JURY CHAIRMAN

JAN LETH | VICE CHAIRMAN, GLOBAL DIGITAL CREATIVE | OGILVY

Like last year I did not convene a jury for interactive entries, but relied instead on points earned at the biggest global awards shows in the hope of leveraging a much bigger and more diverse group of jurors than even WPP could muster. The work was selected for the book based on points won at Cannes, D&AD, The One Show, and the Clios.

One point was given for making the shortlist (or equivalent), three for a bronze, five for a silver, seven for gold, and ten points for a Grand Prix.

The results gave us a wonderfully diverse group of winners, each finding unique, creative ways to engage consumers with a brand. From the interruptive media solution from Y&R Israel, to the participatory and brilliantly silly X Factor by CHI & Partners, each piece demonstrates the range of digital media.

But I think we're still missing a piece of the puzzle, and need to reconsider how we judge next year's entries. One of the biggest things digital has to offer in the relationship between consumers and brands is functionality. And most of our work here, while brilliant at engagement, is limited to messaging. We need to include work in the space where industrial design meets the internet. Where brands add value to consumers' lives by being more functional, easier to use and to access. If content and functionality are the new creative, which I believe they are, we need to celebrate the latter equally.

That's an improvement we can make next year, and takes nothing away from the many merits of this year's winners. The runaway winner of the Crème de la Crème was The Key to Reserva for Freixenet, by JWT Barcelona. A brilliant piece of branded content as well as a lovely homage to Hitchcock. I'd seen and forwarded it to hundreds of colleagues before I ever knew it was from WPP.