Executive Creative Director & Founding Partner
M&C Saatchi Stockholm
Stockholm
Comments
What is digital? That was our first question when we all met in the jury room on day one. The same question the jury asked themselves last year. And guess what? It was also the last question we asked ourselves when we split up a few days later. I had the pleasure of judging all entered pieces together with a great bunch of jury comrades. We laughed watching all cats, babies and ninjas doing crazy stuff, we said "wooow!" and "aaaah!" when something really smart and stunning showed up. We didn't say anything, but felt a big "damn, wish I had done that!" moment of envy when that special and magical moment appeared on the screen and we also debated a lot about the different categories and what was the best work in each one of them. And to conclude this year I think "make it useful and simple" is probably the best way to explain the difference between a good idea and a great idea. With all the fantastic opportunities to work in digital, it's also easy to get lost. Maybe complicate things a little? Or just forget who you are actually talking to? Or what business problem to solve? Or is that case film just too much?
Almost 1000 entries became a shortlist of fewer than 100. And a handful won a Gold. And one stood out, awarded with that special and well-deserved Grand LIA, "The Next Rembrandt" for ING. Or "How they Got a Computer to Paint Like the Old Master?" In a fascinating merging of creativity and technology, the humans at J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam taught a computer to paint like Rembrandt by having it study the old master's works for months. The resulting painting is a completely new portrait, not a replica, and it's indistinguishable, to my eye, at least, from the real thing. Something probably Rembrandt himself would be very proud of.
The future of digital is more bright than ever. Even if we still can't answer the question "What is digital?" :) Maybe the great talented people attending the LIA Creative LIAisons will be able to do that? I hope so.
Last but not least, big salute to Barbara, Wayne, Patricia and the rest of the LIA gang taking care of us. And skål to you Samuel, Corinna, Mike, Olivier, Mateusz, Ronald, Mark and Susan for being the best jury ever; for real.
What is digital? That was our first question when we all met in the jury room on day one. The same question the jury asked themselves last year. And guess what? It was also the last question we asked ourselves when we split up a few days later. I had the pleasure of judging all entered pieces together with a great bunch of jury comrades. We laughed watching all cats, babies and ninjas doing crazy stuff, we said "wooow!" and "aaaah!" when something really smart and stunning showed up. We didn't say anything, but felt a big "damn, wish I had done that!" moment of envy when that special and magical moment appeared on the screen and we also debated a lot about the different categories and what was the best work in each one of them. And to conclude this year I think "make it useful and simple" is probably the best way to explain the difference between a good idea and a great idea. With all the fantastic opportunities to work in digital, it's also easy to get lost. Maybe complicate things a little? Or just forget who you are actually talking to? Or what business problem to solve? Or is that case film just too much?
Almost 1000 entries became a shortlist of fewer than 100. And a handful won a Gold. And one stood out, awarded with that special and well-deserved Grand LIA, "The Next Rembrandt" for ING. Or "How they Got a Computer to Paint Like the Old Master?" In a fascinating merging of creativity and technology, the humans at J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam taught a computer to paint like Rembrandt by having it study the old master's works for months. The resulting painting is a completely new portrait, not a replica, and it's indistinguishable, to my eye, at least, from the real thing. Something probably Rembrandt himself would be very proud of.
The future of digital is more bright than ever. Even if we still can't answer the question "What is digital?" :) Maybe the great talented people attending the LIA Creative LIAisons will be able to do that? I hope so.
Last but not least, big salute to Barbara, Wayne, Patricia and the rest of the LIA gang taking care of us. And skål to you Samuel, Corinna, Mike, Olivier, Mateusz, Ronald, Mark and Susan for being the best jury ever; for real.