Film director Jason Eisener will co-chair this year’s edition of the Ice Awards, a celebration of Atlantic Canadian advertising that has adopted an ‘undead’ theme for its 10th anniversary.
Eisener, a Dartmouth, N.S.-based filmmaker whose grindhouse-style horror movie Hobo With A Shotgun was released earlier this year, will co-chair the event along with Shawn King, partner and chief creative officer at Halifax agency Extreme Group.
King, who recently co-chaired the 2011 Marketing Awards, said Eisener’s creativity and interest in dark films lent itself to this year’s Ice Awards theme.
“We were realizing that the show was right around Halloween and that Jason is this self-proclaimed expert in ‘dead entertainment’—the grindhouse kind of moviemaking—and the work that wins (awards) is the work that was never killed,” said King.
“The Ice Awards is about celebrating Atlantic creativity, and the context for us is advertising, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate it in other ways. I love the idea of using someone from outside the industry.”
King said his agency designed a new logo to reflect the ‘undead’ theme, and that attendees would be encouraged to appear in costume.
“I think the show needs to be a show,” said King. “We’ve got to bring the show back to life and get people excited about going. We’re really going to try to make a spectacle of it.”
The Ice Awards judges were also revealed. Michael Murray, creative director at Crispin, Porter and Bogusky, heads up a panel that also includes Dre Labre, creative director at Rethink Toronto; Michael Clowater, associate creative director at BBDO Toronto; Nellie Kim, associate creative director at John St.; Joel Pylypiw, art director at Red Urban and Jamie Webster, director at Common Good.
King said judges from outside the Atlantic region were chosen to help ensure objectivity.
The 2011 Ice Awards take place on October 27 in Halifax.
