing Cowboy"), followed by Smuggler with five (Vaseline "Sea of Skin" x2, eBay "Ring", Sprite "Omnibus", Ecko Unlimited "Still Free").

*Advertising Excellence/Next honors went to Ecko "Still Free" (droga5), Sundance Channel "Iconoclasts" and Smirnoff "Tea Partay" (BBH, NY).

*Advertising Excellence/International honors went to Toyota "Humanity" and Boots "Summer Rush" (Mother, London), American Express "Wes Anderson" received Excellence/Single honors and Geico "Airport", "Topic" and "Therapy" won Excellence/Campaign.

ANDY Awards http://www.andyawards.com
AICP http://www.aicp.com
Clios http://www.clioawards.com
D&AD http://www.dandad.org
One Show http://www.oneclub.org