The last time Larry Kimmel sat down for a lengthy interview with Direct was in March 2001. Today the world is a much different place, not only for global reasons but for others that hit close to the essence of his livelihood.

In 2001, Kimmel was chairman and CEO of the venerable DM agency Grey Direct. In 2004, Grey was absorbed into WPP, and the agency recently was rechristened G2 Direct & Digital.

Consumer behavior also has changed. Five years ago, iPods and TiVo didn’t exist, cell phones weren’t a mandatory accessory, and only half the country’s population was online. Now, more than 80% of the United States has Web access, greater than basic cable-TV penetration.

The Marketing Agencies Association (MAA) Worldwide recognized 14 Globes winners and 44 Gold, Silver and Bronze finalists during the Oct. 27 gala held during its annual fall conference in Palm Beach, FL.

Gran Prix & Best Entertainment Campaign

Agency: TBWA, Korea

Client: SK Telecom

Although KT Group was the official telecom sponsor for the 2002 Korea/Japan FIFA World Cup, SK Telecom wanted to take the lead with Korean consumers. As a non-official partner, SK Telecom had limited marketing options, so the brand went after the Red Devils, the country’s national football supporters group.

Be the Reds invited Koreans to join the Red Devils “support” team and learn special team cheers before the Cup began. It then distributed millions of Be the Reds T-shirts. Consumers showed their support by wearing the shirts in the streets during key Cup matches. TVs in trains and massive SK Telecom-logoed screens in public areas let Koreans watch the matches on the go. And no one could stop fans from wearing their “support” T-shirts outside or even inside the stadium. Millions streamed into the streets and screamed SK’s team cheers during key matches and goals. The shirts ultimately became the “national uniform” for team supporters. The result? Koreans thought SK Telecom was the official World Cup sponsor; recognition for SK Telecom eclipsed KT Group in consumer awareness; SK Telecom signed up 96,000 new customers and generated a share increase of 22% to a 53%-plus share for the telecommunications category.

Best Multi-Discipline Campaign (tie) & Best Charity Campaign

Agency: Lowe, Thailand

Client: Cerebos

Cerebos makes Brand’s Essence of Chicken, a tonic food supplement bottled with an aluminum cap. For every Brand’s gift basket given to friends and family, Cerebos donated 10 baht to the Artificial Leg Foundation, which provides prostheses at low cost or free to thousands of Thais (much of the cost of the limbs is for materials, such as aluminum). Basket recipients could also donate the caps to the ALF. More than 3 million caps were collected; the ALF produced more than 60,000 prosthetics; sales of Essence of Chicken doubled; gift basket sales increased 20%; and huge displays were assembled in key accounts and outside pharmacies.

Best Multi-Discipline Campaign (tie)

Agency: Momentum, Israel

Client: Pelephone Cellular

Israel’s cell phone market is saturated, with penetration over 90% among older audiences. Cellular provider Pelephone moved from third to first place after launching Esc, a new cell phone for Israeli youth. Field reps took to the streets, discos, schoolyards, movie theatres and the beach to spread the word about the phone and its “mobile entertainment” capabilities. P-O-P materials and demo stations at malls and college campuses supported. Pelephone gave out thousands of premiums and in six months, signed 101,000 new subscribers (six months ahead of schedule).

Best Account-Specific Program

Agency: AVC Marketing Promocional, Argentina

Client: Carrefour

In December 2001, Argentina’s economy fell apart and consumer spending fell. Grocer Carrefour leveraged its 20th anniversary with the One Cart a Minute campaign. Every few minutes, a consumer received a ticket at checkout that gave her access to a special archway at store exits. Under the arch, she pressed a button, releasing a cacophony of sounds and lights. Carrefour recorded its highest sales month ever, with 4 million consumers participating 3.5 times each; 25,000 won a full refund on their groceries, and 125,000 won smaller prizes.

Best Event Marketing Campaign

Agency: Eskadra BTL, Poland

Client: Grupa Zywiec

Poland’s No. 1 beer brand Zywiec targeted city residents ages 18 to 45 in Warsaw, Gdañsk, Gliwice and Kraków with the Zywiec Humor Museum, a traveling interactive display that showcased jokes, comedies, stories and abstract humor. With exhibition space of 300 sq. meters (about 3,200 square feet), occupying huge tents and open-air exhibits, the road show drew more than 107,000 visitors, and over 50,000 visited the brewer’s cinema and open-air exhibitions. The press loved it too, printing and airing more than 300 stories about the brand and the program.

