Thank you Festival of Media for an amazing opportunity to be a part of the judging panel for the 2024 awards! After reading countless global entries, scoring them, watching case study videos over six hours, and having a spirited dialogue on brand work, here is what I took away: 1. There is an art to debating with people - It's a conversational sparring match in which intellectual intentions yield respectful disagreements and civil resolutions. 2. Human truths add meaning to lifeless products - Not every product from a brand has a needed purpose in our lives. The products aren't the star of the lifestyle show we all individually star in ("Previously on Being Me") and often need an injection of humanity to make it make sense. 3. Internal bias is a reflection of our absorbed experiences - That voice inside your head, the internal dialogue and debate you have within yourself to be heard, to be right, to be loudest, to be fastest, to be better, to be smarter, CONSTANTLY needs to be checked. Shelving my psychological proclivities in place of the actual definition of the award category being judged and listening to my gut instinct when it comes to inclusivity and marginalized experiences being catapulted into the mainstream via advertising. 4. The global outlook on life > the local lens on life - In other parts of the world, brands show up in a way that replaces or challenges the government. They provide philanthropic solutions for those with no way forward or connect people to possibilities that change the immediate quality of their lives. Thank you Leah Mellard for the coordination throughout the entire process! #wavemaker #awards #media #judge #panel #creative
Another superb Festival of Media Global Awards judging session took place as our leading industry experts deliberated over which campaigns should be crowned this years winners. Find out who has secured gold, silver and bronze at the ceremony taking place at Wavemaker, Sea Containers House. Get your complimentary ticket here: https://lnkd.in/eubmEQJc Thank you judges! Kimberly Phan, Kristin Oliver, Luis Pedro Estrada, Jonathan Gipson, Will Wiseman, Yvonne Gerald, Taslim Okunola, Barbara Toscano, Cobi Zhang, Lindsay Garfinkle, Esther (ET) Franklin, Matthew Mansour, Jesús Benitez
Thank you for sharing these insightful reflections. The point about human truths really resonates. How do you think brands can better integrate humanity into their products and marketing strategies?