Direct Jury Chairman
Nick Moore

EVP/Chief Creative Officer / Wunderman New York

Whenever a Direct Jury forms, the Jurors spend their first hour debating, "What is Direct?" They usually conclude that everything is.

It's easy to see why. These days most campaigns boast that defining Direct characteristic - measurable results. Blog posts, tweets and Facebook fan enrolments are enumerated and linked back to almost every campaign. However, I don't think that generating social buzz necessarily makes a campaign Direct. Such results are important. But often they are simply a new measure for an old benchmark: awareness.

By contrast, Direct ideas are designed to persuade customers and prospects to take action that will lead directly to trial, to deeper engagement, and to purchase. You might say that what matters is not just measuring a response, but defining the response you are measuring.

Our Crème de la Crème Winner is an object lesson in persuading consumers to take meaningful action - action that they really don't want to take. It harnesses Direct communication as well as the power of the crowd. It mixes a range of channels. And it is executed with beguiling wit and flair. It's a great idea. And that's what gets results.

In closing, I would like to thank everyone who helped to select this year's winners. We have picked out some wonderful ideas. And I would like to thank my assistant, Wendy Hill, for making this complex process effortless.