Attendee Comments 2019

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Aicha Wijland

Aicha Wijland

Art Director
CHE Proximity
Melbourne
, Australia


It was a hugely valuable experience.

The first thing we got told at Creative LIAisons by Barbara Levy was to get rid of anything we thought we knew about advertising. Following this advice, Lauren and I decided to swap roles for this diary and share our experience through art and copy in a new way: worse. Please enjoy our account of Day 1 with an attempt at words by me and beautiful illustrations by Lauren. Thanks Barbara.

Two of the three talks today were focused around sound and sonic branding (by Ralph van Dijk and Diedrick van Middelkoop). These are words we felt like we hear thrown around a lot, so it was interesting to get the lowdown. It never occurred to us that Audio Directing is a job that exists – although now it seems obvious. Going forward, we want to involve more thinking around this in our work – if Lauren doesn’t run away to become an Audio Director first.

We also witnessed the definition of creative chemistry between Diane Jackson and Oliver Fuselier, which was appropriate since their whole conversation was about “collaboration in pursuit of magic”. They stopped using the word “partnership” to replace it with a much more active, involved one: “collaboration”. If there was one thing I took away from today it was this attitude – I love the idea of creative people working together without barriers of perceived roles (Lauren – can you please insert joke here about who’s the better writer).

The rest of the day we were in a workshop making 6 second videos with Great Guns. We were given the afternoon to create a 6 second ad for CloseUp toothpaste in groups of 10 type A’s armed with just an iPad and a box full of random props. I don’t know what happened to Lauren in those 4 hours we were split up but she reappeared with what I can only describe as Soft Core Clown-on-Panda BDSM…. but with toothpaste?.

Day 2: Dear Diary, We’re exhausted. Day 2 was a heckers back-to-back onslaught of information & we’re terrified it will all fall out of our brains since it’s fired at us so quickly. Today’s episode is brought to you by the number 8 – the hour that we will be in bed by tonight.

In the morning Pum Lefebure’s presentation was filled with fearless colour, attitude, and meticulous attention to detail. There was an audible clatter when every jaw in the room fell to the floor. Our inadequate summary consists of a few memorable quotes; we particularly liked her phrase “visually vigilant”, which means always being aware of the things you see around you. She said every creative, not just designers and art directors, should be fluent in visual language.

We were relentlessly hit with wise words throughout the day, from the gravitas of Piyush Pandey to the fast-paced world of the Branded Entertainment panel. Both talked in contrasting (but complimentary) ways about how to communicate with empathy with your client and other creatives.

Interestingly this topic came up again with Emad Tahtouh when he was discussing what happens when we combine emotion and tech. It sounds like storytelling will always be a part of what we do in the industry.

We then got an engaging crash course on presenting from Matt McDonald; from not having Coke at a Pepsi preso to the nuances of pitch theatre, “don’t try to solve the problem in the room” is probably the best advice of the day. It was a massive relief to see something we get could put to use immediately when we get back to work – in amongst all the case studies of Beautifully Crafted Multi-Million Dollar Ads with clients who would catch you in a trust fall…

Throughout the day, everyone kept talking about always learning, always being awake, and responsible for your self investment. That is, being proactive in furthering your skills. It was inspiring to hear this, especially since so many things went over our heads sometimes. We have a lot of self investment to do.

Day 3: Where to start? LIA 2019 has been permeated with this magical word: “empathy”. Empathy with our clients, with our consumers, and with each other.

A woman came and asked us (nerds in the front row) if the seat next to us was taken. We talked about where we were from, where she was from… she told us a story of the cockroaches in her apartment when she lived in Sydney years ago. In fact, she admitted that she had a cockroach story from every place she’d lived, even Afghanistan. And then she picked up a mic and was introduced as Lara Logan, multi-award winning journalist. Okay. Her poignant talk put our jobs into some much-needed perspective and is probably one of the main reasons we’re writing about today in so much detail.

In the afternoon we were treated to a RARE workshop, run by founder Stefanie DiGianvincenzo and featuring inspiring talks from Olympic snowboarder Šárka Pancochová, Fin Design CEO Emma Daines, Sweetshop CEO Wilf Sweetland, Amusement Park CEO Jimmy Smith, founder of FOX Pride Waseem Samaan, Samson Bonkeabantu Thulani Brown (of First Shave by Gillette fame), academic director Prof. David Slocum, and absolute baller and inspiration Blair Imani. Yup. It was a lot to take in.

The RARE masterclass felt like the answer to a lot of the questions we had been asking ourselves, not just today, but throughout our short careers. It was an enlightening and empowering session on unconscious bias, what we stand for, and how we can embrace everyone’s differences to better the creative work, each other and ourselves. We did a few exercises with David Slocum about negotiation and our personal values. For one, we had to go through a list of about 100 adjectives and decide on the 5 values that we believe in the most. To end this article on a slightly lighter note, we found that ours were pretty similar (makes sense). Here they are:

Lauren 1. Empathy 2. Honesty 3. Compassion 4. Genuineness 5. Pleasure

Aïcha 1. Love 2. Curiosity 3. Teamwork 4. Integrity 5. Fun

Day 4: Dear diary, Today was what we all came here for. A pool party.

And to watch some of the best campaigns of 2019 get torn a new one. Today was judgement day.

I chose to sit in the Production and Post-production jury room today, because I believe in the importance of craft. The parts I was looking forward to most were the animation and music video categories (for anyone who knows me, this is not surprising in the slightest). It was really interesting to hear the jurors’ conversation about style. Again, an animation or music video could have been executed flawlessly – but was it something we haven’t seen before? Is it something fresh? Has it been seen in this context before? Does it go beyond just serving the story? These questions ultimately decided the prizes awarded.

One of the overall takeaways for me today was that creativity doesn’t stop at the idea, or even just the treatment. Every single detail along the way should be decided with this in mind. There was a lot of debate in the room about solutions that work and serve the ad, but lack any additional creative perspective.

There were also some interesting debates about the role of skill and the difficulty of certain executions. Diane Jackson told the room a great metaphor relating to this: a jazz saxophonist could be (very impressively) circular breathing throughout a whole song, but if it doesn’t sound good, it doesn’t matter how technically adept the musician is. Ultimately they judged on the end product rather than the process, which is an approach we agree with, and one Lauren’s room also touched on.

She sat in on the New and Social Influencer categories, which were really interesting but also really hard to define. How do you define what makes something ‘new’? And what counts as an influencer these days?

We were lucky enough to be able to speak up when we felt we needed to. And lucky we did. One particular LIAson’s articulate observations proved the importance of (and obvious lack of) diversity and inclusion in award judging rooms, especially when it comes to people with disabilities. Of course, this is really just a reflection on the industry and society as a whole, but it was amazing to see up close.

After today, we have a new respect for award jurors. It’s a job that requires a lot of endurance; we were only with them for about 7 hours or so, but this was the fourth day that they had sat down to deliberate. There were 19 hours of production entries sent in to LIA this year. Woof.

Tonight’s the big pool party. And apparently if you’re not schmoozing, you’re losing.

Day 5: Dear Diary, We’ll keep this final one short – pools and pokies are calling.

Since our wild week is wrapping up, and our brains are full from learning (pretty sure we know everything now), we’re un-swapping roles. Bring back the alliteration baby, Aïcha’s the art director again.

Creative LIAisons was rounded off in true Yankee style, with an entrepreneurial workshop feat. Daymond John from Shark Tank. So I guess that makes us entrepreneurs now, kinda like Lindsay Lohan.

So what exactly did we learn here? Oodles. But here are our top 5 takeaways:

1. Although we’re still learning, our point of view is just as relevant as those who’ve been in the game forever. And we shouldn’t be shy about sharing it.

2. We learnt how to get what you want at work, and how not to piss off everyone while you’re doing it.

3. You can ask anyone you want to be your mentor. If they’re worth learning from, they’ll want to help.

4. Brands have more power than governments.

5. Don’t pay to go to Europe when you can do shots on the sunny Venetian canals at midnight.

The highlight? Making friends from all over the world. And some of them weren’t even Australian! Thanks to LIA, we’ve got couches to crash on in Chicago, New York, Toronto, Paris, Berlin & Amsterdam.

Before we sign off, we want to thank Adrian and Sarah and everyone at MADC for giving us that ridiculously oversized boarding pass. It’s been an invaluable experience and we won’t forget it. Plus a massive thanks to Barbara from LIA for putting on the show.

Sure there were some weird moments this week, but it’s Vegas. Everyone wins here, right? Well ok, maybe some people will walk away losers. But don’t despair if that’s you. After all, every time you lose something, you learn something. Signing off for the last time, L&A @ LIA

https://campaignbrief.com/madc-lia-pitch-a-ride-to-vegas-winners-aicha-wijland-and-lauren-eddy-from-che-proximity-melbourne-discuss-creative-liaisons-program/
Before Creative LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I didn’t know anything about it. I only found out about it when it was announced in Campaign Brief that LIA was looking for entries for this competition.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was ecstatic, because I’ve never had an opportunity like this to interact and learn directly from so many global legends in the industry, as well as other young creatives like us.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I’d be really interested to learn about the way the speakers deal with the pressure we all put on ourselves when it comes to making great work. I’d also be interested to see what the speakers would say about the responsibility we have in influencing culture, and how exciting it is to be making impactful work.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I’d love to chat to Jonathan Westley from The Mill, since their work is so high quality and diverse. They’re behind some of the coolest work that’s being made today & I’d love to get his insights on craft. I would love to know what kind of briefs excite him.
Alejandro Arguiz

Alejandro Arguiz

Senior Copywriter
Dhélet VMLY&R
Buenos Aires
, Argentina


After Creative LIAisons:

The best talks were:

Pum Lefebure: Inspiring Excellence.

Ralph van Dijk of Eardrum: Great ideas from an often - underestimated media.

Matt MacDonald: How to Present Yourself. I’m already putting his teachings into practice.

All the coaching talks were useful such as the following.

Lara Logan: An outstanding career.

Daymond John: Great Motivation.

The best part of the program was the opportunity to get to know people with the same energy and goals from all over the world, but all together in one place. Overall LIAisons was a lovely experience.

Before Creative LIAisons:

1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?

A couple of my friends have participated in the Creative LIAisons program, so I have heard a lot about LIA.

2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?

I expect to meet people who are passionate about creativity and communication, both above and below the stage. I hope to find inspiration and new points of views.

3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?

I think we can all have good ideas today. I would like to hear about how to sell them or even how to make them for yourself.

4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?

I would like to interview Mark Tutssel, because of his incredible career.

Alice Pearce

Alice Pearce

Junior Creative
Leo Burnett
London
, United Kingdom


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Being new to the industry I had not previously heard of the LIA Creative LIAisons program. However since having a look I am really excited and honored to have the chance to participate in it.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
When I was told I was chosen, my jaw honestly hit the floor! I genuinely can’t wait and know it will be an experience I will most definitely cherish. A week of networking and talks will be really useful and the location is just the icing on the cake.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
This is very niche; but the art of writing very short radio ads. I’m also interested in social media and the use of influencers - is this a dying model, what’s the next phase? And lastly what are the future predictions for the advertising industry?
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I would like to interview Leslie Sims, because first, she seems like a badass woman and who doesn’t want to interview a badass woman. Second, I’ve read that she’s a copywriter so I’d like to badger her for knowledge. Third, she is in the Print/Poster/Billboard jury, and having a soft spot for that area myself, I’d like to ask her how she goes about judging that medium.
Allison Farrish

Allison Farrish

Copywriter
BBDO Los Angeles
Los Angeles
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I researched the Creative LIAisons program and saw that participants had career changing experiences in years past. The experience seemed to add a whole new dimension to their concept of advertising and their own creative potential.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I heard that I had been chosen for Creative LIAisons when I was having one of those days (with which every creative is familiar) where I seriously questioned my talent. Being chosen for the program quickly reminded me that creativity and talent aren’t just things you have. They’re things you work at with the help of mentors like the ones at LIAisons. The news was equal parts exciting and comforting.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
I want to see how top creatives talk about and assess great work. I’ve personally seen and experienced great creative work, but I’ve had less experience hearing seasoned professionals put words around what specifically makes it so.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
If I could interview any of the jurors for two minutes, I’d interview Kerstin Emhoff, because she’s a highly awarded female entrepreneur with a multinational business and an interest in elevating minorities within creative industries. Put simply, one day I hope to be all of those things.
Alyssa Graff

Alyssa Graff

Art Director
Cossette
Toronto
, Canada


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I heard about the LIAisons program through an Art Director friend of mine who was lucky enough to attend last year.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I expect to brush shoulders with some of the best creative minds in the world. Even if I don’t get the opportunity to talk to them one on one, it will be an honor to hear them speak and learn from their experiences. I am hoping to get a more accurate view of where the industry is going as a whole, as it is easy to have blinders on within your own creative market.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I would love to learn more about the future of the industry and how innovation in technology will bring new opportunities and challenges. I’d love to know what keeps these creative leaders up at night, what inspires them, and what they do to spark creativity. Hearing about the passion projects they work on will be almost as inspiring as their creative day jobs. It would also be interesting to hear from female creative leaders on their experience with balancing work and family life. Lastly, I would love to know if the importance of awards within our industry is changing for better or worse
Anna Paine

Anna Paine

Art Director
DDB Sydney
Sydney
, Australia


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
In all honesty, not a great deal. I worked with some creatives who participated a few years ago, so I heard about the talks, workshops and the occasional long lunch from them. But I didn’t know it was limited to 100 attendees or that I would have the opportunity to go behind the scenes and see the judging process. I’m thoroughly looking forward to that.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
Excited, terrified, honoured and privileged. All the typical things you feel when you’re about to step out of your comfort zone and embark on a journey with some of the brightest creative minds in the world. Also, incredibly lucky, which bodes well for being in Las Vegas.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
Given this is Las Vegas, if I could choose one topic, I’d love to hear the speakers’ perspectives on luck in advertising. While hard work and talent are obviously essential, just how much luck is involved in being successful?
Does it start from being lucky enough to get the opportunity brief? Then being lucky enough to have clients that buy it? Is there even luck involved in the judging room, as the process is quite subjective. Could having the right group of people in the room be the difference between winning an award or not?
Also, I would like to know what other young creatives answered to this question.

