Day one over. Bring on the debate.

So it’s 5am and I can’t sleep. Even after 9 hours of watching a kabillion 3 minute films and a downing few pints at the judges’ pub last night (it’s nice to drink pints again – though I’m not use to them) jet lag is winning.

So I’m writing.

Yesterday was good. Inspiring. Exhausting, but hope-stirring – the creative industry is embracing the White Pencil. Although we seemed to be sitting in the coldest corner of this epic building – I forgot how cold London is in March – seven other jurors and from around the world and I sat down a watch 300 or so case study videos entered into the White Pencil and White Pencil Design.

                                                        Everyone is awed by their first view of the D&AD judging hall.

I’ve been honoured to judge all over the world, and every festival does it slightly differently. There’s a marking system out of 10. Split into groups, pre–screening and many more means to the end, but White Pencil is a yes or no.

It’s as brutal as that. 

And we don’t know what everyone else thinks, because it’s all on our own iPads.

It’s actually extremely hard. White Pencil isn’t as simple as, “is the idea good and is it well done”. It’s, “is the idea great, does it do great, and is it greatly executed”. The question I ask myself is do I wish I’d done that? That’s what flies around my head after every film. There are some amazingly brave ideas, and causes that do good and need recognition, but are their ideas original? Are they truly behaviour changing? And slightly cynically of me, have they been done to do good? Or to be perceived to do good?

Today, it isn’t going to be easy to figure out what ideas are worthy of InBook or White Pencil, so I better try to get some more sleep. But what is encouraging is that there are thousands of people around the globe using their creativity to do good.

So the world is winning whatever happens.

Ben Akers.

Creative Director, Republic of Everyone.

White Pencil Judge.