2024 Judging Comments
Tom Beckman - Jury President - Creativity In PR
Global Chief Creative OfficerWeber Shandwick
Jon Chalermwong - TV & Cinema and Online Film
Chief Creativeaudacity Co., Bangkok
“Jon Chalermwong’s LIA Diary Wrap-Up: It’s not the award show, it’s LIA
Jon Chalermwong is Co-founder and Chief Creative at audacity bangkok. Over the past week he has been in Las Vegas sitting on the TV, Cinema & Online Film jury at the London International Awards (LIA). Here Chalermwong shares his judging experience.
This is one of the moments I’ve been waiting for a long long time: to be an LIA jury member.
I’ve been fortunate to work with several talented and renowned leaders in Thailand’s advertising industry. One thing I often noticed was that they frequently received invitations to judge leading award shows. Sometimes they accepted, and sometimes they turned them down. However, one show my bosses never declined was the LIA – they eagerly participated several times. This made me curious about what made them so enthusiastic about it.
On March 5, 2024, I received an invitation from LIA to be a jury member for the TV & Cinema & Online Film category in Las Vegas. Finally, I had the chance to seek an answer I had long awaited.
From my previous jury experiences, I expected LIA to provide us with a link for online judging, but nothing came through. I was a bit worried about being locked in a room to watch every entry in the category. Of course, it was my first time in Vegas, and I wanted to explore the city a bit — who wouldn’t?
LIA arranged accommodations for the 10 TV & Cinema & Online Film jurors at the Encore, which has a large casino in the lobby. Thankfully, I’m not a gambler, so I didn’t have to struggle to stay away from it.
The first two days of judging were “In-n-Out.” All the jurors sat down and watched each film together – no skipping, even when some entries were less than captivating. We started at 9:30AM sharp and finished around 4PM on those days. It was great because we didn’t have to rush to make decisions, and our eyes remained fresh. It turns out that watching together in a room is much better than online judging because everyone was focused; no one was distracted by their phones, as often happens in online settings.
On day three, we narrowed the entries from 500 submissions to 93 – a reasonable number to start the day. We gave scores from 1 to 10 (1-3 for shortlisted works, 4-6 for finalists, and 7-10 for medal-worthy entries).
The jury president instructed us not to engage in discussions or debates about any work yet, reserving that for day four, the discussion day. Each jury member could call back works that didn’t make the cut and explain why they believed those pieces deserved a spot on the shortlist. Then, we would vote on whether to include them. So, day three was quick and ended by 1 PM.
Day four was dedicated to discussion. We didn’t need to watch the 93 works again, as we remembered the strong entries well enough unless someone requested a review. We moved quickly through the ranks based on the scores given. What’s interesting about LIA is that jurors can adjust rankings, shift works between categories, and promote entries from Bronze to Silver or demote them from Bronze to Finalist. This makes winning at LIA more challenging but ensures that the winners are truly deserving, as every piece is thoroughly evaluated.
All ten jurors discussed the works from Gold to Silver to Bronze, revisiting the overall results multiple times. Then came the moment to vote for the Grand LIA. We wrote down two out of the six works that won gold on paper, and the jury president announced the two top-voted works for further discussion. Importantly, there doesn’t need to be a Grand LIA if the jurors feel that no work deserves it.
We awarded two Grand LIAs.
The fourth day concluded with an LIA networking party at the Encore Beach Club — thanks to the LIA team.
Overall, we (the jurors) had a good amount of free time after judging each day. Some explored The Sphere, others visited the Las Vegas Strip, some went to art exhibitions, and others channeled their inner James Bond at the casino.
Now I understand why some of my former bosses never say no to being jurors at LIA. The LIA team did an excellent job organizing the event, selecting jurors who are like-minded creatives. We had jurors from Toronto, New York, Richmond, Paris, Sydney, Bogota, Seoul, and Bangkok — all creative professionals, with no jurors from platforms, publishers, or clients on the panel.