Arianne De Gennaro

Arianne De Gennaro

Copywriter
Ogilvy Brazil
Sao Paulo
, Brazil


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I had always heard great things, but I didn't know that Creative LIAisons was a program for young creatives.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was very happy. Truly, I'm still very happy. It is a great opportunity to be part of this program.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
- The Influence of AI on great ideas.
- How to get a job in another country.
- Why are women still a minority in creative leadership.
Austin Campbell-Cohen

Austin Campbell-Cohen

Senior Copywriter
Jung von Matt / SAGA
Hamburg
, Germany


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?

Friends from Jung von Matt / SAGA and a few other German agencies were given the fortunate opportunity of attending LIAisons in the past, so I had heard a few stories about the judging, the panel talks, and the camaraderie of waking up.

2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?

I feel that when industry leaders speak, subjects often concern the steps agencies should be taking to be better. It’s extremely important, but I’m still figuring myself out. Being selected for LIAsons excites me, because it gives me the opportunity to ask the selfish questions. I am also excited for tacos.

3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?

The mistakes they or their friends made in their career and what we should learn from them.

• What impact did their own mentors have on their career and what were some of the timeless lessons they were given.

• What would you specifically warn the incoming class of Portfolio School 2019?

Ben Horewood

Ben Horewood

Art Director
Cummins and Parnters
Melbourne
, Australia


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?

I saw a flurry of photos online when two friends attended the LIAs last year as Creative LIAisons. I have realised two things since; it’s ‘LIA-isons’ (very clever) and that it was in Las Vegas…not London… explaining the Pyramid and the neon Las Vegas signs.

2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?

After browsing the other young creative’s profiles for hints on how to answer these questions I’m excited to meet them all and casually follow up on the answers they gave without being too specific and creeping them out. I’m also excited to see how the judging is done and how I can manipulate that process into winning awards.

Secretly, the main reason I am excited is to make lifelong memories with my copywriter partner. I can feel her pulling away and this will be a great opportunity to reignite our spark. She can’t see this, right?

3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)

I would like to meet Matt Eastwood for sure; Aussie ex-pat that has taken over the world in style. I need his step-by-step guide as soon as possible.

4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?

I would follow up with Matt Eastwood from our previous hypothetical conversation in question 3. He will recognise me at this point and our interview will be filled with friendly banter resulting in a mutual respect that would usually take years to build.

Brian Njagi

Brian Njagi

Lead Copywriter
KOKO Networks
Nairobi
, Kenya


After Creative LIAisons:
Thank you for every single minute of mind-blowing teachings we got from LIA. Deeply appreciate this life changing moment.
Before Creative LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Not much. Mostly because of the great geographical distance I suspect. But I am here now and I will be spreading the glories of LIA to everyone I meet across the 4 corners of my country!
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I hope to learn. I want to sip from the many legendary brains there and hopefully, I will be nourished creatively. I am also interested in having a fruitful exchange with my fellow attendees where we can share experiences and have fun together.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
- What makes a winning campaign?
- What are the trends to watch out for in 2019?
- Is there a shortcut to achieving creative excellence?
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I would interview Torsten Hennings. Since radio is still the largest medium in Kenya, I would like to learn from him what can make radio ads I write stand out and make an impact
Caleb Newberg

Caleb Newberg

Art Director & Designer
VMLY&R
New York
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I had always heard great things about LIA, but I’ll admit I didn’t know about the Creative LIAisons program until I was recently selected to go. I’m extremely excited to be included in such an exclusive and immersive program!
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I expect the week to be a whirlwind of inspiration but also a creative bootcamp of sorts. I’d like to come out of the program feeling refreshed about the industry and the kind of dedication and passion it takes to make unparalleled creative work. And to be pushed outside my comfort zone!
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
• Creative burnout and embracing the mundane – in both your personal life and at work.
• Using limitations to your advantage.
• How to be a stronger conceptual thinker.
• How to find inspiration from everyday occurrences.
• Avoiding the trend trap.
• Finding a healthy digital / social media diet
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I’d go with Pum Lefebure, because she’s been an icon in the design world for as long as I can remember. I went to design school for my undergrad (shoutout University of Kansas!) and that’s where my focus has always been – and Design Army is a legend in that space.
Caroline Sierra-Bornais

Caroline Sierra-Bornais

Art Director
Zulu Alpha Kilo
Toronto
, Canada


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I had never heard of LIAisons until my CD mentioned it to me.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was really excited! It’s an awesome opportunity to meet tons of other creatives from around the world and what a great place to do it!
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I’d love to hear from senior creatives about their biggest career regrets and the best mistake they’ve made along the way. You can always learn from that.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
Pum Lefebure. I love seeing a woman in power in this industry.
Christa Prater

Christa Prater

Copywriter
Wieden + Kennedy
Portland
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
a. Nothing :( the name is fun though.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
a. Very exclusive.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
a. “How to make work that makes everyone jealous instead of you being the jealous one for ONCE” and “your liver and you: alcohol in the mysterious world of advertising”
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
a. Jill Kershaw, because one, I’ve worked with Sound and Fury before and absolutely loved them, and two, please tell me all the things that make a great radio script. Please. I want the 50k.
Christian Lotz

Christian Lotz

Art Director
Heimat
Berlin
, Germany


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?

I first heard about LIAisons 3 years ago when a colleague told me about “a meeting of creatives” in connection to LIA. Right away, I liked the thought of being able to observe the judging process.

2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?

I expect to meet different kinds of creatives from all over the globe, see their creative approach, how they develop and judge ideas and get inspired. And hopefully, make connections that last longer than the time being in Vegas. Also, I have to play the slot machine just once.

3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)

I would like to meet and speak with Judges in categories where I feel like I can learn the most, such as Tiffany Rolfe. And experienced creatives with an Art Direction background such as Bernardo Romero.

Christopher Parker

Christopher Parker

Senior Copywriter
R/GA New York
New York
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I was unfamiliar with the program before I was selected. The whole experience is brand new.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I want to meet other creators who love making things. I want to hear their stories of success and failure, and get to know what motivates them outside of advertising.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
Perry Fair
Connor Fleming

Connor Fleming

Creative Director, Design
Ogilvy
Chicago
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I knew about the London International Awards, but did not know about the LIA Creative LIAisons program. It seems like an invaluable experience from everything I’ve read and I’m looking forward to being a part of it.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I felt honored, excited, and a little in over my head. I really appreciate the opportunity to attend and I hope to learn as much as I can from all the talented creatives taking part in the program.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
I hope to learn how to judge the strength of ideas, how to measure what separates truly big ideas from the others, how creative leaders evaluate work with each other. What role the craft of the work plays in judging and how much it can make or break its success.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
It’s tough to pick from such an impressive group. I would love to ask Tosh Hall some questions, because the output of JKR’s design offices is so consistent and high-caliber. I’m curious about how their culture fosters great work, how they set themselves and their clients up for success on such a big stage, and how they stay inspired to keep pushing the envelope.
Célestin Metens

Célestin Metens

Creative
Duval Guillaume
Brussels
, Belgium


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Of course I knew about this famous LIA trophy that everyone confuses with the EuropaCorp logo, but I didn't really know anything about the Creative LIAisons program or what goes on during LIA.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was initially very excited. This kind of experience is an opportunity to learn and question one’s own creative ambitions.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I would like to understand how a jury judges an idea. This is essential. What is really important? The idea? The craft? Originality? Simplicity? Lunch? The comfort of the chair?
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
It's a bit like having to choose between Messi or Ronaldo. You know you'll be happy with your choice, but you also know you'll have regrets. I think I would choose someone whose culture is opposed to mine. It is always interesting to see how a culture influences our creation.
Dana Ciani

Dana Ciani

Copywriter
Cossette
Toronto
, Canada


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?

I had heard about the program through other creatives who were given the opportunity to attend last year. Nothing but great things were said about the experience.

2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?

I look forward to the opportunity to mingle and pick the brains of top creatives that I wouldn’t have the chance to chat with otherwise. Also excited to get a look behind the curtain when it comes to the judging process.

3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?

- What makes great work great work?

- What the judges are looking for?

- Where are awards shows headed?

Dean Hamann

Dean Hamann

Art Director
Leo Burnett
Toronto
, Canada


After Creative LIAisons:
Thank you for having us, it was a long, but informative week. The most beneficial parts of the program were definitely talks from speakers such as Pum Lefebure, Ralph van Dijk, Diederik van Middelkoop, and Matt MacDonald talking on presentation skills. We could walk away with tangible stuff to make us better immediately.
Before Creative LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I heard it was like a backstage pass, which is always where you want to be, right?
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I expect to get a clear picture of the type of work that is resonating with industry leaders right now. I want to get a clear picture of where the industry is going in the next few years.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
Armin Jochum. I studied in Hamburg and heard about him many times.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
Suyin Sleeman would be great to chat with. Edelman is not like other agencies, so her perspective on advertising moving forward is valuable.
Derek Peet

Derek Peet

Copywriter
Saatchi & Saatchi New York
New York
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?

I knew nothing about it. However, I knew that our CCO had spoken at Creative LIAisons last year, but that’s it.

2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?

I expect to get a renewed sense of creativity. Reassurance that everything is going to be alright! That advertising will persist and agencies will survive! I want to be able to meet and get to know fellow young creatives for inspiration, etc.

3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)

Leslie Sims

4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?

I would choose Leslie Sims, because she is based in New York and has experience in big, traditional agencies that I am interested in hearing and learning more about.

Dominique  Wynne

Dominique  Wynne

Art Director
BBDO New York
New York
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?

I was aware of the Awards show but not of the LIAisons program.

2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?

It felt great to be recognized by my agency as a young creative who should be a part of this. As I’m starting my career, I am always looking to be involved in events that can allow me to grow and help with my creative development.

3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?

I’m an Art Director, so I would be most interested in seeing Design Panels, Technology Panels (how to be on the cutting edge of social) and what makes creative work stand out in a crowd.

