MDS AdSchool students score 19 finalists at shortlist stage of 2020 AdStars Awards and two finalists for the Student Orcas

August 4 2020, 5:04 pm | BY Ricki Green | No Comments
MDS AdSchool students score 19 finalists at shortlist stage of 2020 AdStars Awards and two finalists for the Student Orcas

From 1,651 entries from around the world in the non-professional category at the AdStars competition, 161 shortlisted finalists were announced last night.

 

Says Kate Humphries, programme leader, AdSchool: “The non-professional category is about encouraging students with a passion for commercial creativity to further their careers and with 19 finalists from MDS amongst those 161 finalists worldwide our AdSchool students are feeling more than encouraged.”

MDS finalists were named across a diverse range of categories this year including Brand Experience & Activation, Design, Film, Interactive, Mobile, Outdoor, PR, Print and Branded Information Videos.

Says Humphries: “It was especially heartening to see MDS winning two out of only 4 finalist places in Interactive; 2 out of 7 shortlisted places in both the Mobile and Outdoor categories; and 1 out of only 3 places in the Pivot category for work created in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“So, big congratulations to Callum McDonald & Chelsea Knowles for Private Parts (Durex); Christian Rae & Hanna Grant for 2-Metre Shoes (Nike); Harry Waugh & James McCulloch for Netflix Extended Families; Hanna Grant & Conal Wilson for Penguin Shelfies; Chinmay Patel & Leon Bristow for Press Penguin; Christian Rae & Joachim Pearson for Chair for the Mind (Penguin); Harry Waugh & Charlotte Upton for Audible Beacons; Pat & Mario Dario for Audible on Hold (shortlisted in two categories); Gabrielle Larsen for Makaurau Bike Share; Hanna Grant & Pat Brennan for Passive Aggressive Parents (NZ Electoral Commission); Joachim and Callum McDonald for DEYEY (ACC); Pat Brennan & Mario Dario for Eye Catching (ACC); Robyn Ramsey & Chelsea Knowles for Toys That Move On (Whirli Toy Library); and to Mario Dario for Skinny Life, as well as his 2 shortlisted placings for Free Now & Floating Cat (Media Design School).

“We also owe a huge thanks to our Industry panel for their feedback, which all of our students made wise use of in honing their AdStars submissions. So, hearty black slaps to Adam Barnes (DDB Auckland); Anna Paine & Owen Bryson (DDB Sydney); Hadleigh Sinclair & Jack Delmonte (WiTH Collective); Steve McCabe & Kim Fraser (Claude and Co.), Anthony Wilson (Freelance) and Will Sidnam (from his freelance perch in Paris).

“Whilst we’re on the subject of shortlisted entries, we’d just like to send some more congratulations out ahead of next week’s Orca luncheon to our two MDS teams-James McCulloch & Kathryn Prince for The Can’t Be Arsed Choir (NZ Electoral Commission) and Robyn Ramsey & Luke Roxburgh for No Opinion (NZ Electoral Commission). Both teams made a clean sweep of the Student Orca shortlist this year with apparently only one point between the winner and runner up, which means both teams are looking forward to a nail-biting announcement next Thursday.”