NOVA Entertainment wins Round 3 of Siren Awards

The creative team at NOVA Entertainment has taken out Round 3 of the Siren Awards with an emotional ad for homelessness.

“Walk a Mile in My Boots” was written to raise awareness for homelessness and the Hutt Street Centre in Adelaide and has won the single category and Round 3 overall.

The ad draws on the real-life experience of ‘Scott’ and how Hutt Street helped him overcome homelessness and get back on his feet.

For co-creator Eddie Bye, using Scott gave the ad authenticity.

“Scott wasn’t an actor. We wanted to bring to life someone’s real, lived experience of their life on the streets and how Hutt Street Centre helped them overcome that.

“It also featured a call to action for people to get involved with the Walk a Mile in My Boots fundraiser.”

Co-creator Demi Williams agrees Scott ‘made’ the ad.

“The ad stops down an ad break and hits you hard because Scott is a real person. That kind of vulnerability demands attention.”

Other Round 3 winners include Southern Cross Austereo SEA FM sound studio and sound engineers David Horspool and Cameron Horn; named winner of the craft category for the ad “Doors” for Brisbane Waters Private   Hospital.

The Studio at SCA was also highly commended in the campaign category with the ad “The Weather Doesn’t Matter” for Crisp Air created by Mitch Mitchell and Matt Dickson.

Run by Commercial Radio Australia, the Siren Awards are judged over five rounds throughout the year with the winner of the 2019 Gold Siren winner to be announced next May.

The winner and the client both receive a trip to the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.

Silver Sirens are awarded in each of the three categories: single, campaign and craft. There’s also a client-voted award: a $5000 cash prize presented to the writers of the ad voted the best by a panel of clients.

Listen to the winning ads here.