Emma Coates

Emma Coates

Copy Supervisor
FCB Health
New York
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I have heard great things from colleagues who have been involved with LIA and the LIAisons program. From their words, it sounds like a brilliant experience.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
It’s an exciting opportunity. I’m really looking forward to participating in the program.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
I think sitting in on the discussions will be a chance to see some inspiring work and get an interesting behind the scenes look at the judging process. I’m hoping to learn more about what makes a piece of work stand out during judging and how to put together a strong case study/ entry.
4. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I love hearing the stories behind cool campaigns. Sometimes when you see great work you wonder how the team sold a really ambitious idea to the client or how they put the shoot together. I’d be interested in hearing presenters talk about that process.
Esha Tiwari

Esha Tiwari

Copy Supervisor
Isobar India
Gurgaon
, India


My time at LIA 2019 was an invaluable opportunity to me. Thoroughly loved the eye-opening and myth breaking sessions by an awesome line of speakers. The learnings from spending an entire day observing how the jury decides, seeing their thought processes and the dynamics of decision making is something we will carry with ourselves for our entire career. The workshops, especially the RARE leadership masterclass and Innervation Lab, were indispensable practical knowledge. My favorite part about the entire program was the ready accessibility to the creative maestros of the world, the moguls of creativity, be it during the program or at the after-party. It’s pure GOLD for any creative! Still hungover and it’s not the alcohol. Cheers to one of the best weeks ever!
Before Creative LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
The leadership at Isobar India introduced me to the program. Looking at the winning ideas of the past and the juries of LIA inspired me at once, but participating in the LIAisons program and getting a chance to watch the juries during deliberations will be an enriching experience.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
Absolutely thrilled! It’s an unbeatable opportunity to be with my creative idols in one room. The chance to have a face-to-face discussion with some of the best creative talent in the world is completely overwhelming. I will be in the presence of the minds behind the work I have only read about and drawn inspiration from until now. I am also super excited to meet the other attendees and have a memorable time.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
I hope to learn eye for eye details. It is often the littlest details that make an idea from good to great. I am excited to see all the winning ideas and meet some of the creators in-person.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
Mark Tutssel – With 600 Cannes Lions to his name, if given an opportunity to commence a new award ceremony that can replace Cannes for creativity, what would it be and how different will it be?
Evan Wallis

Evan Wallis

Copywriter
Leo Burnett
Toronto
, Canada


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I heard about the program through another creative I know, who attended a year or two ago. She said it was an invaluable, creative experience that she would highly recommend.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I felt privileged and grateful to have the opportunity to attend.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I’d like to learn more about what other creatives and industry leaders do to stay creative and inspired. I find other creatives’ passion projects and interests fascinating. After all, we are what we do.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
Well, I’ve only got two minutes, so I’d talk to Torsten Hennings and ask him what he told his jury to look for in an award-winning podcast.
Fabian Königer

Fabian Königer

Creative Director
thjnk
Hamburg
, Germany


After Creative LIAisons:
Thank you for the amazing experience. The talks were interesting and insightful and I can really take something out of them for my career. And especially meeting all of those creatives from all over the world is a memory I won’t forget. Also, I enjoyed Vegas much more than I thought I would. I hope you keep doing this program for years to come - and hopefully we can send someone else from our agency next year. So thank you very much for everything and I hope one day I can return as a judge to this wonderful award.
Before Creative LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
A very close colleague of mine attended LIAisons last year. He reported great conversations, meeting interesting creatives from different parts of the world and an overall very inspiring visit.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
Delighted and scared. Delighted, because it's a great opportunity to have such a close and intimate look into one of the most important awards worldwide. Scared, because I’m a subpar poker player, so Las Vegas might be a dangerous place for me.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
I had the honor to be on domestic juries, but never on an International one, so I am very interested to learn how to judge ideas for different markets and cultures, ones I might not be so familiar with.
Federico Mario	Landajo

Federico Mario Landajo

Art Director
HOY
Buenos Aires
, Argentina


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I knew about LIA and the awards, because of its fame and recognition in the “advertising community” and I knew about the program, because of the competition that is hosted every year here in Argentina by the Circulo de Creativos Argentinos, offering the chance to go to the festival. Beyond that I did some research about the program, but to be honest, prior to being chosen, I did not read in-depth about the program. Now I have.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I felt honored and of course happy. Not just because I was going to have the chance to attend the program, but because I felt that in some way my every day work was being rewarded. And not because I need to be rewarded for it, after all it’s what I love to do, so I don’t need anything else, but to be considered “worthy” of going there in the eyes of my Agency and LIA itself is really mind blowing. Long story short I felt happy and honored.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
If I could choose the topics I probably would not do it. I think that every speaker is going to talk about what they believe is important for us, the “young ones” to know or learn. And I think that they know more about that than me. However, if I have to choose, I think that hearing about the methods and processes in other agencies and among other cultures would be the most interesting.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I would choose Dominic Stallard, because he works in a place that has the most cultural differences from my own culture, so I would like to learn and hear more about those.
Gabrielle Levy

Gabrielle Levy

Producer
McCann New York
New York
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I am very familiar with LIA, but did not know of Creative LIAsons. It was exciting to learn about such a program, one that invests in and is geared towards empowering young, international talent in a way that transcends cultural and gender barriers.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
It is an incredible opportunity to have access to this caliber of creatives. I was ecstatic when I heard about my inclusion among this esteemed company, and the excitement has only grown since. It is an honor and a privilege; I cannot wait to soak everything in.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
I hope to learn more about how to create work that stands out in an oversaturated industry. We have the power to do great work that can, in turn, have powerful impacts. I am eager to explore what special thing puts already great work above the rest and how it is, or can be applied to all types of projects- client facing, non-profit or otherwise.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I’m incredibly interested in speaking to Fred Levron. The most fulfilling part of my career thus far (and ideally far into the future) is the bridging of my passion for activism with my love of all things media and advertising. His projects such as Destination Pride, and on a more traditionally commercial note- Whopper Detour, have been a source of inspiration and have left lasting impressions on me. However, as someone intimately affected by gun violence (the catalyst for a lot for my work), “The Gun Violence History Book” is perhaps my favorite, and one I would love to discuss further. I’m also extremely interested in discussing with Nancy Crimi Lamanna, the incredible breadth of her socially relevant work, in addition to her role as an inaugural member of “Times Up Advertising”.
Grace O’Brien

Grace O’Brien

Copywriter
whiteGREY
Sydney
, Australia


After Creative LIAisons:

It was an honour to attend Creative LIAisons this year. I gained so much practical knowledge that I’m already using in my work, and I met some incredible creatives from all over the world. I think, for me, meeting those other creatives was the best part about LIAisons. I loved being exposed to different ways of working, different problems, and work that I probably wouldn’t see in my own market. Thanks for having me and for all your hard work! We all had a blast.

Before Creative LIAisons:

1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?

My Creative Director had told me about Creative LIAisons and said it was a week (or so) of learning, networking and mingling with other creatives from around the world. That’s about all I knew!

2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?

I expect to be really inspired by the people I meet at Creative LIAisons. I’m hoping to make new friends, to learn more about what creatives are doing in other markets and to get new ideas for our clients back home.

3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)

I’d love to meet Suyin Sleeman, a fellow Australian and Copywriter! Her journey in the industry has been really inspiring and I would be interested in learning more about it.

Guilherme Manzi

Guilherme Manzi

Art Director
FCB Brasil
Sao Paulo
, Brazil


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
The first time I heard about the LIAisons program was last year when a friend of mine participated. I knew of its existence, but not about the program in depth. I do know it is a great opportunity for meeting some of the greatest creatives in the world and learning from them, meeting new people, seeing fresh work and getting inspired.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I expect to meet every kind of creative and learn about their realities in the creative industry. Realities that I am sure are different from mine. For the first time, I am going to experience a real festival judging and learn how it works. To see the jury working, hear their discussions and witnessing their criterion and social skills in action are some of the things I am excited to do. My idea is to have a great time during the program, increase my networking and have fun (and some drinks) with new friends.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I believe that present advertising is totally mixed with the entertainment, arts and cultural industries. I would like to hear about the speakers’ references from these industries; about the different sources of inspiration they drink from.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be?
I would like to interview Peter Alsante, from the TV/Cinema/Online Film Jury, because I really like BBDO New York’s work and, of course, his.
Hannah Lawson

Hannah Lawson

Copywriter
DDB
Sydney
, Australia


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
To be honest, I wasn’t too familiar with the program prior to winning the AWARD School competition. However, like learning a new word, I now see LIAisons everywhere. The general consensus? It’s probably the coolest thing a young creative can do.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
As a fresh little copywriter I’m hoping that I can use LIAisons to sponge up all the amazing creative energy I’ll be surrounded by. This experience will be completely new to me, so I’m going to be full of curiosity and make the most of it. I’m also excited to hear a plethora of new perspectives about the future of not only our industry, but culture in general. How often do you get to be amongst the world’s best young creative minds? So, if you see the blonde Australian chatting to everyone with a giant smile on their face, that's probably me.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with?
I don’t think there is any one particular person I want to speak to. I think the beauty of this week will be meeting people who I had no idea influenced my life through their work. However, I’m excited to meet all the boss female creatives killing it in leadership positions. Especially those who have started their own companies. These women are my heroes.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
It would probably be Kerstin Emhoff, the Co-Founder and President of PRETTYBIRD. Who I am as a creative extends far beyond the parameters of just Copywriting and Advertising. I love film and music, and ultimately how these two interweave to influence Pop Culture (Beyonce’s Formation video clip anyone?). PRETTYBIRD is a pioneer of everything I love about being a modern creative, and it was founded by a bad-ass boss woman. As IF I would pass up being able to talk with Kerstin.
Harry Skelton

Harry Skelton

Junior Copywriter
Colenso BBDO
Auckland
, New Zealand


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I had heard that the LIAisons was a great place to meet and learn from amazing people in the industry; an opportunity that not many in this line of work (or any other line of work for that matter) get to experience.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
It’s a very rewarding feeling to know that Colenso BBDO respects me and my work enough to send me as a representative to such an event.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
- A conversation around awards, what they really are, what they really mean and what their future in this industry is realistically going to look like.
Hee Jin Jin

Hee Jin Jin

Copywriter
Cheil Worldwide
Seoul
, Korea


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
One of my colleagues participated in LIAisons last year, so I was aware of LIA at a basic level. Because of the name, I thought it was hosted in London every year.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I felt very lucky and so excited. It is pretty rare for juniors to travel overseas on a business trip. I’m looking forward to it.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
I hope to learn ways of utiliizng new mediums for effective appeal. There are so many new mediums and digital solutions out there, so I want to know if there is a criteria for keenly recognizing the use of it.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
As I’m currently in charge of ATL media at work, I wish to hear from the judges of TV/Cinema/Online Film category.
Holly Henderson

Holly Henderson

Art Director
McCann London
London
, United Kingdom


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I knew of the awards, but not a huge amount about the program. I’m fairly new to Adland and still learning the landscapes. McCann are big advocates of LIA and having received this question and done some extensive research, I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity to meet, learn and observe from some of the best in the industry so early on in my career.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I felt very excited and grateful; mainly to finally have all my curiosities about what happens behind the closed doors of judging answered. We’re always on the other end waiting nervously with bitten fingernails and wobbling knees for the verdict. So, I’m looking forward to hearing the conversations, debates and what they look for in great work.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
Other than to put an end to my nosiness, I’m hoping to learn more about the key factors and considerations that push work from being good to great. As well as finding out what the most common mistakes are, and also to see if Jeremy Craigen is telling the truth about it all kicking off between the judges.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I want to say my CCO, Rob Doubal, who’s currently sitting 100 meters away, because that would guarantee me brownie points. But in all seriousness, I would love to pick Leslie Sims’ brain. She has been recognised as one of the most creative women in advertising. It would be great to talk to her about her experiences and hear her views about how to maintain and navigate authenticity in an increasingly changing landscape.
Holly Sutton-Williams

Holly Sutton-Williams

Junior Copywriter
Colenso BBDO
Auckland
, New Zealand


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I had heard about the LIA’s through work. It has always been talked about as a prestigious awards show. Plus, the trophies in our trophy cabinet look pretty damn cool. However, I had not heard of the Creative LIAsons until our communications director told us about it, and how beneficial it would be for us to go.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I expect to see amazing work, meet amazing people and pick the brightest brains in the world! I’m hoping to leave LIAisons with a broader mindset. Living in New Zealand, I find that our ads are often tailored to appeal to unique culture - featuring dry kiwi humor or self-deprecation. I’m looking forward to seeing the strategy and insights that other creatives use to engage with the culture of their own countries. Personally, I’m also really looking forward to observing the judging process and seeing first-hand what sets an idea apart from the rest.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
I’d love to meet Leslie Sims. She’s not only produced amazing work for some of the biggest brands in the world, but she’s also a shining beacon of hope in the sea of male ECDs.
Hyobeen Bang

Hyobeen Bang

Art Director
Daehong Communications
Seoul
, Korea


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
My friend joined the Creative LIAisons program in 2017. I heard it was a good opportunity for anyone who likes advertising.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I want to get an unusual experience that I do not get at my office desk. I am especially looking forward to seeing the evaluation of the entries in the jury room, while observing statue discussions. After this conference, I hope I am no longer a big fish in a small pond.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
Leslie Sims and Paul Chan
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
Matter of fact, I have a question for every juror. I wonder what made him/her decide to work in the advertising industry.
Issei Ishikura

