A King from Germany Won Over Cannes / PLEXIGLAS "King Acrylius"

The insight

Rather than simply explaining why the material is superior, they invented a hand-drawn character called "King Acrylius." It's an attempt to convey, in a fable-like, humorous way, the almost royal status this new material called plastic seemed to hold.

The idea

An animated film. The transparent, tough acrylic sheet is turned into a person, appearing crowned as "King Acrylius." The title is "253,000 Hours" — whether that number refers to the acrylic glass's durability or the total time spent making the campaign couldn't be confirmed.

What happened

In 1965 it won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, the first time a German advertising film had done so. The following year it was also honored in New York as the best foreign advertising film. The logotype that came out of this "king" campaign went on to be used as PLEXIGLAS's brand mark for the next 37 years.

Afterthought

Even though this footage is 60 years old, the way it hands the storytelling over to a character to explain a material doesn't feel dated at all. If anything, it feels like there's less room today for this kind of humor and fantasy in advertising. PLEXIGLAS was used as aircraft windshields during the war, then became signboards and jukebox lids afterward, and eventually this animated film won at Cannes. Following the way a material can travel through history like that makes me want to go on a journey too.

Awards

• Cannes Lions Grand Prix 1965

Featured in

• Only the Ones Marked 'First'Reading through the Grand Prix records in order, from the very first in 1954 to 2022

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