Axis: DDB and Colenso BBDO tie for honours in most important category

The Axis finalist list is out and three agencies can claim early honours.

Colenso BBDO and DDB are the big boys who’ve stacked the categories with more finalists than you can shake a stick at.

DDB leads the pack with 70, and Colenso cleans up behind with 54.

Saatchi & Saatchi and DraftFCB are on equal footing with 17 apiece and Clemenger BBDO does good things for the Welly people with six.

TBWA gets 12 and Ogilvy five. There are some other agencies in there too. Go on, if you haven't been mentioned, get angry. Let it all out. We're here for you.

One thing is for sure: Special will be prepping for a big night on stage. If the indie agency fails to convert at least one of its three big categories (Integrated, Interactive, and Titanium – all for Orcon/Iggy Pop), Ad Hoc will eat its hat.

Special managing partner Michael Redwood said the agency has had a 100% conversion from entries to finalists so far.

In the highly coveted “Charity” category, Colenso BBDO and DDB are head to head, each with eight finalists out of a whopping 20.

Each year at Axis, ad people compete fiercely to win in this category, considered by the industry as the hallmark of true creativity and held in high esteem above even “Best in Show”.

Who will take out the honours this year? Of note are Colenso’s LandSAR Yeti spot and DDB’s Coastguard NZ “Live Rescue”.

Colenso’s “Going West” animation for the New Zealand Book Council is also in with a grin.

But Publicis Mojo (with “Sign On” for Greenpeace), Saatchi & Saatchi (with work for Women’s Refuge) and Ogilvy (the Asthma Foundation) could all sneak in and pip them at the post.

It’s a sign that the charity category is really hot stuff in the advertising world now – it’s been seeing some of the most creative work ever, as it appears to have more finalists within its hallowed parameters than any other category on the list.

Last year the category had 15 to this year's 20, but Colenso led the pack by a nose.

An insider tells me there is great gnashing of teeth* at Special, as while the agency looks to dominate in Integrated, Interactive and Titanium – something almost unheard of for an indie agency – it’s failed to get an entry in this highly respected category.

*Statement may be completely false.

On a serious note, massive respect for the LandSAR spot. It’s not often an ad has the potential to give you nightmares. (Barring that creepy munter on the “Spin” ads for LTNZ.)

Other stuff I’d like to see win in general? Colenso’s “Wrecking Balls” (Fonterra) because it's a smashing spot (hardy har har) and their jetpack man for V, simply for creating huge conversation around it.

Saatchi’s “Grenade” for Rodney District Council where they blew up a car and then put it back together is also on my list. (I know y'all hate it, but you have to admit that blowing stuff up and calling it your day job is pretty cool.)

But charity ads, folks, charity ads are where it's at for Axis 2010. All the evidence points to it.

Lead on.