Issei Ishikura

Copywriter
HAKUHODO
Tokyo
, Japan


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I knew there were opportunities like Young Lions Academies as part of Cannes Lions, but I didn't know about the LIAisons Program in LIA. I got to know about the LIAisons program during the internal selection for participants and strongly wanted to participate in the program.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I would like to know how creators who are at the forefront of the creative industry evaluate cases from all over the world. I also want to get a simulated experience, such as what kind of conversation they have, how they evaluate cases and what they see as problems. It would be great if we can discuss with young creators what they are passionate about and what they are struggling with.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I would be very happy to hear about the following topics: *How did you spend your time when you were young? *Tips and advice for idea creation *What do you expect from young creators in daily work? *What should the advertising and creative industries do in the future?
Jack Gipp

Jack Gipp

Designer
Isobar
London
, United Kingdom


After Creative LIAisons:
I recently attended the 2019 LIA Creative LIAisons program in Las Vegas, and it was one of the most exciting opportunities of my career so far.
LIAisons is an annual program open to creatives, and creatives only. Attendees aged 21–30 can meet, learn, and mingle with the creatives they look up to most in the industry — running concurrently with the judging for LIA. The program is funded by LIA and limited to 100 delegates.
Here are a few of my biggest takeaways.
Go from not to hot
Day two kicked off with what would turn out to be my favourite session of the entire program. Pum Lefebure, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Design Army spoke about the value of creating images that can’t be ignored. Her passion and love for what she does became obvious as soon as she started to speak. She told us how she finds inspiration in just about everything and that you can create beautiful, bold and unexpected work for any client — even the ones that aren’t particularly sexy. She backed this up with an in-depth look at her mouth-watering work for the Hong Kong Ballet and Georgetown Optician. “Opticians aren’t sexy” she said — and with both examples she demonstrated that you can create beautiful, exciting and enviable work for even the most mundane of brands.
Emotion is persuasive
Matt MacDonald, Group ECD at BBDO gave a brilliant presentation on how to present your work — and yourself. He opened by telling us that coming up with brilliant ideas is not the hard part — the hard part is convincing other people your ideas are brilliant.
It’s emotion that persuades people.
He told us to connect our ideas to a larger truth, purpose or insight and then use that to hook them emotionally. He used a distressing but extremely powerful ad from Sandy Hook Promise to demonstrate the power of emotion.
It’s all in the storytelling
The biggest perk of the program was the opportunity to be a fly on the wall in the judging rooms as the jurors awarded the shortlisted work. I sat in on the Branded Entertainment category, led by Kerstin Emhoff.
Each juror had a completely different point of view and it was really interesting to see how they discuss each piece of work and ultimately how high it ranks. A small comment or question from a juror would spark an entire debate, which by the end would change how the entire jury felt about a piece of work.
The discussions weren’t just around the work itself, quite often they would be about whether a particular piece of work was actually right for this category and whether it would be best suited elsewhere. I saw a few entries moved around to give the work an opportunity to really shine.
I found that the highest-praised pieces of work had two very important elements — beautiful storytelling and how they were packaged. I saw entries marked up (and down) for this.
Advertising might just change the world
Malcolm Poynton, Global CCO at Cheil closed out the program by discussing how in today’s world, brands have more power than governments to make change.
He spoke about finding opportunities and causes that are worth pursuing with existing clients. He shared a bunch of examples illustrating the power of brands, most notably, Black Supermarket by Carrefour. The campaign won numerous awards, changed EU laws and was a great example of a brand making a difference to the world we live in.

Before Creative LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I found out about Creative LIAisons from Isobar’s Chief Creative Officer who spoke very highly of the program; with the opportunity to spend time with some of the world’s top creative leaders and the priceless experience of sitting in on the judging.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I am expecting to come away from Creative LIAisons feeling inspired and energized. I want to soak up as much advice and creativity as possible. I think it’s also a great opportunity to network with an incredible group of creatives.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
Tiffany Rolfe, Tosh Hall and Leslie Sims.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I think I would choose Tiffany Rolfe, President of the Digital Jury, as that is my focus creatively. I also admire a lot of the work that her company creates, and I would love to know how great it felt to have her work featured on the cover of the New York Times!
Jamie Malnati

Jamie Malnati

Senior Art Director
Arnold Worldwide
Boston
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Prior to being chosen, I was not aware of the LIA Creative LIAsons program. Upon being selected by the agency to attend, I researched the program and was delighted to learn that such a program exists!
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I expect to network with like-minded individuals. I am also looking forward to meeting celebrated creative leaders and learning about what makes an idea award winning and how to sell and produce award-winning work.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
Fred Levron. For the past three years I have primary worked in TV and online film and would love to hear his perspective on what makes an award winning film and where the industry is heading.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
Erica Roberts. As a female creative, I’d love to hear about her journey to ECD.
Jason LaFlore

Jason LaFlore

Senior Art Director
FCB Chicago
Chicago
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Prior to being chosen to participate I knew that the Creative LIAisons program was a great opportunity to meet other young creatives from around the world and learn from experienced creatives of all walks of life and disciplines.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I felt a sense of pride knowing that my agency values my work and my presence at this agency enough to send me to an event such as this to continue to foster my creative abilities. It’s a privilege I take rather seriously.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
One topic I’d love to hear about is the future of advertising in relation to the legal sale of marijuana. As more and more states legalize it, I’m interested to see how advertising will get involved. So I’d love to hear the perspective on that from more seasoned professionals.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I would like to interview Jimmy Smith. As one of few African American creatives in advertising as a whole, I’d love to get some insight from Jimmy on how he moved up in the industry. I’d also just like to hear some of the behind the scenes from him on how some of his best pieces of work came to be; particularly in selling the work to the client.
Jasper McIver

Jasper McIver

Junior Creative
Wunderman Thompson
London
, United Kingdom


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I was first told about the program from someone I used to work with who went a few years ago and said it was a great experience.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was very excited when I found out the news that I had been invited. it seems like a really good opportunity to learn more and meet some interesting people.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
I’m interested to see what the jury will look for most in the work and how they will dissect each piece.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I would choose Mark Tutssel because he has created iconic work over his career and I would ask what advice he has for young creatives.
Jenny Luong

Jenny Luong

Associate Creative Director
DDB Chicago
Chicago
, United States of America


After Creative LIAisons:

Creative LIAisons was an incredible experience. Overall, I really enjoyed it. The LIA’s really reminded me of the small bubble I live/work in. This industry is huge and it was so cool to hear/see everybody else’s perspective on creativity. It was definitely one of the coolest things I’ve done in my career.

What I loved about LIAisons: The speakers were amazing. LIA did an amazing job selecting the best of the best to talk to us. The speakers that stood out the most to me were the ones that had and showed us the process of how they got to the final work lessons. For me, the speakers I took the most away from were: Pum Lefebure, Matt MacDonald, Mark Tutssel, Lara Logan, Malcolm Poynton and Ralph Van Dijk.

Statue Discussions: Definitely the coolest experience of the entire week. I am so thankful that the judges allow us to sit in the room. I feel like they really care about teaching the younger generation of creatives (i.e. Mark Tutssel was very accommodating).

Dinner & Cocktail Party: I loved that it happened after Statue Discussions, when the jury’s discussions were still fresh in our minds. I also loved that it was a standing event, because it gave people the opportunity to approach each other and meet new people all night.

Flights & Accommodation: You made it super easy to sort this out with our agencies. I’m very happy that I didn’t have to pay for everything myself first, then have to get reimbursed a month later.

I truly value everything LIA did for us and want to help make it even better. It’s an amazing program that is so beneficial to young creatives.

Before Creative LIAisons:

1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?

I did not know anything about it until I was recommended by Ari Weiss to attend.

2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?

I would love to get some insight into how an international jury aligns on a winner despite their different backgrounds and languages. I’m also excited to meet our industry’s leading creatives.

3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)

Judy John, Edelman Pum Lefebure, Design Army Kazoo Sato, TBWA\HAKUHODO Peter Alsante, BBDO

Jerry Benson

Jerry Benson

Junior Visual Designer
Isobar
Chicago
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
My original understanding of the program was that earning the opportunity to attend simply meant just being present to witness creative submissions and judging. I was never expecting to be a part of something so much more immersive. The program not only provides a flexible space for creative peers to openly network and learn from each other, but also the chance to hear how creative landscapes are shifting from impassioned industry leaders. I can’t wait to be a part of it.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
Having graduated with a chemistry degree and being mostly self-taught in the realm of design, I’m excited to get a better grasp on how backgrounds can influence success in the creative world. I’m expecting a wide diversity in the origin stories that belong to my peers, the judges, and the owners of the submitted works, and can’t wait to see how their pasts have influenced their paths in the professional world.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I would love to hear the speakers talk about facing the challenge of subjectivity in a hyper-critical field, but more so how to seek value in often creating work that isn’t always personally driven (but often rather by a client or a request). Also, I would like to hear about anything on the psychology of color. I find that so cool.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I would love to hear more from Rob Doubal on his hand in the Visit Xbox campaign, or any jurors who have been able to work with new VR and gaming technology. Super interested in how the world is making room for the value/impact of virtual spaces.
Johannes Lörz

Johannes Lörz

Art Director
Lingner Consulting New Media
Heilbronn
, Germany


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
To be honest, I didn’t know anything about the LIA Creative LIAisons program.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
To be inspired by creative professionals and to get connected with young creatives.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
Armin Jochum from thjnk and Petra Krulc from Grey Ljubljana.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
Armin Jochum, because thjnk is one of the most creative agencies in Germany at the moment.
John Trainor-Tobin

John Trainor-Tobin

Creative
adam&eveDDB
London
, United Kingdom


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I remember hearing that a few other creatives had been chosen to attend in the past from my agency and was very jealous.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was really surprised. I read the email three times trying to see if there was a catch.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
As much as I can. I’m looking forward to hearing the different opinions and excited to see which ones come out on top.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
Tough question! I’d love to have a chat with Fred Levron, Worldwide Creative Partner of FCB, Paris. His work is amazing and every new piece he does is so different to the last.
Katina Fitsch

Katina Fitsch

Art Director
Serviceplan
Vienna
, Austria


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I knew about the awards and that LIA was a great advertising event that was growing more and more each year, but I had not heard anything about LIAisons, except that it was a program very attentive to young people. It is very rare for someone from Austria to participate in an international program like this.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was super excited, then a bit scared, then super excited again. I expect LIA to provide opportunities to meet important advertising personalities from all over the world. I also hope that it will be a very enriching experience both humanly and professionally. And I hope to discover very brilliant, innovative and inspiring advertising campaigns.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
How to distinguish an idea from the idea.
4. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
I would very much like to meet Leslie Sims, Chief Creative Officer USA Ogilvy, Rob Doubal CCO, McCann UK and Co-President, McCann London, and Bernardo Romero, Executive Creative Director, Healthcare & Wellness Grey Group. They have all succeeded in agencies in which I really enjoy the work.
5. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I am sure every juror would make a great interview-partner. If I could choose a jury member for an interview, I would choose Leslie Sims, because there are very few women who reach such high positions in the advertising industry. I would like to know more about her career. Also, I worked for the Ogilvy agency as an intern in Paris.
Kristen Scharf

Kristen Scharf

Copywriter
Casanova McCann
Costa Mesa
, United States of America


After Creative LIAisons:
After attending both Cannes and LIA this year, the big difference I noticed was how much more accessible the judges were at LIA. Everyone we met was friendly and excited to chat with us young creatives throughout the week, letting us pick their brains and get to know them on a personal level. The talks were inspiring and entertaining, and I appreciated that they covered tons of different relevant topics. Observing the statue discussions was also an invaluable experience, as I got to hear the judges’ thoughts and questions about my own work. Thank you LIA!
Before Creative LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Before being chosen I wasn’t too familiar with LIA, but I heard from my coworker who participated in Creative LIAisons that it’s a great learning environment with inspiring speakers, workshops, and judging sessions.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was very excited when I found out I was chosen for the LIAisons program. It will be an amazing opportunity to learn from and network with so many creative people, and I feel honored to attend!
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
What does it take to win?! I’m really looking forward to witnessing the judging process and getting a glimpse inside the judges’ minds. I want to see what makes a piece stand out, and hopefully it will influence my own work in the future.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I’d interview Tiffany Rolfe, because I interned for her when I was first starting out in my career in New York. I look up to her as a female creative, and I’d love to hear about her journey in recent years and learn what it takes to become a leader in advertising.
Lauren Eddy

Lauren Eddy

Copywriter
CHE Proximity
Melbourne
, Australia


It was a hugely valuable experience.

The first thing we got told at Creative LIAisons by Barbara Levy was to get rid of anything we thought we knew about advertising. Following this advice, Lauren and I decided to swap roles for this diary and share our experience through art and copy in a new way: worse. Please enjoy our account of Day 1 with an attempt at words by me and beautiful illustrations by Lauren. Thanks Barbara.

