MAD STARS’ Conversation with the Executive Jury: What were these global judges looking for and what impressed them?
August 21, 2024
The special session, Conversation with the Executive Jury, that began a three-day series of speaker sessions at MAD STARS, is always a highlight of the festival, a glimpse into the judging rooms, the advertising trends of the year and the thinking that turned great work into winning work.
This year’s MAD STARS Executive Judges were Emma de la Fosse, chief creative officer, Edelman UK; Matt MacDonald, chief creative officer, BBDO New York; Suzana Apelbaum, head of creative and innovation, Google; and Gabriel Lora, VP of Strategy & Innovation de FCB Newlink.
The first question by moderator, Sangsoo Chong, the vice chairperson of the MAD STARS Organising Committee, was to choose one keyword that epitomised what the juries were looking for.
For Matt MacDonald it was originality. He was looking for ideas that he hasn’t been seen before, that surprised him with their novelty, a requirement that he admitted was hard these days. For Suzana Apelbaum it was humanity because, she said, we are currently surrounded by AI conversations. She wanted to see work that brought humanity into the picture, that used AI to elevate humanity and human creativity that worked with AI. For Emma de la Fosse, it was cultural insight. So much of the work that is created is global, she said, but local cultural insights spoke universally to her jury. For Gabriel Lora, it was strategic thinking. Coming from a very different country, he wanted to see how problems were solved and impact created in local environments.
The second question was for each executive juror to choose the work that impressed them the most.
For Gabriel Lora, this was My Japan Railway (by Dentsu Inc. Tokyo for JR Group), in its essence a design campaign that amplified design, was useful, functional and had a massive impact on people.
For Suzana Apelbaum, it was AI President (by IMPACT BBDO Dubai and Addition New York for AnNahar Newspaper). Lebanon had been without a sitting president for the last two years, and following thirteen failed attempts of the Lebanese parliament to elect one, AnNahar Newspaper built and launched a fully functioning AI version using its own articles to create policies. It was a very striking demonstration of how AI can drive political and social change, how human creativity can work with AI to develop a campaign that stands out for its difference, and that demonstrates fantastic use of a company’s own data. Lastly, the campaign quietly but persuasively underlined what the newspaper stands for – non-bias and objectively journalism.
Matt MacDonald had two vastly different choices. The first was What The Fast! (by Leo Burnett Group Thailand for Kungsri First Choice), chosen for engaging an audience in a short, sharp and brilliant fashion with absurd Thai humour. Its three 15-second films about life scenarios that are typically difficult, drawn-out, and complex were juxtaposed with the swift and straightforward service of Krungsri First Choice, the brand’s core message of simplicity and speed, while resonating with people’s desire for a hassle-free life.
MacDonald’s second choice was Fit My Feet (by McCann Gurugram for Buckaroo footwear). It was a campaign, he said, that most brands would never take on. The campaign developed a kit for creating individualised shoes for people with clubfoot. The campaign included a partnership with local cobblers (that normally be overlooked by a brand), providing them with revenue. The kit was designed to work with traditional tools. And the resulting shoes had a minimal price tag. (Clubfoot is a condition mostly of the poor.) Lastly, its scale impressed MacDonald. 228,000 customised pairs of shoes have been distributed so far.
Emma de la Fosse’s choice was Hidden in Plain Sight (by Leo Burnett Malaysia for Heineken). Alcohol advertising is banned in Malaysia but Chinese New Year was an opportunity that Heineken didn’t want to miss. The agency truncated the Heineken logo and incorporated it into the Chinese New Year greeting, Gong Hei Fatt Choi. The message, at first written on delivery trucks, made its way into social media where everyday people spread it widely. The perfectly legal campaign triggered a zero media spend and no fine or jail sentence. It was a cheeky, fun and very sharable hack, de la Fosse noted, and an example of Heineken’s skill at flexing through its recognition of cultural insights in each of its markets.
The special session, Conversation with the Executive Jury, that began a three-day series of speaker sessions at MAD STARS, is always a highlight of the festival, a glimpse into the judging rooms, the advertising trends of the year and the thinking that turned great work into winning work.
This year’s MAD STARS Executive Judges were Emma de la Fosse, chief creative officer, Edelman UK; Matt MacDonald, chief creative officer, BBDO New York; Suzana Apelbaum, head of creative and innovation, Google; and Gabriel Lora, VP of Strategy & Innovation de FCB Newlink.
The first question by moderator, Sangsoo Chong, the vice chairperson of the MAD STARS Organising Committee, was to choose one keyword that epitomised what the juries were looking for.
For Matt MacDonald it was originality. He was looking for ideas that he hasn’t been seen before, that surprised him with their novelty, a requirement that he admitted was hard these days. For Suzana Apelbaum it was humanity because, she said, we are currently surrounded by AI conversations. She wanted to see work that brought humanity into the picture, that used AI to elevate humanity and human creativity that worked with AI. For Emma de la Fosse, it was cultural insight. So much of the work that is created is global, she said, but local cultural insights spoke universally to her jury. For Gabriel Lora, it was strategic thinking. Coming from a very different country, he wanted to see how problems were solved and impact created in local environments.
The second question was for each executive juror to choose the work that impressed them the most.
For Gabriel Lora, this was My Japan Railway (by Dentsu Inc. Tokyo for JR Group), in its essence a design campaign that amplified design, was useful, functional and had a massive impact on people.
For Suzana Apelbaum, it was AI President (by IMPACT BBDO Dubai and Addition New York for AnNahar Newspaper). Lebanon had been without a sitting president for the last two years, and following thirteen failed attempts of the Lebanese parliament to elect one, AnNahar Newspaper built and launched a fully functioning AI version using its own articles to create policies. It was a very striking demonstration of how AI can drive political and social change, how human creativity can work with AI to develop a campaign that stands out for its difference, and that demonstrates fantastic use of a company’s own data. Lastly, the campaign quietly but persuasively underlined what the newspaper stands for – non-bias and objectively journalism.
Matt MacDonald had two vastly different choices. The first was What The Fast! (by Leo Burnett Group Thailand for Kungsri First Choice), chosen for engaging an audience in a short, sharp and brilliant fashion with absurd Thai humour. Its three 15-second films about life scenarios that are typically difficult, drawn-out, and complex were juxtaposed with the swift and straightforward service of Krungsri First Choice, the brand’s core message of simplicity and speed, while resonating with people’s desire for a hassle-free life.
MacDonald’s second choice was Fit My Feet (by McCann Gurugram for Buckaroo footwear). It was a campaign, he said, that most brands would never take on. The campaign developed a kit for creating individualised shoes for people with clubfoot. The campaign included a partnership with local cobblers (that normally be overlooked by a brand), providing them with revenue. The kit was designed to work with traditional tools. And the resulting shoes had a minimal price tag. (Clubfoot is a condition mostly of the poor.) Lastly, its scale impressed MacDonald. 228,000 customised pairs of shoes have been distributed so far.
Emma de la Fosse’s choice was Hidden in Plain Sight (by Leo Burnett Malaysia for Heineken). Alcohol advertising is banned in Malaysia but Chinese New Year was an opportunity that Heineken didn’t want to miss. The agency truncated the Heineken logo and incorporated it into the Chinese New Year greeting, Gong Hei Fatt Choi. The message, at first written on delivery trucks, made its way into social media where everyday people spread it widely. The perfectly legal campaign triggered a zero media spend and no fine or jail sentence. It was a cheeky, fun and very sharable hack, de la Fosse noted, and an example of Heineken’s skill at flexing through its recognition of cultural insights in each of its markets.