The Unmistakables reposted this
Let's talk about what it means to judge the creativity of others. Last week, along with a bunch of the best of Europe's creative talent, I was invited to the St James Hotel in London to complete the final in-person jury judging for the Eurobest 2024. Organised by the brilliant team behind Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (LIONS), Eurobest is all about celebrating Europe's most groundbreaking creativity. And that is exactly what our Entertainment Jury set out to do. First off: to even be acknowledged in - let alone invited to - a room where work is discussed, challenged, interrogated, debated, watched and rewatched, enjoyed, and ultimately CELEBRATED (we applauded and cheered every single piece of work that picked up an award) is a privilege. A huge privilege. A privilege we did not take lightly. As a room we continually reminded ourselves how lucky we were to be able to award work in this way. As a room we felt the weight and the responsibility of the task at hand. And what a room. No egos. No arguments. No fuss. Instead we shared a single-minded focus on rewarding and awarding the best creative work from the region. Work that would not only be the best of the best but also send a message to the rest of the industry - clients and agencies - all across Europe that our choices reflect that this year's crop is the kind of work we want to see. Which meant, come the end of our working day, we had *unanimous agreement* that our choices were the right winners and, speaking to other juries, that is not something you achieve easily - at all. The room came together and the room delivered. That is is no small part thanks to the team at LIONS for their expert casting and diligent jury selection process. And extra special thanks for appointing Hermeti Balarin as our jury president - he was a playful ray of creative light that kept us true, on track, and centred throughout. We couldn't have done it without him. Another note of gratitude - again to the team at LIONS - for the tireless work in the background. From briefing to unconscious-bias training (delivered by The Unmistakables), from updates and reminders, to herding bus-loads of cats to and from destinations and back again - it is an operational marvel. The gushy points are done now. As a jury we know which work will pick up metal next month. As a jury member, I am proud of the choices we made. No matter if you 'only' made the shortlist or if you pick up the grand prix - *every single entry* this year had an element about it that you could see where the work had happened. Being creative is hard. Making work is hard. Delivering any of it is a small miracle. I hope you understand that juries see you, they see your work, and they appreciate everything you do that makes our industry great. The shortlist was published this week and the awards themselves will be announced in December. Best of luck! PS. Jury Eurobesties 4eva 🫶🏻