Letter from the Ed

It will be almost three months after the 55th Cannes Advertising Festival when you read this and the dust is beginning to settle.

Many of the issues raised by the award winners this year are issues to be investigated and interrogated on the next 80 pages.

For instance, three of the winners at Cannes which we feature here come from JWT. How come this advertising agency is picking up awards for direct when RMG, its direct marketing sibling, won none?

I argue in my short piece, 'Cannes Round-up', that direct is splitting into direct direct and indirect direct.

And we have outstanding examples of both.

From Proximity London, for instance, there's the 'Doctor's Notes', a classic example of how to reach a carefully targeted audience and steer them towards their VW dealership to test drive a new Passat.

Similarly, Gregor Aigner's 'Chinese Mailing' for SCHOTT is a clever piece of direct mail aimed at makers of ceramic cooker hobs. Target audiences don't come much more specific than that.

If that's direct direct, compare and contrast with Rapp Collins India's ambient idea for Hariyali, an environment protection group. The target audience is anyone with a heart.

DDB Canada's 'Fruitify Yourself' posters are aimed at anyone in the shopping mall that day, though, admittedly, kids are the most likely passers-by to be entranced at seeing themselves so suddenly fruity.

BMF, Sydney, an agency which really does not recognise any line, submitted both direct direct and indirect direct campaigns.

Their work for Tooheys Extra Dry connects outdoor to mobile phone ingeniously to reach a mass audience to build the brand, while their 3-D mailer for BPAY is classic DM, sent out to a list of just 35 decision-makers.

Of the 40 or so ideas selected for this issue, we hope there is plenty to challenge you, even irritate you, but, most of all, inspire you.

One little plea

If you are an agency god, an executive creative director, perhaps, or an MD, a CEO, a Vice-Chair or even the Chair itself, while we are delighted you have subscribed to Directory, we believe our magazine is made for sharing.

Yes, all eight issues look nice in a colourful row on a shelf in your office and yes, your underlings may well have grubby fingers which will mess up the pages, but please - let them have a look. Let their eager minds soak up the details of some of the world's best DM.

'I can see Directory on the coffee table in the CEO's office but woe betide the person who tries to liberate it,' one tearful young direct marketer told us.

So, you lordly ones, why not draw up a circulation list of those you trust and allow them to read the magazine in turn. Or hold a coffee morning. Assemble the team and allow them to benefit from your candid assessments of the work on show. Or having read it yourself, leave it in reception. Let it live a life of its own. Or why not (and here's a thought) take out another subscription?

Till we meet again in Issue 9,

Patrick