Two of the three talks today were focused around sound and sonic branding (by Ralph van Dijk and Diedrick van Middelkoop). These are words we felt like we hear thrown around a lot, so it was interesting to get the lowdown. It never occurred to us that Audio Directing is a job that exists – although now it seems obvious. Going forward, we want to involve more thinking around this in our work – if Lauren doesn’t run away to become an Audio Director first.

We also witnessed the definition of creative chemistry between Diane Jackson and Oliver Fuselier, which was appropriate since their whole conversation was about “collaboration in pursuit of magic”. They stopped using the word “partnership” to replace it with a much more active, involved one: “collaboration”. If there was one thing I took away from today it was this attitude – I love the idea of creative people working together without barriers of perceived roles (Lauren – can you please insert joke here about who’s the better writer).

The rest of the day we were in a workshop making 6 second videos with Great Guns. We were given the afternoon to create a 6 second ad for CloseUp toothpaste in groups of 10 type A’s armed with just an iPad and a box full of random props. I don’t know what happened to Lauren in those 4 hours we were split up but she reappeared with what I can only describe as Soft Core Clown-on-Panda BDSM…. but with toothpaste?.

Day 2: Dear Diary, We’re exhausted. Day 2 was a heckers back-to-back onslaught of information & we’re terrified it will all fall out of our brains since it’s fired at us so quickly. Today’s episode is brought to you by the number 8 – the hour that we will be in bed by tonight.

In the morning Pum Lefebure’s presentation was filled with fearless colour, attitude, and meticulous attention to detail. There was an audible clatter when every jaw in the room fell to the floor. Our inadequate summary consists of a few memorable quotes; we particularly liked her phrase “visually vigilant”, which means always being aware of the things you see around you. She said every creative, not just designers and art directors, should be fluent in visual language.

We were relentlessly hit with wise words throughout the day, from the gravitas of Piyush Pandey to the fast-paced world of the Branded Entertainment panel. Both talked in contrasting (but complimentary) ways about how to communicate with empathy with your client and other creatives.

Interestingly this topic came up again with Emad Tahtouh when he was discussing what happens when we combine emotion and tech. It sounds like storytelling will always be a part of what we do in the industry.

We then got an engaging crash course on presenting from Matt McDonald; from not having Coke at a Pepsi preso to the nuances of pitch theatre, “don’t try to solve the problem in the room” is probably the best advice of the day. It was a massive relief to see something we get could put to use immediately when we get back to work – in amongst all the case studies of Beautifully Crafted Multi-Million Dollar Ads with clients who would catch you in a trust fall…

Throughout the day, everyone kept talking about always learning, always being awake, and responsible for your self investment. That is, being proactive in furthering your skills. It was inspiring to hear this, especially since so many things went over our heads sometimes. We have a lot of self investment to do.

Day 3: Where to start? LIA 2019 has been permeated with this magical word: “empathy”. Empathy with our clients, with our consumers, and with each other.

A woman came and asked us (nerds in the front row) if the seat next to us was taken. We talked about where we were from, where she was from… she told us a story of the cockroaches in her apartment when she lived in Sydney years ago. In fact, she admitted that she had a cockroach story from every place she’d lived, even Afghanistan. And then she picked up a mic and was introduced as Lara Logan, multi-award winning journalist. Okay. Her poignant talk put our jobs into some much-needed perspective and is probably one of the main reasons we’re writing about today in so much detail.

In the afternoon we were treated to a RARE workshop, run by founder Stefanie DiGianvincenzo and featuring inspiring talks from Olympic snowboarder Šárka Pancochová, Fin Design CEO Emma Daines, Sweetshop CEO Wilf Sweetland, Amusement Park CEO Jimmy Smith, founder of FOX Pride Waseem Samaan, Samson Bonkeabantu Thulani Brown (of First Shave by Gillette fame), academic director Prof. David Slocum, and absolute baller and inspiration Blair Imani. Yup. It was a lot to take in.

The RARE masterclass felt like the answer to a lot of the questions we had been asking ourselves, not just today, but throughout our short careers. It was an enlightening and empowering session on unconscious bias, what we stand for, and how we can embrace everyone’s differences to better the creative work, each other and ourselves. We did a few exercises with David Slocum about negotiation and our personal values. For one, we had to go through a list of about 100 adjectives and decide on the 5 values that we believe in the most. To end this article on a slightly lighter note, we found that ours were pretty similar (makes sense). Here they are:

Lauren 1. Empathy 2. Honesty 3. Compassion 4. Genuineness 5. Pleasure

Aïcha 1. Love 2. Curiosity 3. Teamwork 4. Integrity 5. Fun

Day 4: Dear diary, Today was what we all came here for. A pool party.

And to watch some of the best campaigns of 2019 get torn a new one. Today was judgement day.

I chose to sit in the Production and Post-production jury room today, because I believe in the importance of craft. The parts I was looking forward to most were the animation and music video categories (for anyone who knows me, this is not surprising in the slightest). It was really interesting to hear the jurors’ conversation about style. Again, an animation or music video could have been executed flawlessly – but was it something we haven’t seen before? Is it something fresh? Has it been seen in this context before? Does it go beyond just serving the story? These questions ultimately decided the prizes awarded.

One of the overall takeaways for me today was that creativity doesn’t stop at the idea, or even just the treatment. Every single detail along the way should be decided with this in mind. There was a lot of debate in the room about solutions that work and serve the ad, but lack any additional creative perspective.

There were also some interesting debates about the role of skill and the difficulty of certain executions. Diane Jackson told the room a great metaphor relating to this: a jazz saxophonist could be (very impressively) circular breathing throughout a whole song, but if it doesn’t sound good, it doesn’t matter how technically adept the musician is. Ultimately they judged on the end product rather than the process, which is an approach we agree with, and one Lauren’s room also touched on.

She sat in on the New and Social Influencer categories, which were really interesting but also really hard to define. How do you define what makes something ‘new’? And what counts as an influencer these days?

We were lucky enough to be able to speak up when we felt we needed to. And lucky we did. One particular LIAson’s articulate observations proved the importance of (and obvious lack of) diversity and inclusion in award judging rooms, especially when it comes to people with disabilities. Of course, this is really just a reflection on the industry and society as a whole, but it was amazing to see up close.

After today, we have a new respect for award jurors. It’s a job that requires a lot of endurance; we were only with them for about 7 hours or so, but this was the fourth day that they had sat down to deliberate. There were 19 hours of production entries sent in to LIA this year. Woof.

Tonight’s the big pool party. And apparently if you’re not schmoozing, you’re losing.

Day 5: Dear Diary, We’ll keep this final one short – pools and pokies are calling.

Since our wild week is wrapping up, and our brains are full from learning (pretty sure we know everything now), we’re un-swapping roles. Bring back the alliteration baby, Aïcha’s the art director again.

Creative LIAisons was rounded off in true Yankee style, with an entrepreneurial workshop feat. Daymond John from Shark Tank. So I guess that makes us entrepreneurs now, kinda like Lindsay Lohan.

So what exactly did we learn here? Oodles. But here are our top 5 takeaways:

1. Although we’re still learning, our point of view is just as relevant as those who’ve been in the game forever. And we shouldn’t be shy about sharing it.

2. We learnt how to get what you want at work, and how not to piss off everyone while you’re doing it.

3. You can ask anyone you want to be your mentor. If they’re worth learning from, they’ll want to help.

4. Brands have more power than governments.

5. Don’t pay to go to Europe when you can do shots on the sunny Venetian canals at midnight.

The highlight? Making friends from all over the world. And some of them weren’t even Australian! Thanks to LIA, we’ve got couches to crash on in Chicago, New York, Toronto, Paris, Berlin & Amsterdam.

Before we sign off, we want to thank Adrian and Sarah and everyone at MADC for giving us that ridiculously oversized boarding pass. It’s been an invaluable experience and we won’t forget it. Plus a massive thanks to Barbara from LIA for putting on the show.

Sure there were some weird moments this week, but it’s Vegas. Everyone wins here, right? Well ok, maybe some people will walk away losers. But don’t despair if that’s you. After all, every time you lose something, you learn something. Signing off for the last time, L&A @ LIA

https://campaignbrief.com/madc-lia-pitch-a-ride-to-vegas-winners-aicha-wijland-and-lauren-eddy-from-che-proximity-melbourne-discuss-creative-liaisons-program/
Before Creative LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I had heard from a couple of creatives who went last year that it’s perfectly tailored for junior creatives. I also heard from those creatives who sat in on the statue discussions, that the awards judging is brutal. Can’t effing wait!
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I expect to be overwhelmed with information, but for the important info to stick. I want to learn from the experts (and the amateurs) what they think is good.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
‘How to disagree with your CD’ and ‘Sip the ad-flavoured Kool-Aid – but don’t drink the whole cup’.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I’d love a big old existential yarn with Larissa Kirschner-Chaney about ethics in advertising. It’s something I (and a lot of other creatives) struggle with and she seems really tuned-in on the topic. The tough bit would be keeping it to 2 minutes.
Lauren Haberfield

Lauren Haberfield

Art Director
BETC
Paris
, France


After Creative LIAisons:
There was a wide range of speakers from different areas, not just advertising agencies, which opened my eyes to different ways of thinking. Watching the juries deliberate was very educational and I took away a lot from it. I think this experience is completely unique to LIA and really was one of the highlights of the program. The talks themselves were very inspirational, from being more inspired in my art direction, to wanting to save the world, I left feeling motivated. There was a great mix of people from all over the world; meeting them was an inspiration in itself. The way the program was set up meant that we had access to talk to the jurors whenever we saw them. They were very open to us as well. There was enough time scheduled for lunch (very important ?)
Before Creative LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
While I was well aware of LIA, I had never heard of the LIA Creative LIAisons program.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
Super pumped. It’s always nice to be recognized, but a quick ask-around made it clear this is so much more than a trip to Vegas. It’s an opportunity to become a better creative and a better person. I know from experience that being around talented creative minds from all over the world opens you up to so much more than just doing better work.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
I hope to learn different ways to dissect an idea, how to see value in it from different angles - whether that be sales focused, innovation or from an ethical point of view. I also would like to observe the different ways in which the jurors get their points of views across; how they make their points heard and understood in such an intense environment.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
Kerstin Emhoff: The lines of our industry are blurring and I believe one of the most interesting resulta of that is the shift from ‘advertising’ into ‘entertainment’. Kerstin is a co-founder and president of a company that is leading the way in its creative approach towards production, something I think is very intelligent but also ballsy. She has a social conscience (which I believe is the most important thing in our industry today) and I would love to learn more about ‘Pipelines’, the platform she is developing that strives for inclusion of minorities in the tech, production and creative industries.
Lauren Riddoch

Lauren Riddoch

Senior Copywriter
DDB Chicago
Chicago
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Prior to being chosen, I had never heard of the LIAisons program. After being selected, I reached out to a connection of mine, who I saw had attended last year. He spoke so highly of the program and all he learned from it, so I started doing more and more research and getting more and more excited about October; the thought of being in the room watching creative deliberation (from world renowned creatives, no less) is what young creative dreams are made of.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I hope to really take advantage of the global element of this opportunity to understand the trends, concerns and perspective shifts in creative advertising beyond North America. I feel I have a good pulse on what goes on in the United States, but look forward to widening my understanding of strengths and variances across the globe.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
Two members of the jury who I’d love to meet are Tiffany Rolfe and Fred Levron. I’d love to meet Tiffany Rolfe and hear about her decision to come back to advertising after 6 years at Co: Collective. I’d love to meet Levron and pick his brain about his career & getting a start so young.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I would love to interview Fred Levron. As a pioneer of the advertising digital age, he’s watched every twist and turn the industry has taken since the 90s; I’d love to pick his brain on learnings and predictions for the next few years. Not to mention, Levron was in a leadership role at such a young age (running a company at 22!). I’d like to ask him for any advice on navigating through age and leadership.
Leonardo Bernal

Leonardo Bernal

Copywriter
MullenLowe SSP3
Bogotá
, Colombia


After Creative LIAisons:
I want to thank you for this incredible opportunity. It has truly been the best experience of my life, professionally and personally. LIAisons showed me why this profession is the best in the world. Thank you for having this program. I would love to return again not as an assistant but, as a juror and give back to this industry.
Before Creative LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Yes, my director Juan Maldonado had the opportunity to go in 2014. He told me how incredible this opportunity is, to be able to meet the jurors, and people from all over the world. In addition to enjoying a place as mythical as Las Vegas, I know it will be a great opportunity to learn from the great minds of this industry.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
Learn from the best. Know the different points of view on the same piece and understand the criteria of each jury to reward or discard an idea. I am very excited to be able to witness the judgment of a festival.
3. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I felt very happy, that day I was having lunch with my directors and the CCO wrote to Harry to tell him that he had been chosen to represent MullenLowe SSP3 this year. I really have no words. Very happy.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I think that to choose someone is to miss the opportunity to meet another great creatives, but personally I would like to meet Fede García, I would like to ask him how it is for a Latino to work in a market as different as Asia, specifically Japan.
Lidia Bartroli i Mercader