Kudos to LIA for the accommodations, timing, and hospitality. If I get the privilege of being on the jury at LIA again, I hope it won’t be my last.“
Susan Credle - Jury President - Integration and Direct
Chair of FCBCreative Advisor to IPG
“The jury room is only as good as the jurors in that room. The Integration and Direct Jury this year is outstanding. Cannot wait for the discussions around the work. It will be a master class.”
"Integration has been a wonderful category to watch as it has changed over time. What we looked for; was there a central idea that was expressed in different creative ways depending on where the idea was showing up.
There is a feeling that Direct is really aimed to a targeted group of people and the more specific that group of people is, the more interesting it becomes as Direct. The jury expanded on that idea and began to not focus on who the work was directed to, but when someone met the work, did they respond."
There is a feeling that Direct is really aimed to a targeted group of people and the more specific that group of people is, the more interesting it becomes as Direct. The jury expanded on that idea and began to not focus on who the work was directed to, but when someone met the work, did they respond."
Emma Daines - Jury President - Production & Post-Production and Music Video
Founder / CEO / Executive ProducerFin Design + Effects
Sydney
"I am honoured to be asked and delighted to accept the role of Jury President for the 2024 Production & Post-Production and Music Video Jury. Having had experience being on juries for LIA previously, I wholeheartedly and sincerely appreciate the excellence of these awards and with the opportunity to sit down and discuss craft and excellence in Production, Post-Production and Music Video from all around the world, with my peers, is a gift.
I am excited to be joined by some formidable experience in my fellow jury members and look forward to some robust and informative discussions celebrating the strong talent and acknowledging the time and passion that goes into the work. This experience is an inspiration!"
"Production and Post-Production was quite dominated by direction, cinematography and editing. The work was really really good, it was quite hard to shortlist, but we did get some very clear winners.
Often it can be quite contentious when voting for the Grand LIA, but we were pretty unanimous, there were two very close choices but we were all happy with the winner."
Often it can be quite contentious when voting for the Grand LIA, but we were pretty unanimous, there were two very close choices but we were all happy with the winner."
Till Diestel - Jury President - Ambient & Activation • Billboard • Poster • Print
Managing Director / Chief Creative OfficerServiceplan Germany
Munich
“I feel very honored and excited to chair this year’s jury. I can't wait to get together into a room in Vegas with all these brilliant minds to discuss creative work. What could be better.”
"The criteria to award a Grand LIA in our jury was that the idea needs to be simple and create emotions, but also the craft needs to be exceptional on all levels. It's like the piece that will be remembered in 5 years, 10 years time."
Carol Dunn - Jury President - Music & Sound
Managing DirectorBarking Owl, Los Angeles
“I am honored to have been named the LIA Music & Sound Jury President for 2024. My passion for integrating music with visuals has propelled me into a position where I can collaborate with some of the most skilled individuals in the industry. The opportunity to assess the work of my peers and be consistently impressed speaks volumes about the dedication and expertise we all have.
Judging the subjectivity of creativity while prioritizing craftsmanship demonstrates an understanding of the nuances involved in evaluating artistic endeavors. As the leader of the jury, I have the important responsibility of facilitating discussions to determine the winners.
My commitment to this role of Jury President reflects a deep respect for the artistry and innovation of music and sound within the advertising industry. I have long been a champion of excellence in music and sound design and along with the rest of my colleagues on this jury, look forward to contributing to the ongoing advancement of creative expression of music and sound design in advertising.
Wish me luck in leading the conversation and recognizing outstanding achievements in the field of music and sound in advertising for 2024!”
Judging the subjectivity of creativity while prioritizing craftsmanship demonstrates an understanding of the nuances involved in evaluating artistic endeavors. As the leader of the jury, I have the important responsibility of facilitating discussions to determine the winners.
My commitment to this role of Jury President reflects a deep respect for the artistry and innovation of music and sound within the advertising industry. I have long been a champion of excellence in music and sound design and along with the rest of my colleagues on this jury, look forward to contributing to the ongoing advancement of creative expression of music and sound design in advertising.
Wish me luck in leading the conversation and recognizing outstanding achievements in the field of music and sound in advertising for 2024!”
