L’EQUIPE | MOTHER | 2005
What the mother saw in the newspaper was her son / L'EQUIPE "MOTHER"
An ad for L'EQUIPE that won Gold at Cannes in 2005. The title alone—"MOTHER"—gives you a hint of what it's about before you even read further, and it already tugs at something.
The problem
L'EQUIPE is a French sports newspaper. It covers a wide range of sports, from soccer to cycling to rugby, and in France there's hardly anyone who doesn't know it. The campaign was made by DDB Paris, an agency known for its strength in the French advertising world. Ads for sports papers tend to lean on the excitement of competition and big numbers, so it's striking that this campaign moves away from that and chooses "MOTHER" as its angle instead.
The insight
A newspaper can mean completely different things depending on who's reading it and why. A newspaper probably reads very differently to an athlete than it does to that athlete's mother, even if it's the exact same page. If the campaign is built on noticing that gap, it's a pretty sharp insight.
What happened
The work won Gold at the Cannes Lions in 2005. I couldn't find a detailed explanation of the actual visuals or copy, but just the fact that it won an award speaks to how well-crafted the ad must have been.
Afterthought
Honestly, my search didn't turn up a detailed explanation of this piece. But I imagine it's the kind of ad that, with just the single word "Mother" as its title, makes you picture the connection between a newspaper, a family, and pride. The simple fact that a sports paper chose to talk about "mother" instead of "winning and losing" is already enough to make this ad interesting. If I learn more details, I'd like to come back and add to this.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2005
