Awarding Outstanding Ideas in Advertising, Digital, Events.

Golden Award of Montreux 2024 winners announced

The awards, established in 1989 and dedicated to exceptional creative achievement, only recognises work worthy of winning Gold and, this year, the event named Serviceplan Germany’s commercial The Kids as its prestigious Ad of the Year.

The three-minute film for supermarket chain Penny was directed by Gregory Ohrel and produced by Akkurat Studios and is an insightful portrayal of children’s wishes and societal concerns, highlighting real-life scenarios in which young people’s voices often go unheard.

Other winners include BETC Paris, which won four Gold Medals, one of which was in the Humour category for the Canal+ spot, Papa, in which a young girl creates a darkly funny drama at a hospital bedside. The spot was made to highlightsthe key role played by the TV channel in funding short films.

Havas Play Paris won in the Direct Marketing category with work for L’Enfant Bleu. The campaign saw the creation of a book which was distributed to parents before the summer vacation. Called The Hidden Story, the book, illustrated by Chloé Mencarelli, told parents how to better protect their children in the digital space.

Cheil Germany’s campaign for Samsung Black Friday picked up two wins, in the Best Use of Mobile Media and Mobile Direct Marketing. The campaign involved the creation of app featuring a digital amusement park. Visitors to the online park could discover six immersive games shaped like Samsung products. By winning a game, they unlocked a discount code which immediately lowered the prices to certain Samsung products.

Elsewhere, India achieved huge success at the 2024 awards, winning four Gold Medals in Best Use of Social Media, Packaging Design, Corporate Films and Social Media Online Video. However, for Ajay Chandwani, Managing Committee Member at The Advertising Club India, it was unsurprising, given the country’s rich creative heritage: “In India, storytelling is an art form that is valued for its ability to bring out pure emotions and create meaningful connections with customers,” he said. “Unlike work seen through a perfect filter, Indian storytelling thrives on its raw and authentic beauty, delivering creative and fulfilling stories that resonate with audiences.”

In addition to the individual accolades, the Golden Award of Montreux also recognises outstanding agencies and networks, with BETC Paris crowned Agency of the Year for 2024, and Havas emerging as the Network of the Year.

The jury for the 2024 Golden Award of Montreux reflects the broad field of communication and is made up of inspirational individuals from 21 different countries. Among the jurors are CEOs of advertising agencies, creative directors, global marketing and communication managers for international clients and university professors.

„The quality of the submissions was top-notch, easily rivaling what you’d see at major festivals,” said Joseph Dubruque, Associate Creative Director at McCann Paris, and one of this year’s jurors. “It was a blast to dive into such impressive and creative work!”

In total, 42 Gold Medals were awarded across six main categories; Digital, Media, Print, Film, Design and Event. A special focus for the Golden Award of Montreux is also the Talent Award, with more than 300 students participating from advertising and film schools, in countries including the USA, Canada, South Korea, Austria, Germany and Brazil. Mayara Schmidt, Senior Art Director at McCann Worldgroup New York, and another of this year’s jurors, was „happy to see how and what young professionals have been thinking.”