"The Grand LIA was so big and bombastic you were impressed by it. You know someone hated it, but understood why it was being given the Grand LIA."
Elliot Harris - Non-Traditional
Global Executive Creative DirectorHavas London
Vegas is not really my vibe. But LIA - London International Awards really is. Run by a brilliant cohort of women who really care about creativity and use that to also power the hashtagLiasons programme - inviting a whole bunch of wonderfully talented young professionals in and round the Jury experience alongside an excellent mentoring programme, inspiring talks and workshops. (which included Havas London very own superstar Hollie Iles )
Our 'Non Traditional' category definitely gave everyone the chance to debate what the body language of the best work out there should do. Thank you to our Jury President Luiz Sanches and the rest of the jury crew for an enlightening jury experience.
Extra thanks to 'Bob' Mihnea Gheorghiu for reminding me the number one rule of any jury is get there early and bag the best seat - you'll be in it a while so it's worth finding the best spot. Happy to share the sofa with the rest - Andy DiLallo, Bianca Guimaraes (who also shared her Birthday with us !), Morihiko Hasebe, Doerte Spengler-Ahrens, Cha Spruce, Liz Taylor, Matt Murphy & special mentions to our hosts Barbara Levy, Laurissa Levy, Patricia Censoprano, Terry Savage, Christina Shaw, and Colin Avery who made everything seem simple in the room, controlled the tech and the group when we veered off course.
Our 'Non Traditional' category definitely gave everyone the chance to debate what the body language of the best work out there should do. Thank you to our Jury President Luiz Sanches and the rest of the jury crew for an enlightening jury experience.
Extra thanks to 'Bob' Mihnea Gheorghiu for reminding me the number one rule of any jury is get there early and bag the best seat - you'll be in it a while so it's worth finding the best spot. Happy to share the sofa with the rest - Andy DiLallo, Bianca Guimaraes (who also shared her Birthday with us !), Morihiko Hasebe, Doerte Spengler-Ahrens, Cha Spruce, Liz Taylor, Matt Murphy & special mentions to our hosts Barbara Levy, Laurissa Levy, Patricia Censoprano, Terry Savage, Christina Shaw, and Colin Avery who made everything seem simple in the room, controlled the tech and the group when we veered off course.
Jonathan Isaacs - Jury President - Health & Wellness-Craft and Pharma & Medical-Craft
Global Chief Creative OfficerTBWA\Health Collective
“So honored to be a LIA Jury President. With the confluence of technology, e-commerce, self-care and purpose driven brands, there’s never been a better moment to be in health & wellness. Show me what you got health creators!”
"I think Health & Wellness always has a high level of craft. This year in our jury the Pharma & Medical side showed up strong.
In the Health & Wellness - Craft category, we awarded the Grand LIA to a beautiful stop-motion piece. When you talk about craft, it doesn’t get any more crafted than that."
In the Health & Wellness - Craft category, we awarded the Grand LIA to a beautiful stop-motion piece. When you talk about craft, it doesn’t get any more crafted than that."
Zoe Kessler - Ambient & Activation • Billboard • Poster • Print
Group Creative DirectorJohannes Leonardo
New York
"In the Creative LIAisons program, seeing behind the scenes how judges evaluated the work gave me real insights into how to get to a great idea, very early in my career. It helped shape how I think about what good creative looks like and I use those insights everyday as I coach my teams everyday."
Oskar Lübeck - Jury President - Design and Package Design
Chief Creative OfficerBold, Stockholm
“I am truly honored to return to the LIA Awards, this time assuming the role of Jury President for the Design and Package Design categories. What I think makes jury work so rewarding is not only to evaluate and discuss the best creative work in the world, but to meet and learn from some of our industry's most brilliant minds. The field of Branding and Design is evolving, with emerging technologies and new ways for brands to interact with their audiences. It is exciting times, and I believe that our industry now more than ever has the possibility to make meaningful impact on people's lives. Thanks again LIA for this opportunity - I look forward to seeing you all in Las Vegas!”
