Rothco has won the Creative Data Grand Prix for its artificial intelligence campaign, JFK Unsilenced, for The Times / News UK & Ireland.
That win marks its 7th Lion at this year’s Cannes Lions, across four categories.
Rothco’s Cannes Lions mark the first-ever Grand Prix, Gold and Silver Lions for its parent, Accenture Interactive, which has been strategically bolstering its creative capabilities, as part of its end-to-end customer experience offering.
The campaign used specialised AI technology to create The Dallas Trade Mart speech, the speech that John F. Kennedy was meant to make in Dallas on the day he was assassinated, using the 35th US president’s own voice.
JFK Unsilenced’s Cannes Lions are:
- Grand Prix: Creative Data Lions
- Gold, Radio & Audio Lions: Innovation – Use of Audio Technology
- Silver, Radio & Audio Lions: Sector: Media/Entertainment
- Silver: Digital Craft Lions – Technological Achievement
- Silver: Film Craft – Sound Design
- Bronze: Radio & Audio Lions – Sound Design
- Bronze: Digital Craft Lions — Music / Sound Design
Read the case study and here the speech here.
“Being awarded the Grand Prix for JFK Unsilenced speaks to the rising influence of AI in producing great experiences today, not just in the future,” stated Brian Whipple, chief executive officer, Accenture Interactive.
“It represents a dawn for new creatives as they ultimately consider how to work in collaboration with technology to bring stories to life and redefine what creativity means.”
“JFK Unsilenced celebrates data aggregation as an art and science,” added Patrick Hickey, chief executive officer, Rothco.
“In most cases, data sharpens a story. However, in this case, it made it possible to tell it. Fifty-five years later, through advanced sound technology, JFK’s unspoken speech captivates a new generation. We’re thrilled to have this work recognised with a Grand Prix for its ability to combine data, creativity and technology to deliver profound human impact.”
The JFK Unsilenced film, which launched in March, generated more than 4.5K registrations to The Times & The Sunday Times, as well as a 51 million Twitter reach and one billion media impressions globally. Many of The Times’ competitors covered the campaign, including The Guardian, Daily Mail, The Sun, The Daily Mirror, The Washington Post, The Independent & The Evening Standard.
The campaign’s breakthrough audio technique has been adopted by companies around the world to help ALS sufferers rediscover their voice. To create the speech, Rothco reviewed 831 JFK speeches and interviews with help from its partners at The Times / News UK & Ireland and CereProc) before the intricate process of sound engineering began.
The Lions will be added to Rothco’s haul of awards for JFK Unsilenced – 2 Gold Pencils at the One Show in New York and 3 D&AD Pencils in London.
Rothco & The Times: JFK delivers the greatest speech never made