Lidia Bartroli i Mercader

Senior Copywriter
Dhélet VMLY&R
Buenos Aires
, Argentina


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
LIA is one of the most important festivals in our world of publicity and creativity and it is always good to know and be aware of the winning spots, what gets registered and see ideas from all around the world. As for the LIAisons program, I knew that it was a great opportunity for the new generations of creatives, but I didn't expect to get there. It will be great.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was excited and felt proud about my work. We can only achieve what we want by working, therefore I felt an injection of energy to go on working and a great thrill to go to Las Vegas and live the festival first hand.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
I hope to learn about criteria. Which is one of the most important things in our job. I want to see how the panel elects and comments on each idea, see the jurors’ points of view, their roles, the difference between each category and the way of thinking in each country.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I'd like to speak with Leslie Sims and I'd like her to tell me how she views the women's impact on the industry. I’d also like to speak with Fred Levron. I'd like to have an informal chat with both of them and hear some anecdotes about their best ideas.
Luke McNeill

Luke McNeill

Copywriter
Zulu Alpha Kilo
Toronto
, Canada


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I first heard about the LIA Creative LIAisons program from my CCO at Zulu Alpha Kilo, Zak Mroueh. He mentioned that every year, the program offers young creatives from around the world the opportunity to learn from industry professionals and to form relationships with industry peers. He also mentioned that Las Vegas is like Disneyland for adults, so I’ve got my Mickey ears ready.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I want the opportunity to learn from the best in the business, to see amazing and inspiring creative work, and to meet other young people who share my passion for advertising.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
I would most like to speak meet/speak with Leslie Sims.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
This is easy. I’d choose the juror who created the Staples “Easy Button,” Leslie Sims. Who better to learn from than someone who’s been named one of the top creative powerhouses in our industry?
Maria Lempicka

Maria Lempicka

Senior Art Director
Cheil Spain
Madrid
, Spain


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I knew about the awards, but I didn't know that there was a specific program for young creatives.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I look forward to meeting new creatives, gaining fresh references and learning different ways of thinking. I would love to learn, have fun and have interesting conversations.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
Urban culture, visual trends and curated personal projects; one of the most important things a creative should have in their portfolio.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I would choose Pum Lefebure. I love Design Army and it's usually one of the first agencies I look at when I'm looking for cool references.
Matt Onorato

Matt Onorato

Copywriter
BBDO New York
New York
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Prior to being chosen, I admittedly did not know much about the LIAisons program, but I was aware of the awards.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I felt very privileged. It is nice to know I am being seen by my agency, which is quite large. It’s easy for people to fall through the cracks here. Additionally, I want to be the best person in the room at all times. I look forward to networking and learning from the best. I never want to stop working towards the goal of making it to the top.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
I want to really pinpoint the sorts of tangible things that makes creative work stand out from the crowd. I want to see new ways of thinking about old problems.
Matthew Bladin

Matthew Bladin

Junior Art Director
CHE Proximity
Melbourne
, Australia


After Creative LIAisons:
What happens in Vegas judging rooms stays in Vegas judging rooms… most of the time.
Sometimes, there’s 30 Creative LIAisions creeping-it-real in the corner, absorbing every insight and comment between judges over the course of the 9-hour metal awarding, eager to take what they’ve learnt back to their own work.
Earlier in the week, as the LIAisions were first arriving in Vegas, one could be mistaken for thinking that they’ve landed in advertising’s promised-land.
Screens in every square meter of the city practice the not-so-subtle art of the hard sell. Here nothing is sacred. Everything is for sale. And if you think Ellen Degeneres is above attaching her brand to a series of electronic roulette machines – think again.
But as much as it’s shouting at you 24/7, you soon realise it’s never really saying much.
By contrast, the quiet conference rooms of the Encore Hotel played host to an incredible week of intimate learning. Highlights included a presentation workshop from the GECD of BBDO Matt MacDonald. Malcolm Poynton, CCO of Cheil repositioning how we perceive the power of brands in today’s political climate. And a standout afternoon curated by the inspiring RARE organisation, offering practical training around the power of inclusivity.
For me personally, some of the best learnings were when we were granted access to the inner workings of the judging rooms. The collective wisdom here guaranteed an extremely intelligent and insightful analysis of the shortlisted work.
I attended the Branded Entertainment jury, led by Kerstin Emhoff and the Non-Traditional Jury, led by Mark Tutssel. While we were encouraged to learn and take away as much as we could, we were also told the explicit details of the conversations were to remain confidential. So, in the spirit of the confidential-ish judging rooms here are a few slightly-redacted highlights we learnt from:
“Sure, I would watch that on a plane, but definitely not in real life” – Juror 4,
Branded Entertainment.
Like any creative forum, the jury rooms are subjective environments. Everyone had very different points of view. At times it only took one comment to flip a conversation and make or break a piece of work’s performance. This could be someone pulling up a reference that felt too similar, or in another case, an insight about Chinese traditions that cast an entry in a whole new light. Rather than the jury room being in constant conflict, it instead felt like a room of peers. They clearly respected each other’s view points and were willing to learn from them as much as they were from the work.
“Let’s pull up (luxury car brand)’s case-film again to remind us of what not to do.” – Juror 2, Branded Entertainment.
Perhaps more interestingly, the very best work got spoken about the least.
“I like to refer to this category as the non-déjà vu category, and to me putting Helen Mirren on a magazine cover is just more déjà vu.” – Juror 2, Non-Traditional.
The juries clearly took great pride in being the guardians of their categories. They viewed every piece through a critical lens of relevance to their unique judging criteria. It didn’t matter if it was generally good work, it had to be on brief.
“When you add to the game, they love you. When you put an ad over the top of the game, they hate you. You’ve got to be fans of the fans. That’s why the player escort program with the kids is one of the greatest ads of all time.” – Juror 1, Non-Traditional. The room talked at length about the notion that good work, more than ever, subverts the traditional mediums to get past people’s bullshit filters. Not with the intention of a direct sale, but rather to put the brand into the limited space we have left in our hearts and minds.
“We’re proud to be the first company to monetize air” – (Air freshener company)’s case study.
These people watch a lot of case studies. It became clear that all they wanted to hear was a good story and clear idea – lines like the above quickly lost the room.
At the end of the week it’s easy to say that the Creative LIAisions program has been one of the best learning opportunities I’ve ever been fortunate enough to experience. The unique format presents the world-class content in a way that overloads your brain but leaves you wanting more. It’s impossible to not leave inspired.
Vegas however could be summed up in the blue ‘yard-stick margarita’ I regretfully got on the first night. Fun for about 5 minutes, then a sickly, exhausting odyssey.
Before Creative LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I had heard about Creative LIAisons from fellow creatives at work. The last couple of years CHE Proximity has sent people and when they come back they give a presentation on their learnings. I had also read ‘festival diaries’ on industry press sites.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
Mostly I want to experience the arena of an awards judging room and hear first-hand how the world’s best creative minds think through and qualitatively measure massive amounts of work presented to them. I also want to build a global network of like-minded people and learn from their different perspectives.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
‘Things you don’t realise about award shows until you judge one’ – trends and learnings you only know from experience. ‘What qualities does the dream creative hire have in 2020’
Matthew Turnier

Matthew Turnier

Senior Copywriter
FCB Chicago
Chicago
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I had heard that it was an opportunity to not just meet some of the most celebrated minds in advertising, but also to hear different perspectives and observe the minds of the jurors as they discuss and debate the best ideas from our field.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I expect to hear what our industry leaders’ thoughts are on the state of advertising; how big ideas are changing and what kinds of ideas are making the biggest impact. I hope to leave inspired by both the people I get a chance to talk to and the thinking that I’m immersed in.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I love hearing stories about how great ideas came to life and the backstory as to how they were sold, so I hope to hear some of that. I’m also interested in hearing opinions on where advertising can go as the industry evolves – including new platforms and ways for brands to become part of culture.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
Rob Doubal. His work for Xbox is the kind of thinking that I aspire to; things that are loved by industry insiders and real consumers, alike. I also think the ability to blend real business opportunity with creative is the bar for our industry.
Meghan Patenaude

Meghan Patenaude

Group Art Supervisor
Area 23
New York
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Throughout my career, attending the Creative LIAisons program has been a major personal goal. I have had the opportunity of hearing from some of the young creatives who have attended the program in the past speak highly of its exposure to the behind the scenes of our industry as well as being able to learn from the best international creative talent. When selected to attend this year, I knew it was a tremendous honor and I couldn’t be more excited.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
When I was told I was chosen this year by my agency to participate in the Creative LIAisons program, I was absolutely thrilled, humbled, and very honored. I’m excited for this tremendous learning opportunity and to bring back that knowledge and inspire more creatives.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
- Health doesn’t suck: How to leverage extremely important health topics to do the best work in the entire advertising industry
- Innovation and Advertising: How product development is now a part our industry
- The art of the Jury Room: personal experiences from industry leaders who have served on juries in multiple award shows
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I would like to interview Dominic Stallard, because I find his background in design, film, and even music direction fascinating. I would love to learn more about how those different international roles fueled his career and overall creative experience.
Michelle Canning

Michelle Canning

Copywriter
Cummins and Partners
Melbourne
, Australia


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I met a creative who attended in a previous year. The conversation went something like this:
“I just got back from a London awards show in Las Vegas.”
“Huh?”
“I just got back from a London awards show in Las Vegas.”
“Sorry, but I thought you said you went to a London awards show in Las Vegas.”
“That is what I said. And I have to go now…”
So, yes, I’ve heard about it multiple times.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
Grateful and hungry to learn. It’s not everyday you’re served up a massive opportunity on a platter, and being chosen for LIAisons is like being served up creative opportunity canapés for days. I was also pleasantly surprised that my subtle hint of wearing a feather boa at work didn’t go unnoticed.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
Creative for creatives sake – A look at ‘great work’ vs ‘great work that works’ and how to turn the former into the later.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
If I were to awkwardly hang around the kitchen doors waiting to grab one particular creative canapé it would be Jureeporn Thaidumrong from GREYnJ United. Her folio is filled with society-changing work and she loves cats. Anything she says is going to be invaluable.
Michelle Ann Edu

Michelle Ann Edu

Associate Creative Director
BBDO Guerrero
Makati City
, Philippines


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I know that the LIAsons is week-long workshop for junior creatives. It differs with the rest of the festivals since delegates are allowed to sit in on the judging during deliberations and learn up close with the panel.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I didn’t expect it since I wasn’t planning on joining. Up until now, I still need to wrap my head around the idea of going to Vegas. But I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
I’m curious about what goes on behind awarding metals — the thought process and how the jury will nitpick entries. I’ll be on the lookout for trends as well.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I’ll probably ask Mark Tutssel how they came up with Legalade. It’s illegally charming and funny.
Natasha Gething

Natasha Gething

Junior Creative Excellence Manager
McCann Worldgroup
Toronto
, Canada


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I have heard many great things about this program! LIA is the only award show to do this kind of training in lieu of a ceremony and I think it’s a great way to give young creative people on site experience and exposure to some of the best in the business.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I’m really looking forward to listening to the discussions that happen inside the jury room and the criteria the judges use to award different levels of metal. This will help my understanding with what components make a great campaign and, more specifically, what differentiates a Gold-level campaign from a Grand-level campaign.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
Mark Tutssel. He is an industry rockstar and worked on one of my favorite campaigns of all time - ‘Ostrich’ for Samsung.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I would love to interview Fred Levron. Him and Susan Credle have done a phenomenal job at FCB and are on a record-breaking winning streak right now. It would be great to hear more about the brains behind their blockbuster winner ‘The Whopper Detour’ and how they have achieved their success this year.
Nattapat Jitrungruengnij

Nattapat Jitrungruengnij

Art Director
Dentsu One Bangkok
Bangkok
, Thailand


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I heard that LIA was one of the world-class advertising awards.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I expect to get a new experience about creative work and creative life and to learn in depth about great creative work. I also want to meet new friends from many countries and talk about the culture of work and various work methods.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
“How to save our world with creative work?”
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
It would be great if I could interview Paul Chan from Cheil Worldwide, Hong Kong. I have seen his work. They are really good creative ideas with similar insight and culture to Thai people.
Nicholas Goldsmith