"We were quite unanimous actually when it came to the decision for the Grand LIA for Design. The work was so smart and beautifully executed. It was a great fusion of design, creativity and social impact."
Colleen McTaggart - Creativity In PR
SVP, Global Executive Creative DirectorFleishmanHillard
Thank you so very much for including me in the Creativity in PR jury. I truly appreciate the warm and inclusive welcome to be part of this year’s LIA.
Being part of the Creativity in PR jury was an incredible learning experience. From meeting talented peers from across the world, to hearing new perspectives on the work and ultimately celebrating the very best in our industry, I walked away with a new appreciation for our craft and inspiration for the year ahead.
Thank you for your generous hospitality during my stay. The accommodations and meals were as lovely as the company, especially the opportunity to connect with so many former colleagues. I am so grateful to have been part of it all!
Thank you for your generous hospitality during my stay. The accommodations and meals were as lovely as the company, especially the opportunity to connect with so many former colleagues. I am so grateful to have been part of it all!
Susan Perlbachs - Jury President - Health & Wellness
Chief Creative OfficerEVERSANA INTOUCH, New York
"To lead the LIA 2024 Health & Wellness jury is an honor and a responsibility I deeply cherish. LIA's commitment to transparency and championing the creative process sets it apart in the industry. As a Jury President, I have the privilege of working alongside some of the most esteemed professionals from diverse backgrounds, ensuring that every entry is evaluated with the utmost objectivity and integrity. Both the process and winners are a testament to LIA's unwavering dedication to exceptional creative and the creative community."
"To be a Jury President of the Health & Wellness Jury for LIA is truly an absolute honor.
What I like about the Grand LIA–winning Michael CeraVe, was that it’s kind of a grandmother’s product, sort of an old stodgy thing. To bring this sort of fresh humor was bold and new.
The Health & Wellness Public Service/Charity/NGO Grand LIA was one that really hit me in the gut; I’ve seen it before, but every time I watch the case film, I almost love it more."
What I like about the Grand LIA–winning Michael CeraVe, was that it’s kind of a grandmother’s product, sort of an old stodgy thing. To bring this sort of fresh humor was bold and new.
The Health & Wellness Public Service/Charity/NGO Grand LIA was one that really hit me in the gut; I’ve seen it before, but every time I watch the case film, I almost love it more."
Suzanne Powers - Jury President - Creative Strategy and Transformative Business Impact
FounderPowers Creativity, New York
"I'm thrilled to chair a new category for LIA that champions the impact of powerful strategic creativity on business, culture and the world at large.
Our industry is driven by the belief that the power of creativity can change the fortunes of business AND impact people's attitudes, behaviors, and lives. I'm so looking forward to working with this amazing jury to dig into and celebrate the work that beautifully fuses strategic and creative excellence for real-world impact."
Our industry is driven by the belief that the power of creativity can change the fortunes of business AND impact people's attitudes, behaviors, and lives. I'm so looking forward to working with this amazing jury to dig into and celebrate the work that beautifully fuses strategic and creative excellence for real-world impact."
"I think it’s really good timing for LIA to have a category of Creative Strategy. Creative Strategy is particularly focused on identifying the problems that need to be solved, finding those amazing insights that unleash creativity and the creative idea itself."
Laura Rapela - Jury President - Audio & Radio
Executive Creative DirectorGUT Buenos Aires
"I am so happy and honored with this news! I like the idea of being able to see everything and have the big picture. I am interested in selecting the pieces that renew the category, as is the trend, but without leaving aside those great scripts that always make us smile. Big Ideas with audio at the center. That's what we are going to look for"
"There were many innovation, technology and AI pieces and they were highly awarded. Luckily not too much AI, it was just the right amount.
I think we need more humor in Audio & Radio going forward."
I think we need more humor in Audio & Radio going forward."
