After winning Canada’s first Titanium Lion in 2015, Judy John will play a part in picking this year’s winners as a member of the prestigious Titanium and Integrated Lions jury.
John, the long-time Leo Burnett chief executive and chief creative officer, found out she’d made the esteemed jury about a week ago.
“I was so honoured,” she told Marketing. “Cannes has incredible judges across all the categories, and when you look at the jury for Titanium, it is always the best of the best and so to be considered in that regard is such an honour.”
The distinction is further magnified by the fact the jury will be led by industry legend Sir John Hegarty. He’s had a career that every creative aspires to, said John who was also on Hegarty’s Film jury at the Festival in 2013. “He’s amazing…. He’s incredibly grounded and really smart.”
John led the team behind the ultra successful #LikeAGirl campaign, which won the PR Grand Prix and multiple Gold Lions as well as being just one of six entries to win a Titanium Lion last year. The Titanium Grand Prix went to to CP+B’s “Emoji Ordering” for Domino’s.
While the Titanium category has always been loosely defined, the Cannes Lions entry site describes Titanium as work that needs to “break new ground in branded communications; that is, provocative, boundary-busting, envy-inspiring work that marks a new direction for the industry and moves it forward.”
“It is the hardest category because it is all the ground-breaking work, it is all that is new and innovative,” said John. “When you get something in there, it says that your work is amazing.”
John, who was also president of the Direct jury last year, is one of 10 Canadian judges heading to Cannes in mid June to evaluate and award the best advertising work in the world as part of the International Festival of Creativity.
Two Canadians were earlier given the considerable honour of being named jury presidents for 2016: Tom Eymundson, CEO, director, Pirate Group will lead the Radio judges while Edelman’s John Clinton, chair, Canada and North American head of creative and content will oversee the PR judging.
Rounding out the list of Canadian judges are:
- Melanie Johnston, president of DDB Toronto—Creative Effectiveness;
- Brent Choi, chief creative officer of J. Walter Thompson Canada & New York—Cyber;
- Claude Auchu, partner, vice-president, creative director, design of lg2—Design;
- Steph Mackie, owner of Mackie Biernacki—Direct
- Nancy Crimi-Lamanna, vice-president, creative director at FCB Toronto—Film;
- Ann Stewart, president of Maxus—Media; and
- Philippe Meunier, chief creative officer at Sid Lee—Promo & Activation.
With the final list of judges announced, festival organizers said 40% of the 387 judges this year are women, up from 31.5% in 2015.
And while John is the only official Canadian representative on the Titanium and Integrated jury she’ll be joined by another Canadian, though one whose career has been south of the border for several years now: Lori Senecal, global CEO of Crispin Porter + Bogusky.
