Nine out of 11 of Australia’s Cannes Lions jurors from Sydney
Australia’s most respected creatives are nearly all in Sydney – or so it would seem based on an analysis of the the country’s representatives on this year’s Cannes Lions.
The media jury – which is now one of the largest of the festival – was announced by the Lions organisers overnight. It includes Henry Tajer, the Sydney-based boss of Universal McCann, as the Australian representative on the panel.
It means that of Australia’s 11 representatives at the Cannes Lions, nine are based in Sydney, with the other two in Melbourne. The Australian jurors were announced in February, with the full juries currently being gradually revealed.
The jurors include Naomi Parry from Sydney’s Black Communications as the Australian representative on the Lions’ new PR category. And Vince Frost, boss of Frost Design in Sydney is on the still relatively new design category.
All of the jurors are respected practitioners within their specialities – and many agencies tend to have their headquarters – and therefore their most senior people – in Sydney rather than Melbourne. However, the disparity will do nothing to ease the rivaly between the two cities, with those in Melbourne claiming creative parity.
The Australian jurors:
- Media Lions – Henry Tajer, Universal McCann, Sydney
- Film Lions – Steve Back , ECD, Saatchi & Saatchi, Sydney
- Press Lions – Jay Benjamin, ECD, Leo Burnett, Sydney
- Outdoor – Matt Eastwood, ECD, DDB, Sydney
- Direct – Gavin McLeod, CD, M&C Saatchi Sydney and Grant Rutherford, ECD, DDB Melbourne
- Cyber – Mark Ashley-Wilson, head of interactive, Three Drunk Monkeys Sydney
- Radio – Paul Reardon, senior copywriter, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne
- Promo Lions – Shane Bradnick, art director, BMF, Sydney
- Design Lions – Vince Frost, CD, Frost Design, Sydney
- PR Lions – Naomi Parry, Black Communications, Sydney
Mumbrella has asked the Cannes Lions local representative, News Ltd, for details on the methodology for choosing local jurors, but hadn’t heard back at the time of posting.
Update: News Ltd tells Mumbrella:
“With regards selection process, the Festival undergo a balancing act to arrive at the optimum jury panel for each category, making the final jury selection after considering amongst other things the number of jurors from a single agency brand, or indeed agency Networks around the world.
“News Limited as the Australian representative is responsible for nominating three candidates in each category from which the Festival choose the Australian judges. Candidates nominated for 2009 came from both Sydney and Melbourne – and in fact other cities as well.”
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Tim,
One would think the main criteria is that they are bloody good, preferably with a few Lions to their name. Also, able to hold their own – and do Australia proud – in a roomful of big name creatives from around the world.
Some of the best in Melbourne have already done Cannes jury duty: Ron Mather, David Blackley, Scott Whybin, Ted Horton, Chris Dewey, James McGrath, Darren Spiller, Emma Hill and Ben Coulson come to mind.
Melbourne creatives I can think of might get a gig in coming years are Sean Cummins, Ant Keogh, Josh Stephens, Ben Couzens, Jim Ingram, Christy Peacock, Jason Williams, Tony Greenwood, Ant Shannon and Nigel Dawson.
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Talk to agencies O/S and they’re relieved not to be invited to judge. They say they can’t go to Cannes this year, let alone send a squadron because it’s a bad look when you’ve just laid off 10% – 50% of your creatives.
Catch up Australia. Look at Adfest. It was booming with 100 or so Aussies a couple of years a go and this year it was a very motley crew with almost zero delegates without some sort of other (free) pass.
Don’t get parochial by state representation, you’re missing a much bigger story on the downturn of entries and delegates this year.
Keep an eye on the hotel deals closer to June.
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The downturn makes it even more surprising that the judges STILL have to pay their own way to get there and are happy do it. Of course no-one ever mentions that.
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Agree with you totally Ian.
And there lies the rub.
Why do Agencies pay to send a juror when we all know Cannes is for profit and makes a motza every year? To add salt, antipodean agencies pay so much more.
And we are thrilled and proud to send ELEVEN jurors out of our own pocket.
It would be funny if it didn’t make us look so gullible.
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This comment removed because a) it’s probably libelous and b) is unfair on the jurors it’s not referring to. Cheers – Tim, Mumbrella.
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I’d like to know how, in times like these, agencies can still afford to send off a stack of people to swan around Cannes for a week (… just waiting for the obvious backlash about how hard judges work, and how they don’t see the light of day for the entire time they are there)
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I can’t believe that city of origin is even an issue.
I think what’s more important is how many of the eleven have actually won lions?
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I’d love to know the numbers on the original list. Sure the people who are going are good. But I bet if that had been drawn up by someone sitting in Melbourne rather than Sydney it would have been different.
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You certainly are Bitter and less travelled. Never fear, you’ll get there one day if you’re good enough to be picked for jury duty.
Adam, I agree.
Only those who have won Lions should get to judge Cannes. And I’m sure you are hinting that Cannes should consider your good self next year. Two Gold Lions in 1996, I believe.
Of this year’s Australian jurors, Steve Back is certainly OK, having his name on a Silver and 7 Bronze Lions; Jay Benjamin has a Gold, 6 Silver and 3 Bronze; Matt Eastwood has his name on 6 Bronze Lions; Gavin McLeod has 2 Silvers and 3 Bronze; Paul Reardon has a Cannes Radio Grand Pix and a Silver Lion; and even Henry Tajer, a managing director, has his name on a Bronze Lion.
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Hi Lynchie –
I wasn’t trying to push my case, I was just posing a question I thought was much more important than where the jurors lived. But thanks for your detailed breakdown of who won what & my respect goes to them all. (hey mate… you forgot about my Bronze!)
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Adam,
I did too! I also think you deserve some credit for stuffing that shark for Kadu Clothing, which, for the benefit of the Gen Y creatives, was Australia’s first Print Grand Prix in 1994 – created by Andromeda, Sydney. Creative Director: Siimon Reynolds. Creative Team: Ben Nott and Paul Bennell. Photographer: Simon Harsent. Guts Arranger: Adam Hunt. A bloody gutsy ad that one (pardon the pun).
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