Tom Richards - Jury President - Pharma & Medical
Co Global Chief Creative Officer21GRAMS
"Judging the prestigious London International Awards is an honour, but to be asked to be Health & Wellness Jury President is on a whole other level. We have a stellar international line up of judges this year and I promise you this, I’ll do my upmost to mediate and focus the undoubted energy in the room. For me real live, in the room, in person judging is what sets LIA apart. And the responsibility isn’t lost on me. The world will be watching and the judges will be judged as much as the work. I feel their cold breath on my neck already."
"LIA sets itself above other shows, because there is no online judging. It’s very personal, because the jury gets together and sees every single piece of work, which no other show does that. This sets LIA apart and makes it a much better experience.
Our Grand LIA was a piece of branded communication which was absolutely amazing."
Our Grand LIA was a piece of branded communication which was absolutely amazing."
Camila Rodrigues de Souza - Digital and Use of Social Media & Influencers
Creative DirectorWieden+Kennedy, São Paulo
"Participating in LIAisons has been a transformative experience in my career. It taught me fundamental pillars of evaluating ideas, which became a compass for my creative process and how I assess projects as a juror. The program connected me with inspiring professionals, who continue to influence my work. This year, I'm thrilled to give back as a Creative LIAisons mentor, guiding the next generation of talent."
Yasu Sasaki - Jury President - Evolution and Creative Use of Data
Global Chief Creative Officerdentsu
“When data is infused with the power of ideas, innovation is more likely to occur. The more creativity pushes the boundaries, the easier it is for evolution to occur.
It is a great honor to judge these two exciting categories. I look forward to seeing the ideas that will transform the world.”
It is a great honor to judge these two exciting categories. I look forward to seeing the ideas that will transform the world.”
"In Evolution, we are looking for the idea that will go beyond the boundaries. There is a lot of great technology, the thing is to connect the technology with human insight.
In Creative Use of Data the important thing is to use our creativity, to see the data from different angles."
In Creative Use of Data the important thing is to use our creativity, to see the data from different angles."
Nick Simkins - Production & Post-Production and Music Video
Executive ProducerFINCH, Sydney
Nick Simkins LIA Diary Wrap-up: In Vegas and in Advertising, Playing it Safe Rarely Wins
Nick Simkins, executive producer at FINCH, Sydney represented Australia on the LIA Production & Post-Production and Music Video jury. Here, Simkins wraps up his experience in Las Vegas exclusively for Campaign Brief.
CHANCES ARE YOU’RE GOING TO LOSE
I’m sure I’ve heard that before somewhere…
Judging an award show in Las Vegas gets you thinking in probabilities. And a whole heap of other shit. There’s so much crazy shit to think about there. But probabilities definitely features.
To start with, the chance of me sitting the row behind my high school alumni Daniel Riccardo (we never met in school, he’s about 400 years younger than I am) was about 1 in 26443. Unlike the selfie seeking Qantas cabin crew, I didn’t sidle up for a chat.
But more relevantly, it got me thinking of when a film project commences – from writing the initial script, nurturing it through presentations, treatments, director selection, pre production, shoot and post, after all those meetings, committees, all the noise. If it ends up in a jury room, survives the round 1 keep/remove cull, then gets rated, another cull, then remains in the mix after rigorous debate and interrogation. If it’s still there on the 4th day of judging, in the conversation for metal? Probability would suggest that for every script that is commenced, very few of them end up part of that discussion. Because it’s fucking hard to win. Genuinely difficult and unlikely.
I thought the broader standard in the early rounds was a bit hit and miss to be honest. There was a lot of average work in there that didn’t make it to the latter rounds. And the music video category was very safe. Where was the type of work that launched Glazer and Gondry and so many great commercial directors? Experimental, challenging work. And despite all agreeing that one piece in particular was very deserving of gold, we couldn’t find a truly outstanding film to award the Grand LIA to in the category this year. But by the time we got to the awarded pieces in the production and post production categories they all felt deserving. What I liked about the awarded films this year were that stylistically they were so varied. And from different markets and wide variety of actual clients. It’s possible. But the odds are less in your favour when you don’t take a risk. When you hedge your bets. We wanted to award work we felt inspired and propelled the quality of work people in the industry think is possible to make and be successful.