Nicholas Goldsmith

Assistant Producer
Goodby Silverstein & Partners
San Francisco
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
To be honest, I was not aware of the program until the RARE application was shared with me. As I learned more about this opportunity to interact and learn from creative leaders, I was excited at the possibility of being selected.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was ecstatic to be selected and eager to make new connections not only with industry leaders, but with other attendees as well. At the same time, I felt a bit nervous and I am eager to make the most of the opportunity.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
I hope to gain insight into the judging process and what makes the best work stand out among so much content. Also, exposure to such work can provide inspiration and motivation for future projects.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I’d like to interview Wilf Sweetland, CEO of Sweetshop, so I could ask how his company manages to maintain the experience and unique perspective of a boutique production company while operating at a global scale.
Nicole Meyer

Nicole Meyer

Art Director
McCann Health New York
New York
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Prior to being chosen to participate in the LIA Creative LIAisons program, I had the understanding that the program was for young creatives to observe the prestigious international awards competition behind the scenes.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I expect to come away from Creative LIAsons inspired to create out of the box work and to think about the advertising world in a different way. I look forward to learning what industry leaders look for in a “big idea” and what makes a “big idea” more special than another.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
- The past, the present and the future of advertising
- Innovation and Invention
- Craft: How it can make or break a campaign
- Industry Trends: 2019 trends, staying ahead, and to follow or make your own
Omar Acoltzi Cruz

Omar Acoltzi Cruz

Senior Art Director
Isobar Mexico
Mexico City
, Mexico


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
A couple of years ago I heard of someone I know who had the opportunity to go to Creative LIAisons. From what I Heard, I believe it will be an amazing experience, just imagining being in the same rooms as some of the most creative minds from around the world.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was actually on vacation when I received the news; totally made everything better. I am super excited to be a part of this year’s program.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
I hope to learn about and understand the different perspectives an idea can have. We can make any idea be told in a certain way, but most of the time it’s not the right way, and having so many eyes on one piece can open that discussion. Totally waiting to live that moment.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
There are so many talented jurors, that anyone would be amazing to interview. They all have incredible careers and I would want to have a conversation with all of them.
Parker Bell

Parker Bell

Brand Creative / Art Director
The Richards Group
Dallas
, United States of America


After Creative LIAisons:
Thank you for everything you did for the LIAisons program. It was an amazing experience and I’m so glad that I was able to be part of it. Thanks for keeping everything organized and making it such a successful week.
Before Creative LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I found out about Creative LIAisons from a couple co-workers at my agency who have attended in the past. After looking into it more I saw nothing but great things from people who have attended and people who admire what the program does for the industry.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I felt honored. Being invited to something of this caliber that is specifically designed to bring together creatives from all over the world who are in the same stage of their career to learn and connect is quite humbling.
3. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
• New perspectives and outlooks on my career path, whether it is learning from someone who made a big career change, someone who took a risk on a project, the need to simply restructure personal goals, or how a personal project/passion can turn into a new job opportunity
• Networking, it’s a great opportunity to meet and get to know people that have the same interests as me as well as create relationships that can evolve into potential projects
• Inspiration: I want to be inspired by others that I meet, seminars I hear, and the work that is being judged.

4. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with?
Perry Fair, Leslie Sims and Jimmy Smith.
5. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
• Failures/Mistakes: learning from failure is a huge part of success not only in work, but in life as well.
• Work/Life balance: I think this is something that is always a struggle for creative people seeing that we can’t simply turn off our brains. It’s always interesting to hear how different people approach this strategy
• Top criteria you look for in potential hires.
• How to feed your creativity outside of your agency’s doors
• How to stay sane when working with tough clients
Reema Trehan

Reema Trehan

Junior Art Director
MullenLowe
Singapore
, Singapore


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I got to know about LIA though my agency colleagues here at MullenLowe
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I want to produce some work that I can put in my portfolio and listen to people’s journeys in the advertising life.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
How to find ideas in small things and make them huge.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
Leslie Sims: I have been fascinated by her work and would like to pick her brain on what motivates her and what inspires her.
Reuben James Fermin

Reuben James Fermin

Art Director
Blackpencil Manila / Leo Burnett Group Manila
Makati City
, Philippines


One of the speakers at the Creative LIAisons 2019 told us that “this experience will change your life (as a creative)”, and I guess he’s right. It’s been more than a month since I sat in an oasis of young creatives in Las Vegas, but the learnings and stories I have accumulated from that experience are unforgettable.
Overcoming my jet lag with excitement, I woke up early to prepare for the first day of the program. The earlier talks are mostly about the piercing power of sound and music in ads. The program started off with a bang by Ralph Van Dijk, Founder of Eardrum, who talked about the significance of a brand’s sonic identity. From proper media approaches to radical casting of voice talents, Ralph gave us piece by piece advice as we listened to some sample audio ads. The other speaker who complemented this topic is Diederik Van Middelkoop, the Creative Director & Partner at Amp.Amsterdam. He shared with us his Golden Rules of Sound Design. The core of his talk is about music being the shortcut to the emotional recollection of the listeners. He had an incredible talk and it still resonates with me up until now.
After a few more talks, Great Guns conducted a workshop that made the whole room shuffle to create diverse teams. After which, a brief was given to create a 6-second ad for a toothpaste brand. It was a fun and exciting exercise. I was able to meet other young creatives and had a unique chance to exercise my creativity by creating a space suit and other props out of tin foil and other unusual materials. I even became an astronaut for a while for our shoot.
My favorite talk turned out to be on the second day of the program. Matt MacDonald, the Chief Creative Officer of Omnicom for AT&T, spoke about how to present your work and yourself. He shared with us some of his tricks on persuading people using the power of emotion. For me, the best part of his talk are his “Unicorning Tips”. He told us that we, creatives, are like unicorns. We have to be part account, part strategy, part therapist, and all creative. After Matt’s inspiring talk is Emad Tahtouh. He spoke about how technology can be used to create a powerful and life-changing ad. I was blown away by his works that he presented to us. It was a long day of creativity and I wrapped it up by watching something full of love and inspiration: The Beatles LOVE, a Cirque Du Soleil’s show.
The third day of the program was dedicated to learning beyond advertising. The talks are about individuality, diversity, and inclusion. One of the highlights of that day is Lara Logan’s talk. She shared loads of personal stories with very compelling content, an eye-opener for what is happening to the world right now. The other part of that day were workshops conducted by RARE and the Sweetshop Team.
On the fourth day, we were given an opportunity to witness a LIA Statue Discussion. Young creatives were divided into different rooms with different categories and luckily, I was in the room with Mark Tutssel. He was the person I was most looking forward to seeing, and that was the first time I’ve seen him speak live. We witnessed how passionate the jury deliberated each work. Also that day, I brought with me Blackpencil’s only copy of the Humankind book, and was fortunate enough to have it signed by its brilliant author, Mark Tutssel himself. We ended that day with a Cocktail Party with the Juries at the Encore Beach Club.
The last day of the program kicked off with speakers from InnervationLab and was followed by an inspirational talk from Daymond John. But my other favorite, and also the last speaker of the program, is Malcolm Poynton, Global CCO of Cheil Worldwide. He talked about how ads and brands can give a truly positive impact to the world.
Being part of the Creative LIAisons 2019 is a once in a lifetime experience. My colleagues told me to make the most out of this program and I believe I did. I gained brilliant, creative friends from other parts of the globe and also from fellow Asian countries, the latter dubbing ourselves as the Creative LiaASIANS. I would like to thank the London International Awards and adobo magazine for this opportunity. And to my Blackpencil Family and Leo Burnett Manila, thank you for supporting me.
To young creatives out there… I was in your place and truthfully, I still am. Prior to winning, LIA seemed like such a big thing to achieve. And I couldn’t even imagine being there, learning from the best, and meeting so many other brilliant people. Take it from someone who used to doubt himself and what he could do: believe in yourself, believe in your ideas, and one day your time will come.
BEFORE THE EVENT:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Honestly, I only knew about the program after winning the Adobo LIA Young Creative Competition. It opened up an opportunity for me to discover this wonderful program.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
As a young Art Director, I want to know the stories behind the amazing works that I am about to discover in the Creative LIAsons. I want to know what fuels the creativity of the inspiring industry leaders that I am about to meet. Also, I want to learn new things from my fellow young creatives who will soon be my friends.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
I want to meet Mark Tutssel, the author of the Humankind book.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
If given a chance to interview a juror for two minutes, I would still choose Mark Tutssel because for me, it’s like meeting the Pope of Leo Burnett Worldwide. Maybe, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I don’t want to miss that moment.
Robert Gordon

Robert Gordon

Art Director
BWM Dentsu Sydney
Sydney
, Australia


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Despite being well aware of LIA for many years, to be honest I had heard very little about LIAisons before I was chosen to participate. Kind of a well-kept secret. I wish I had heard of it sooner, so that I could have taken part sooner. It’s going to be awesome.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
The first and probably most obvious answer is inspiration. But I expect to get a lot more out of it than that. With a pool of the world’s best creative talent, judging some of the world’s best work, I’m keen to get more exposure to creativity on a global scale; to see how the judging works to see where the industry is headed. I want to get insight into how the judging works. I want to get experience. I want to pick the brains of the creative leaders and hopefully make some connections along the way.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
1 corkboard, some twine, a packet of pins, and one tiny room saw me thoroughly explore the LIA jury. Leading me directly to the LIA juror I’d most like to meet…Nancy Crimi-Lamanna, CCO of FCB Toronto.
I have heard a lot about the FCB network globally, and its creative prestige. But it was one particular campaign that Nancy led that caught my attention. Anything But Sorry for the Canadian Down Syndrome Society. I remember seeing this when it came out, and thinking ‘man I wish I did that’. It is such a beautifully simple idea, based on a super tight insight; an incredibly fine balance of emotion and humour. It’s the kind of work I joined the creative industry to make. Anyone that drives these kind of ideas is a person I want to meet. And it’s only one of the brilliant pieces to have come out of FCB Toronto.
I’d love to learn more about the creative landscape in Canada, and the similarities and differences from Australia. To chat with Nancy and see what her vision is, how she runs her agency and her approach to creativity would be invaluable.
If you’re unfamiliar with the campaign visit AnythingButSorry.com
Rohan Vitus Fernandes

Rohan Vitus Fernandes

Copywriter
Innocean Worldwide Europe
Berlin
, Germany


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I perceive LIA as a prestigious award show. It is only until recently that I got to know that LIA is different from other shows in that it invests back into young creatives, such as with this very event that I will be attending.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was delighted; an opportunity to sit in with the jury to observe Statue Discussions and see how they see things, is an enviable and rare learning opportunity for a creative.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
I hope to learn how they judge, what is their way of seeing, what according to them makes an idea good or not-so-good. This learning can go a long way, not only in advertising, but in the wider ambit of judging ideas generally, no matter where they may be.
Sadie	Mayes

Sadie Mayes

Senior Art Director
VCCP Health
London
, United Kingdom


After Creative LIAisons:
Tess and I have just got back from the Creative LIAisons programme in Las Vegas – one of the most informative, bizarre and brilliant experiences of our careers so far. Nobly pushing through jet lag, I've gone back through our notebooks to share some of the things we learned this week.
What we learned from the judges:
1. Go that extra mile. It may sound obvious – but when we sat in on a judging panel for the day, it was incredible to see how the tiniest thing would bump work down against flawless competition. We saw a film spot drop from a silver statue to a shortlist based on one imperfect transition and a mistimed copy line.
2. Would your mum understand it? Jon Chapman, ECD at Havas Lynx and judge on the Pharmaceuticals jury, gave us his brilliantly simple personal checklist for assessing creative: 1. What is it? 2. What does it do? 3. Is it interesting/different? 4. Would my mum understand it? We’ll be checking all our future work against it (using our own mums of course, we don’t know his).
3. Context makes a difference. Judges are watching 100+ entries at first pass. They're not going to analyse each in depth. An entry video setting up context can be the difference between being awarded or not. Why is it so effective? What makes it unique in its category? If you don’t tell them, they won’t know.
What we learned from the speakers:
1. Be more Pum. Pum Lefebure is one of those people who inspires you without trying to, through her personality and work. In her gentle, genuine way you could see she loves what she does and won’t compromise on her vision. We’ve already ordered prints of her Hong Kong ballet work as a reminder to stay optimistic and find inspiration in everything. The new campaign video's fantastic too.
2. Find the opportunities already in your hands. Malcolm Poynton showed us there are no excuses, you can make an outstanding campaign for the clients you already have. He shared examples – including the Black Supermarket campaign for traditionally conservative French supermarket Carrefour – to illustrate what you can achieve if you dig deep into the clients you have and find a story or cause worth pursuing.
3. Put as much time into planning the presentation of your idea as you do into the idea itself. We are certainly guilty of not doing this…while moaning how hard it is to get great ideas through. So Matt MacDonald’s talk on presenting your work was invaluable. Here’s a summary of the key things we’ll be implementing:
What we learned from other creatives:
1. If you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong. Nothing is as bonding as laughter, and it leads to great results too. In the Great Guns workshop, we were grouped with creatives we had never met from Canada, Austria and Germany and given four hours to create a 6 second video. It was undoubtedly a shared sense of humour that got us to this winning entry. That, and some pretty stellar fake vomit.
2. Don't get lazy. At the upper end of the ‘young creative’ age range, we met some people almost a decade younger. They are brilliant. As a borderline technophobe I'm already doing my homework to keep up. Mashable helps.
3. Copywriters en masse get nerdy fast (don’t get me started on the oxford comma). Art Directors en masse compare tattoos.
What we learned from Las Vegas:
1. What happens there stays there. Mostly, it turns out, because it's impossible to describe. Vegas is a weird place.
2. Sleep is for the weak.
3. Roulette is not our game.
This only really scratches the surface of everything we experienced during Creative LIAisons 2019. We've come away with so much to implement in our work, a broader outlook of our industry and new friends around the world. It may not quite be Vegas, but you can catch some of the LIA talks and interviews here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKBffG_7gmQE6ob74fn8vQw
Before Creaive LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
My Creative Director had told me about Creative LIAisons previously. I also follow LIA on Twitter and Instagram, so I’ve seen many great summaries of participants’ experiences at LIAisons.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I’m really looking forward to seeing the judging process when observing Statue Discussions. It will be really interesting to see this first hand and to hear the conversations that take place.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
- How to push your ideas into new, unexpected areas
- Personal insight and advice

