Cannes Short List 2009
In the heart of downtown Toronto lies the ever-expanding Dundas Square, Canada’s answer to New York’s Times Square. In this popular location, Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol brand posted a large backlit board with an eye-catching execution of a man suffering from a headache. To emphasize his pain, a large wrecking ball, suspended from a 3D crane above the board, was smashed through, and stuck in the man’s forehead.
How it came about:
I’m a firm believer that opportunity lies within almost every creative brief. When our Tylenol clients came to us looking for a few billboards for Yonge/Dundas Square, they were adamant that the boards should all depict relief. We suggested that showing the problem would make much more memorable advertising. They conceded that one of their five boards could be used to communicate the impact of pain. And boy, did that board have impact! It drove sales, got great PR, and even got shortlisted at the Clios and Cannes.
It all started with a simple sketch.
Staple - This ad was positioned so that the magazine's middle staple ran through the woman's forehead to communicate the pain of a headache.
Staple Gun - Ambient