So take a risk, and when you do win, be immensely proud.
Celebrate.
Nick Simkins, executive producer at FINCH, Sydney represented Australia on the LIA Production & Post-Production and Music Video jury. Here, Simkins wraps up his experience in Las Vegas exclusively for Campaign Brief.
CHANCES ARE YOU’RE GOING TO LOSE
I’m sure I’ve heard that before somewhere…
Judging an award show in Las Vegas gets you thinking in probabilities. And a whole heap of other shit. There’s so much crazy shit to think about there. But probabilities definitely features.
To start with, the chance of me sitting the row behind my high school alumni Daniel Riccardo (we never met in school, he’s about 400 years younger than I am) was about 1 in 26443. Unlike the selfie seeking Qantas cabin crew, I didn’t sidle up for a chat.
But more relevantly, it got me thinking of when a film project commences – from writing the initial script, nurturing it through presentations, treatments, director selection, pre production, shoot and post, after all those meetings, committees, all the noise. If it ends up in a jury room, survives the round 1 keep/remove cull, then gets rated, another cull, then remains in the mix after rigorous debate and interrogation. If it’s still there on the 4th day of judging, in the conversation for metal? Probability would suggest that for every script that is commenced, very few of them end up part of that discussion. Because it’s fucking hard to win. Genuinely difficult and unlikely.
I thought the broader standard in the early rounds was a bit hit and miss to be honest. There was a lot of average work in there that didn’t make it to the latter rounds. And the music video category was very safe. Where was the type of work that launched Glazer and Gondry and so many great commercial directors? Experimental, challenging work. And despite all agreeing that one piece in particular was very deserving of gold, we couldn’t find a truly outstanding film to award the Grand LIA to in the category this year. But by the time we got to the awarded pieces in the production and post production categories they all felt deserving. What I liked about the awarded films this year were that stylistically they were so varied. And from different markets and wide variety of actual clients. It’s possible. But the odds are less in your favour when you don’t take a risk. When you hedge your bets. We wanted to award work we felt inspired and propelled the quality of work people in the industry think is possible to make and be successful.
So take a risk, and when you do win, be immensely proud.
Celebrate.
Because there's a lot more to lose.
I want to thank Barbara Levy and her team who really looked after all the jurors this week. LIA is a great show, and I met a lot of great people. I look forward to hopefully returning one day.
Angella Tapé - Creative Strategy and Transformative Business Impact
SVP Group StrategyHavas Health & You, New York
What LIA, Barbara and the team have built is a truly unique experience setting the legacy for the global creative industry.
I am humbled to be part of it and particularly excited to judge the creative strategy and transformative business impact category.
My jury group with Suzanne Powers is just the best! I’ve made connections that are here to last. This is all to do with your global footprint and experience the LIA team as designed.
Again, a huge thank you for everything and I hope I can be part of the next chapter working with our LIAisons.
Lewis Tutssel - Evolution and Creative Use of Data
Creative Strategy LeadLondon
A fantastic week judging the Evolution and Creative use of Data categories at the LIA - London International Awards this year!
It was a privilege to discuss the work that is helping to shape the future of our industry. Spanning across Gaming, AI, technology, data, product development and more, I was blown away by the innovative uses of creativity in solving real problems that grow business and help humanity. In particular it was amazing to see how quickly our industry has embraced AI and is leveraging it to build valuable solutions beyond novel executions.
Thank you to our jury president Yasuharu Sasaki for the work in leading the team across the week, and to Tiffany Rolfe, Joey David-Tiempo, Jouke Vuurmans, Kaleeta McDade, Jimmy Smith, Lucia Orlandi, Carren O'Keefe and Toan Nguyen who I learnt so much from in seeing how you assess and analyse the work.
