McCann Melbourne’s Dumb Ways to Die has won the Grand Prix in the Direct Lions category and three Gold Lions in all of the Direct Lions categories it was shortlisted.

The agency also won two Bronze Lions for its Guilt Trips campaign for V/Line and another Bronze in Promo, while Impossible Orchestra for the federal government’s Care Aware initiative won Bronze in PR.

Dumb Ways to Die was listed in the Best Integrated Campaign led by Direct Marketing, Social media and Viral Marketing, and Public Health and Safety Awareness Categories.

John Mescall, executive creative director of McCann Australia, says of the victory, “What a great night for McCann: 11 Lions across three campaigns for three clients. A brilliant result for the whole agency, I just couldn’t be any happier.”

“When you’re trying to achieve behavioural change in a world of blunt instruments, it’s far more effective to bring people along than hit them with your message. Rather than repel young people who didn’t want to hear a message about train safety, Dumb Ways to Die spoke to them in their language and made it socially acceptable to discuss something as ‘boring’ as being safe around trains,” he says.

Leo Burnett Sydney’s Small World Machines campaign for Coca-Cola was also awarded two Gold Lions and a Bronze Lion in the categories of large scale Ambient Media, Best Integrated Campaign and Other Digital Platforms led by Direct Marketing.

Australian Direct Lions Winners:

Grand Prix –

• Dumb Ways to Die for Metro Trains by McCann Melbourne

Gold Lion – 

• Small World Machines for Coca-Cola by Leo Burnett Sydney – Ambient Media (large scale)
• Dumb Ways to Die for Metro Trains by McCann Melbourne – Social Media and Viral Marketing
• Small World Machines for Coca-Cola by Leo Burnett Sydney – Other Digital Platforms
• Dumb Ways to Die for Metro Trains by McCann Melbourne – Public Health and Safety, Public Awareness Messages

Silver Lion – 

• Air Force FM for Defence Force Recruiting by George Patterson Y&R Melbourne – Dimensional Mailing
• Fair Go Bro for Virgin Mobile Australia by Havas Worldwide Australia North Sydney – Acquisitions
• Fair Go Bro for Virgin Mobile Australia by Havas Worldwide Australia North Sydney – Commercial Public Services

Bronze Lion – 

• Telekinize the Rainbow for Skittles by Clemenger BBDO – Fast Moving Consumer Goods
• Guilt Trips for V/Line by McCann Melbourne – Travel, Entertainment and Leisure
• Guilt Trips for V/Line by McCann Melbourne – Best Integrated Campaign led by Direct Marketing
• Small World Machines for Coca-Cola by Leo Burnett Sydney – Best Integrated Campaign led by Direct Marketing