A lot of people in our business have questioned whether advertising needs yet another awards show.
Having been flown out on SIA, spent a week in Raffles and enjoyed the hospitality of a certain Neil French, my answer is, unquestionably, yes!
But seriously, this isn't yet another advertising awards show. It has
been created by someone with a real passion for press advertising, not 
a passion for making money (he's made
plenty of that already).
And it was an incredible honour to be asked to be on the jury. A chance to meet or reacquaint myself with some of the giants in world advertising (quite literally in the case of Marcello Serpa).
Then there's the coming Annual. Obviously I haven't seen it while writing this, but I'm sure it has been beautifully put together. And how refreshing not to have to look at press ads on your computer from a disc.
Hopefully, after this first edition it will be the book that every decent creative throughout the world will want to be in next year.
But what of this year's crop?
I have to say, I think it was a decent year and although I don t think there was one standout piece of work, it has proved pretty tough to pick just three, rather than five or six, favourites.
My first choice, however, is probably the same as all the other judges. Stuffit Deluxe.
A wonderfully politically incorrect campaign that preys on stereotypical thinking (things made in China), is racist (Japanese tourist), and is sexist (Divorce). I bet Neil loved it!
What I admire most about it though, is the fact that it is in such an unpromising category, office equipment. Most creatives wouldn't even touch the brief. Not any more.
My next choice is from a much more familiar category in the awards annuals, fashion, but that doesn t make it any easier.
It's a campaign for Wrangler Basic Cut, featuring Neanderthal men in various poses. Very simple. Very funny. Very cool.
Now for my tricky third choice.
Should it be the Amnesty Signatures ad, which really brings to life the power your signature can have? Or should it be the campaign to promote tourism to East Timor? A rare marriage of great writing and great art direction on one page? Or, in this case, six pages.
In the end I decided to plump for a campaign for a Gambling Helpline.
Gambling Helpline? I hear you cry, How easy is that? Well, very easy judging by this work. That is what great creative work does. It makes it all look so effortless.
I found it an incredibly powerful and involving campaign and like the Stuffit Deluxe work, every time I went back to look at it, I saw something new.
One final observation on this year's work.
In this Cannes-obsessed world, all press advertising is increasingly starting to look the same. When viewing the work I hadn't the foggiest idea where it had come from. It's all so... well... International. it seems to me that sometimes work is aimed more at the International Awards Jury than at the local punter himself.
Truly great creative work does both. So let's all please try and keep advertising relevant to the real world out there, not just the advertising community.
It will only make you more famous.
Jeremy Craigen
Executive Creative Director,
DDB London