Last but not least, a big shout out to team Barbara Levy, Laurissa Levy, Christina Shaw, Patricia Censoprano and everyone else who ran such a smooth show. You’re the best in the business
Marco Venturelli - Jury President - TV & Cinema and Online Film
Chief Creative Officer - Publicis FranceCEO / CCO - Publicis Conseil, Paris
“What I love about LIA is the quality of the juries and the level of discussions. To be able to review together all submissions live is priceless. LIA is a benchmark in our industry. We're not only looking for the best work, but for the few pieces that truly move us forward. The few pieces that reinvent how we do our jobs, from conception to execution.”
"At the beginning, we were feeling it was not going to be a great year. But the more we went on, the more we realized that there was amazing work.
What I really enjoyed, which is very specific to LIA, was to be able to go through every piece of work with all the jury, which is an incredible added value."
What I really enjoyed, which is very specific to LIA, was to be able to go through every piece of work with all the jury, which is an incredible added value."
Micah Walker - TV & Cinema and Online Film
Founder / Chief Creative OfficerBear Meets Eagle On Fire, Sydney
Micah Walker’s LIA Diary Wrap-up: The Highs and Lows of Judging TV, Cinema and Online Film at LIA
Micah Walker, founder and CCO of Bear Meets Eagle On Fire represented Australia on the LIA TV & Cinema and Online Film jury. Here, Walker reflects on his time in Las Vegas exclusively for Campaign Brief.
That’s a wrap – Film and Online Jury
A shiny scrapyard of sin. Thick perfumes emitted to hide cigarettes tickling your nose hairs as you walk the never-ending carpets. The constant buzz of roulette wheels and all manner of digital ding-dings. Melting hot sun. Plastic decorations and implants. Old people in miniskirts. All the shiny things.
Welcome to Las Vegas.
Maybe the perfect place for an Advertising Award show.
It’s my first time judging LIA. And even though ole Sin City isn’t really my thing, the show itself and judging experience, was great.
I was one of ten jurors on the TV, Cinema and Online jury. It was four, solid days of judging with over 600 entries covering everything from Branded Content and Entertainment, Online Film, TV and Cinema to more specific categories like humour, copywriting and even the odd endline and tagline. I’ve missed a few, but you get the idea.
LIA really is a well-run show, with a helpful team of folks that make judging as comfortable as it can be when you’re watching everything from 15 second spots to 40 minute content pieces each day, all day. The way they also intertwine the LIA ‘Creative LIAisons’ program for younger creatives into the week, was also great. The younger creatives have their own things going on with mentoring and workshops, but they also came in to watch us judge live on the last day for the important shiny stuff, which I hadn’t seen before. If you get a chance to take part in the LIAisons program, do it.
It was a tough jury. Fair and thoughtful, but tough. So, anyone who received metal this year, in this category, it’s a real achievement. Overall, it wasn’t a standout year though. Everything that took home something shiny is very well deserving, but as a category overall, the work was a bit underwhelming. I’ve heard other categories were a bit stronger, so we’ll see.
The lack of craft broadly, was a big discussion point with all the judges, as was the lack of proper work that did the job, without also trying to be some other shaped thing. Judges openly talked about the slow move away from the purpose award addiction, but there’s still a fair share of that kind of thing. Occasionally it’s powerful. A lot of the time, a bit dull or even icky.
Aside from some wonderfully weird Thai work, humour across the board, was also sorely lacking. Again, a big discussion amongst the jurors and when something did make everyone laugh, it reminds you just how much comedy cuts through when done well.
Especially with so much work that takes itself very seriously. It’s an important thing to remember, it’s ok to be a brand that makes you smile or laugh, not everything has to be so self-important.
Simple and memorable still wins. Craft, when it’s there, stands out.
In the end you can only judge the work in front of you, and I think the best work was recognised.
We named two Grand LIAs, rather than the four we were allowed, both for pieces that are genuinely deserving and powerful. Congrats to those winners and everyone else who claimed some shine this year.
Micah Walker, founder and CCO of Bear Meets Eagle On Fire represented Australia on the LIA TV & Cinema and Online Film jury. Here, Walker reflects on his time in Las Vegas exclusively for Campaign Brief.
