Why Innovative Creative Ideas Need Long-Term Relationships

BIll> Being a jury member at the Cannes Lions is an honour, but being awarded to participate as a Jury President is just mind-blowing. I feel blessed and honoured, being responsible to judge great cases with outstanding juries.

BIll> We all need to keep track of existing and new technology in order to create an impactful idea. That also means that technology never rests, neither should our ideas or creative passion. Every year we see a majority of ideas which are using the same technology, like a voice assistant. That’s the nature of us creatives, trying to create an outstanding idea by using that tech. But it needs more than just having one great idea. I always believe that this one idea needs to be taken care of in the long run. It is like a relationship with the idea, the tech and the target audience and brand - only from that point are we are having a real conversation.

Bill> The biggest challenge will be to differentiate the cases from each other. That is the most important and also the hardest work, because of the wide interpretation of innovation. As you also mentioned, innovation is using many different technologies, but an innovative idea is only strong and worth winning a Lion when the whole combination of creativity and technology fits perfectly to reach the target audience. I believe the jury and I will figure it out once having seen all the shortlisted live presentations and discussions. The winning factor of an Innovation Lion is not just a fact, it is an attitude, so I am excited to meet each creator.

Bill> As a creative we are now able to take responsibility about social issues. Innovation means that the idea shouldn't stop by winning a Lion. As I mentioned before, an innovative idea can be so strong and impactful that it needs to be kept alive on the long run by extending and adjusting it. More often, we should remind ourselves that our strongest asset is creativity, which can make the world better.  In order to do that, we have to change the way we work in our business and its processes.

Bill> Due to the fact that we have seen all submissions, the pre-judging has been exciting and challenging. The juries did a great job, so I am pretty happy with the shortlists. Particularly, the balance between startups, NGOs and big brands gives me hope to evolve, and proves the importance of the Innovation category.

Bill> Spontaneously, there are too many cases which are outstanding. I like ‘The Next Rembrandt’ case which was pretty impressive for the way they used data to create something ‘classic’ - a painting. I am also stunned about the simplicity and impact of the ‘Humanium Metal Initiative,’ which re-defines a new process of creating commodity products with a good cause.

Bill> Thanks to the great work of the Cannes Lions organisation, I have the luck to work with international juries from all over the continents. Also, there are people with international backgrounds, like myself, who grew up in Germany and has been living in Seoul for half a decade, in that we will try to understand cultural habits. That said, while judging, the juries have to make their time to research the cultural insights if they're needed. Especially, when we feel that the case has a high potential to win a Gold or a Grand Prix, I want to make sure that everything will be handled fairly and correctly.

Bill> If the time allows, I want to see some talks. Especially talks from creators about their creative work. The beauty of Cannes Lions is the huge amount of talks and the possibility to meet the creators. But this year, I need to be a bit spontaneous to select any talks and events.