It’s always a great honour to judge awards for creative excellence and represent our industry.
I’m fairly well known for craft excellence and have over two decades of experience in the industry with a solid understanding of what it takes to bring creativity to life from a production and technical perspective. In the past, I’ve judged for multiple shows but most recently the Effie awards which are focussed on marketing efficacy.
First I high fived myself, then I told my team, friends and fam. It’s always a good feeling to be selected as a judge.
It’s the acknowledgement of my experience and expertise from my peers, that of course means a great deal to me.
I’m judging Digital Crafts: Use of Technology
Usually, it’s a great opportunity to reconnect with old colleagues, to network and meet new people, as well as some of the young up and coming talent in the industry.
Technical innovation and the use of technology in new and interesting ways when crafting a big idea or platform.
“Is it my grey beard?” - I think the impact has been far-reaching in a number of ways but for starters, it’s made the world a much smaller place, the opportunity for us all to collaborate through digital enablement is great and has forced transformation for those that weren’t collaborating in this way in the past. We’ve also seen a massive shift to digital experiences and virtual production solutions over some of the more traditional routes in the past which is exciting.
There’s the time I won a Loeries Grand Prix for the Musica Flow Browser, it was probably the first time a digital agency was acknowledged at that level and it stands out as a real defining moment. It was also pretty rad that we got to meet Knight Rider, aka the HOFF, which was a childhood dream as he was the host that year. It was also a super techie idea with brilliant craft!
We will see far more data lead campaigns and ideas, followed by empathetic work with purpose that is there to inspire and create positive impact.
South African creatives are so diverse culturally and have a great sensibility that makes for so many interesting creative perspectives, which ultimately drives relevance and quality of the narrative in their work, and when judging it.
I think it means to continually nurture and inspire young creative talent to follow their dreams, to be the sounding board they need to push themselves beyond their comfort zones and to see their ideas through to fruition even when it feels like it’s impossible. Then to go to war for them at the times that they feel they need it most. Basically to lead with empathy and fight the good fight!
I think it's getting exposed to the amazing stories that make me think, wow I wish I had done that, or the inspiration that drives me to be a better creative leader, and to make a real impact in people's lives through the platform I have.