Best Use of Direct Marketing

Agency: PowerPact LLC, USA

Client: Lexus

The Lexus Lap of Luxury campaign offered more than 700,000 women a spa visit in exchange for a test drive of a Lexus. A test earned a $60 Aveda spa credit; purchasing a Lexus earned a $320 spa-tificate. Codes on vouchers enabled redemption measurement. Support included targeted e-mails to 20,000 prospects; spa and dealership P-O-P materials; and cars on display at select spas. More than 79% of the test-drivers/purchasers had never owned a Lexus before. [Editor’s note: This campaign won the PRO Award for direct marketing. See p. 42 for more details.]

Best Use of Interactive Marketing

Agency: Dialogue Marketing, U.K.

Client: Weetabix LLC

To beat out Kellogg’s Cornflakes for the No. 1 cereal position in England, Weetabix offered consumers a “virtual” house filled with £1 million worth of prizes. The Web site home featured cars in the garage, entertainment systems in the lounge, computers in the den and washing machines in the kitchen. Codes printed inside Weetabix boxes instantly told consumers if if they had won. Winners went to a prize room to claim their favorite item. Support included house-shaped P-O-P displays. The Web site recorded more than 556,000 visits (323,000 unique), and sales for the month increased 7%.

Best Activity Generating Brand Awareness & Trial

Agency: DVC Worldwide, USA

Client: Georgia-Pacific

Georgia-Pacific revived its Brawny paper towel brand via the Do You Know a Brawny Man? campaign. Consumers sent photos and essays on how their men (husbands, sons, brothers) embodied the strength, toughness and dependability of the brand. Judges identified 12 finalists, then America voted for the winner by mail or online. The winner received a Dodge Durango and his picture on Brawny packages. Finalists were featured in a Brawny Man Calendar. A national FSI, interactive games on the Web site, in-store graphics in 9,000 stores, TV spots and extensive p.r. supported. Sales were up 12% during the promotion; volume was 31% higher than the same month in 2001, and share increased 10%.

Best Activity Generating Brand Loyalty

Agency: Marden Kane, U.S.

Client: Starbucks Coffee Co.

The Starbucks Stirs You, Vespa Moves You sweepstakes was a loyalty program wrapped around the coffee-maker’s frequent-user card. Each time a consumer purchased beverage, food or coffee products, or re-loaded his card, he was automatically entered in the sweeps for trips to Italy, Vespa motorscooters, goggles, leather messenger bags, locks and loaded Starbucks cards. Print ads, in-store and online banner ads supported, while Vespa retailers cross-promoted. Starbucks got more than 2.5 million sweeps entries; daily new card registrations increased more than 230% and the Italy-themed card was the fastest-seller offered to date. On launch day, Starbucks.com experienced a record number of visits from customers.

Best Dealer or Sales Force Activity

Agency: PowerPact LLC, U.S.

Client: Aventis Pharmaceuticals

Aventis’ Connection Cards helped oncologists communicate better with patients, while generating measurable results for the brand. Gift packs containing note cards and long-distance phone cards made it easier for patients to call or write loved ones. Information on treatment options, contacts for cancer survivors and news on Aventis’ breast cancer drug Taxotere were also included. Reps delivered 60,000 Connection Cards gift packs to their accounts in time for Breast Cancer Awareness month (October). Aventis reps also had coupons for medical wigs and taxi vouchers. More than 87% of reps surveyed said the program enhanced relationships with their accounts; all said they would participate next year. [Editor’s note: This campaign took the PRO Award for dealer and sale force campaigns. See p. 42.]

Best Small Budget Campaign

Agency: Yalla-Active Marketing, Israel

Client: The Sigler Group

To launch the Hebrew version of Time Out magazine, a two-pronged program targeted Tel-Aviv residents ages 20 to 45. For five weekends, field reps for the events magazine lounged around Tel-Aviv on Time Out-branded easy-chairs under branded parasols and camped outside the offices of potential advertisers. The reps explained they were “Taking a Time Out,” and told passersby where they could buy the magazine. Next, phony camera crews visited top discos to “interview” people about the magazine (those interviewed didn’t know there was no film in the cameras). After three months, circulation grew from zero to 55,000 copies (183% over expectations).

Best Use of Advertising

Agency: Promarket, Israel

Client: Procter & Gamble

P&G made sure Israel knew that just one bottle of Fairy could wash thousands of dirty plates — enough to qualify for the Guinness Book of World Records. Students at Ben Gurion University received 25,000 servings of pasta and tomato sauce via a giant feast aired on national TV. Guinness Book accountants and attorneys confirmed that 20,868 dishes had been washed using just one bottle of soap. Within three months Fairy market share reached 28.8% (equal to Palmolive, the category leader for the past 10 years).

Most Innovative Idea or Concept

Agency: LIME PR & Promotions, U.S.