That’s a wrap – Film and Online Jury
A shiny scrapyard of sin. Thick perfumes emitted to hide cigarettes tickling your nose hairs as you walk the never-ending carpets. The constant buzz of roulette wheels and all manner of digital ding-dings. Melting hot sun. Plastic decorations and implants. Old people in miniskirts. All the shiny things.
Welcome to Las Vegas.
Maybe the perfect place for an Advertising Award show.
It’s my first time judging LIA. And even though ole Sin City isn’t really my thing, the show itself and judging experience, was great.
I was one of ten jurors on the TV, Cinema and Online jury. It was four, solid days of judging with over 600 entries covering everything from Branded Content and Entertainment, Online Film, TV and Cinema to more specific categories like humour, copywriting and even the odd endline and tagline. I’ve missed a few, but you get the idea.
LIA really is a well-run show, with a helpful team of folks that make judging as comfortable as it can be when you’re watching everything from 15 second spots to 40 minute content pieces each day, all day. The way they also intertwine the LIA ‘Creative LIAisons’ program for younger creatives into the week, was also great. The younger creatives have their own things going on with mentoring and workshops, but they also came in to watch us judge live on the last day for the important shiny stuff, which I hadn’t seen before. If you get a chance to take part in the LIAisons program, do it.
It was a tough jury. Fair and thoughtful, but tough. So, anyone who received metal this year, in this category, it’s a real achievement. Overall, it wasn’t a standout year though. Everything that took home something shiny is very well deserving, but as a category overall, the work was a bit underwhelming. I’ve heard other categories were a bit stronger, so we’ll see.
The lack of craft broadly, was a big discussion point with all the judges, as was the lack of proper work that did the job, without also trying to be some other shaped thing. Judges openly talked about the slow move away from the purpose award addiction, but there’s still a fair share of that kind of thing. Occasionally it’s powerful. A lot of the time, a bit dull or even icky.
Aside from some wonderfully weird Thai work, humour across the board, was also sorely lacking. Again, a big discussion amongst the jurors and when something did make everyone laugh, it reminds you just how much comedy cuts through when done well.
Especially with so much work that takes itself very seriously. It’s an important thing to remember, it’s ok to be a brand that makes you smile or laugh, not everything has to be so self-important.
Simple and memorable still wins. Craft, when it’s there, stands out.
In the end you can only judge the work in front of you, and I think the best work was recognised.
We named two Grand LIAs, rather than the four we were allowed, both for pieces that are genuinely deserving and powerful. Congrats to those winners and everyone else who claimed some shine this year.
Juan Woodbury - Jury President - Branded Content and Branded Entertainment
Executive Vice President, Head of Branded Content & EntertainmentProse on Pixels
Chicago
“In today's landscape, brands aren't just vying against each other; they are in a constant battle for people's attention, affection and excitement, leveraging various narratives and experiences. The key is crafting something irresistible, something people eagerly engage with and can't afford to overlook. This is why overseeing LIA's Branded Entertainment and Branded Content category is such an exhilarating responsibility and I'm privileged to lead as its Chair.”
"This year trends that we are seeing in Branded Content and in Branded Entertainment are great storytelling and great craftmanship that is going into the content. The quality and storytelling is at an all time high right now."
There will always be people questioning the need to hand out awards in marketing. They probably don’t fully appreciate how award cases are critical tools for talent attracting, winning new business and for service development.
I’ve had the opportunity to judge LIA before, and it’s a great experience and learning opportunity. There is no pre-judging, so every piece of work will be viewed and discussed in the jury. We will have time to talk and to review all work. And it’s a good idea to be prepared, as it will take a lot of time to finish our job. We all know how much time and resources goes into submitting work, and we must treat the work accordingly.
Being on the jury is important work. Our job is to be curators; carefully selecting the pieces that not only outshines the rest in terms of strategy, creativity, execution and results, but also represent our time."
We had a long three days in the PR jury. But I think in the end, everyone in the group felt it was worth it.
The ambition was to look after the integrity of the jury, the integrity of the LIA, and the integrity of the PR discipline. And my feeling is that we got there. Everyone spoke their mind, all work was debated, and I didn’t experience any politics."