Client: Meow Mix

Meow Mix used “Keeping Cats Happy: Meow TV — the first TV show for cats (and the people they tolerate)” as the umbrella for a variety of brand-building activities. The Oxygen Network aired the first episode. The press loved it — more than 250 million media impressions were generated by a Jay Leno TV monologue, and stories ran on CNBC, NPR, CNN, Extra!, and in The New York Times, Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly and People Magazine. [Editor’s note: This campaign also took the top PRO Award for communication strategy. See p. 42.]

2003 globes finalists

NOTE: The judges did not name Globes in all categories.

Best Multi-Discipline Campaign

Gold: Stoli — Look Beneath the Surface, LIME PR & Promotions, USA

Silver: Northern Ireland Neutering Campaign, 141, UK

Best Use of Advertising

Gold: Be The Reds, TBWA, Korea

Silver: Pepsi Twist, 361/BBDO, Argentina

Bronze: Nestlé & You Million Quiz Show, Sight Momentum, Brazil

Best Use of Direct Marketing

Gold: The Scout, Grupo Contrapunto, Spain

Silver: Little People First Birthday Club, Eric Mower & Assoc., USA

Bronze: Guardian Enfield Door Drop, Claydon Heeley Jones Mason, UK

Most Innovative Idea or Concept

Gold: Ikea Sleepwalker, Division 4 McCann Erickson, Austria

Gold: Spotlight on Teachers, Opts Events, USA

Best Use of Interactive Media

Gold: My What a Kiss (Coty Fragrance), Entertainment Mktg., USA

Silver: When You Know You Win!, Tokenzone, Venezuela

Most Effective Long-Term Promotion Marketing

Gold: Kellogg’s American Dream, Draft, USA

Silver: Camp Jeep, BBDO Detroit, USA

Bronze: Ultimate Air & Ground Campaign, Velocity Sports & Entertainment, USA

Best Activity Generating Brand Awareness & Trial

Gold: Be The Reds, TBWA, Korea

Silver: McV Spot, Dialogue Mktg., UK

Bronze: Arto to Your Taste, Plus Promotion CPM, Austria

Best Activity Generating Brand Volume

Gold: WONKAaahh!!, Frankel, USA

Gold: Coors Light Tracker Bottle, Mktg. Drive Worldwide, Canada

Silver: One Chango A Minute, AVC Mktg. Promocional, Argentina

Bronze: Puppy In Pack, SMP, UK

Best Activity Generating Brand Loyalty

Gold: Huggies Loyalty Program, Momentum, Israel

Silver: Dole My Greens, Seismicom, USA

Silver: Mail of Joy Campaign, TMAdraft, Russia

Best Business-to-Business

Gold: Manpower — A Lot More Than You Thought!, Target Market Group, Israel

Silver: Upfront Skit, Court TV, USA

Best Retail Account-Specific or Channel

Gold: Puppy in Pack, SMP, UK

Silver: Monsters Zellers, Onyx Mktg. Group, Canada

Silver: Wal-Mart Veterans Day, Idea Connections, USA

Best Dealer or Sales Force Activity

Gold: Campaign Nikita, Faza, Israel

Silver: Break the Bank, The Mktg. Store, Canada

Silver: The All Blacks Experience, Wow Rapp Collins, New Zealand

Best Entertainment Campaign

Gold: Smirnoff Catch The Match, Triangle Communications, UK

Silver: Get Game Ready, Accumark Promotions Group, Canada

Silver: The Human Concert of G.O.D. for 100 Days, Cheil, Korea

Best Cause or Charity Marketing

Gold: Duracell Fire Safety, Onyx Mktg. Group, Canada

Gold: Northern Ireland Neutering Campaign, 141, Uk

Best Event Marketing

Gold: Mazda RX8 Launch Campaign, Hakuhodo, Japan

Gold: Fairy Dishwashing Liquid, Promarket, Israel

Silver: Rexona Ter-Temiz, Spy, Turkey

Best Small Budget Campaign

Gold: Forensic Day, Court TV, USA

Bronze: Matchbox to the Rescue, Ryan Partnership, Canada

Bronze: Walking Cargill’s Olive Oils, Mix 21 Comunicaçao, Brazil

About the Globes

Sponsored by the MAA in association with marketing organizations and media around the world, the Globes honor outstanding promotion, event, entertainment, sports and direct marketing campaigns. (PROMO’s PRO Awards served as the MAA’s U.S. media partner and the American entry-point into the Globes program).

This year the competition went online, adding to the convenience and economy of entering. As a consequence, the number of entries nearly doubled over last year to 290. A multinational panel of 35 judges met “virtually” on the Internet in September to select the 58 finalists. Campaigns were scored on originality, execution, performance and concept.