Sam Chow

Sam Chow

Senior Art Director
Cheil
Hong Kong
, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China


1. Prior to being chosen as participant in this program, what have you get known or heard about the LIA Creative LIAisions program?
I know of this program from my colleague, who has been to Creative LIAisons few years ago. I was told that it is an invaluable opportunity, to interact with and learn from creative leaders from around the world. It would be an amazing experience and I can’t wait to be part of it!
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I look forward to meeting those young creatives, learning from the top creative talents, and I also want to know what perspectives a creative leader will look at, when they judge a creative idea.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you like most meet/speak to?
Not just one, I would like to talk to all of them honestly. It would be great to learn from each of their stories. However, if I really have to choose, I want to meet the talented women in the industry, learning in their position what risks they think are worth taking, and what opportunity should I hold tight in the long run of my career.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would they be and why?
It would be my honor to talk to Leslie Sims, learning from her professional leadership skills and how she balances maintaining expertise against her personal life. And most importantly, what motivates and inspires her on generating creative ideas.
Samantha Stillman

Samantha Stillman

VP, Group Art Supervisor
CDM NY
New York
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
To be honest, I was aware of the awards, but was not aware of the program!
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was honored and grateful for the amazing opportunity. I’ve been in advertising for 6 years now and there are not many opportunities like this to be able to learn and interact with some of the brightest creative leaders in the industry. I am excited to learn and grow and come back even more inspired!
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
Something I am learning about right now is how to be uncomfortable in the creative process and the unknown when creating great work. You’re not exactly sure where the process is going to net out and that can be terrifying. I would love to hear about any experiences like this and how others have dealt with this in their careers.
Sara Radovanovich

Sara Radovanovich

Copywriter
FCB Toronto
Toronto
, Canada


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I had a friend who participated in the program and said it was a great way to network and craft your future judging skills.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I expect to meet a lot of exceptional creative leaders and see some inspiring work. I want to make connections and hone my judging/ideation skills.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
An interesting topic would be the current role/future of award shows. As well as the Me Too Movement’s affect so far in advertising and its future. I would also like to learn about the differences between Canadian advertising and advertising in other International areas.
Sarah Froehlich

Sarah Froehlich

Art Director
Grabarz & Partner
Hamburg

Thank you for this once in a lifetime experience. I learned so much for my future, from being a better creative to improving my presentation skills. Also I had the chance to meet loads of wonderful people, especially Mark Tutssel. He was an inspiring creative and a lovely human being at the same time. A rare combination. I think we can all learn from him in every way.
Satoshi Ichishima

Satoshi Ichishima

Copywriter
ADK Creative One
Tokyo
, Japan


After Creative LIAisons:

“How do we make brands strong? How do we come up with good ideas? How do we deliver the idea and convince the client? The seminars given by the first-class creatives were inspiring and filled with tips that I could use right away. It was also great knowing 100+ young creatives from all over the world. Exchanging different ideas with them gave some depth to my way of thinking. With all that I’ve learned, I want to create creative works that are meaningful and appropriate for the era we live in.”

At LIAisons, creators from around the world form groups for collaborative workshops, attend presentations by legends of the creative industry, and observe the LIA judging process; it’s an intense program.

Among the young creators in attendance I heard, “Someday, I want to become the kind of creator who can serve as a juror.” The program is not finished at the end of the week, the friendships continue.

I am lucky to have the opportunity to participate in this rewarding program, unlike any other competition, and I savor the invaluable realization that I have friends and rivals around the world. I’d like to express my respect for the LIA staff members who organize LIAisons and I hope that they continue to offer this program far into the future.

Interview:

What were some of the key learnings you got out of Creative LIAisons or the highlights of the program for you?

There are so many ways we can make brands strong and I should’ve known. However, I might have been thinking narrow since I used to start with the frames, not ideas. Creatives should think more freely, and not hesitate to create what some people might hate, if it is necessary. This whole experience pushed me to the next level.

Are there any other programs like this that you have attended?

No, I have not. I really want to attend more of these kinds of programs. I have only attended a copywriting class in Japan.

How valuable to you was sitting in on the LIA Statue Discussions?

It was great watching judges’ discussions over awards, because the whole process was fair and not biased. If the idea is strong and simple enough, the language and the cultural background do not matter. I feel I was encouraged to trust my gut again and create more creative works.

Before Creative LIAisons:

1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?

I have a coworker who attended the LIA Creative LIAisons program last year. She told me that the program provides attendees with a variety of lessons and workshops to strengthen how to build methods to come up with ideas and broaden imaginations. One also gets a chance to talk with award-winning creative directors from all over the world and mingle with creative people of the same age group. I think it is a great opportunity for the young creatives like me to go up to the next level through seeing and understanding how to create creative works that can be effective and influential globally.

2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?

I would very much like to know how to come up with creative ideas that can actually move people of different cultures and values. I also want to see how award-winning creative directors create their presentation decks and also how to do presentations. It would be great if I could learn how to persuade clients too.

3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?

· How to come up with creative ideas that can make great impacts on people regardless of their races, cultures, and values.

· How to create creative presentations that can persuade clients.

· How to strengthen copywriting skills.

· How to make ideas simple and bold.

· How to find insights of the target.

· How to make creative campaigns that can actually win global awards.

Sebastian Covino

Sebastian Covino

Copywriter
SDWM
Melbourne
, Australia


What a wonderful week. There’s so many reasons why.
Firstly, the diverse range of speakers, topics and exercises throughout. Having the highest-level people in our industry generously donate their time and impart their wisdom on us was incredibly inspiring. Secondly, walking away with practical skills about everything from being better at creating short content to negotiating a new contract gave us tangible skills to take home. Finally, learning and partying with fellow LIAisons, creatives from all over the world, was networking on another level. And also, it’s a week in Vegas.
I’d really like to thank the generosity of LIA, Barbara and Laurissa in particular. To set up such a spectacular program and sacrifice the standard award show celebrations to nurture the next group of young creatives is an amazing thing to do for the industry. It’s a program that no other award show or industry body does. I hope that the program continues to run for years to come, because every creative is better for attending it.
Sebastian Covino’s Very Belated Vegas Wrap-Up:
Creative LIAisons was filled with a huge range of learning, a massive amount of networking, and the occasional spout of drinking. In short, it was the opportunity of a lifetime, and this is my recap.
1. To kick things off, Ralph Van Dijk (Founder of Eardrum, father of Ruel) and Diederik Van Middelkoop (Founder of Amp.Amsterdam) gave talks on the importance of establishing an audio rapport. To be honest, it was something I didn’t even really think about until they showed us the different existing and potential applications. Special shout out/thanks to Ralph – he was the MC for the rest of the program and is just a general legend. After this, we had GreatGuns #StoriesInSix – where we had to create 6 second ads. The brief was all for CloseUp REDHOT toothpaste. We had to make an Indie film with the theme of Envy that conveyed ‘Love Conquers All’ (for REDHOT toothpaste). We came up with an idea, and got the win – where we got to our names forever enshrined on the golden pin~ata. After the day wrapped up, a few of us graced the glowing establishment of Treasure Island with our presence, and had a few beers/shots at the lovely Senor Frogs (if you’ve never been, I highly recommend it).
2. Waking up in Treasure Island wearing some of the props from GreatGuns, I was ill-equipped to tackle the day’s proceedings. First of the day’s highlights included Pum Lefebure, Founder of Design Army. I think the thing that struck me most, however, was when she said ‘the best client is the one you have right now’. Too often do we search for the next ground-breaking brief rather than make something ground-breaking out of the one that’s on our desk. Following Pum was Piyush Pandey (Global CCO & Chairman, Ogilvy). Piyush is arguably the wisest person I’ve ever had the pleasure of being around. His gigantic moustache and angelic presence gave us priceless pieces of advice that transcended work. ‘In adversity, lies opportunity’, he whispered, referencing the amount of times his work had died – and him taking every failure as an opportunity to do something better. Emad Tahtouh (Co Founder, Nakatomi) then talked about tech in the 21st century. The way he spoke the importance of consistently considering the consumer when crafting an idea was spot on. Are they going to want to interact with what you make? If they don’t, is there any point in it at all? Finally, Matt McDonald (EVP & Group ECD, BBDO New York) spoke about presenting. Unsurprisingly, this was a great presentation. After the day’s proceedings, a large group of us ventured into the romantic Gondolas of the Venetian, which manage to sit in artificial daylight 24/7.
3. Things started with Lara Logan, an incredible investigative journalist. Her stories were unparalleled, she’d been everywhere and done everything, and still displayed complete unsatisfaction. I personally liked how she differentiated what she does from what we do, ‘a journalist is a problem identifier, a creative is a problem solver’. Then we had the Rare Masterclass headed by Stef Gianvincenzo. In terms of core learning (as opposed to absorbing advice and knowledge on your own) this was the most productive part of the five days. We learnt about the importance of diversity in the workplace and how non-existent it is for a lot of us today, along with skills in negotiation, and how to hold a higher sense of self-worth – a thing I think a lot of people appreciated.
4. The big one, judging. I sat in the Non-Traditional room, where Mark Tutssel led a monster jury of industry heavyweights. Personally, the statue discussions were the most worthwhile experience of the trip for more reasons than I can write down. The lesson I took most out of it was the importance of having diversity within every jury – which followed on well from the Rare workshop that took place the day before. Not only because diversity provides a vast array of opinions and attitudes towards work, but moreover, simply because it takes it for some ideas to get up. There was an idea being judged that came from Spain, and a lot of the jurors were quick to dismiss it. One of the judges, however, was from Madrid, and knew the true impact the idea had had on Spanish culture. Without her, it wouldn’t have even won a finalist. With her there to explain, it won a lot more. Another shout out to Mark Tutssel, who gives Piyush a run for his money on the wisdom front.
5. Today was InnerVation day. Champ Nicholls and Daymond John – ‘The People’s Shark’ – spoke about the things you need to make it as an entrepreneur, and why it’s so important to work on them young rather than wait until it’s too late to develop yourself as one. Finally, our last speaker for the program, Malcolm Poynton (Global CCO, Cheil Worldwide). This takes the cake for my personal favourite talk. He spoke on the importance of brands and the true influence they carry today. Why aren’t we leveraging them to do better things? We’re full of ideas, and the people we work for are full of power, why aren’t we spending more time and resources combining the two? He encouraged everyone to be more proactive and find ways to utilize their clients’ influence to do something great for the world.
Acknowledgements: Obviously if you put 120 young creatives in the middle of Vegas, a fair bit of mischief is going to happen outside of working hours. I’m not going to go into details, but the experiences you’ve read about above were only half of the fun had on the trip. I want to shout out to everyone that made the experience so special. Firstly, SDWM for nominating me, I hope I made you guys proud. Laurissa and Barbara Levy for their relentless effort in making the program as amazing as it is. The LIA team for the copious amount of hungover creatives and organisational struggles they had to deal with every day. The speakers for being so generous with their time and so willing to impart so much wisdom on the attendees. The judges for understanding the importance of nurturing young talent and creating such an inclusive environment. And to the countless creatives from all over the world, the friends I made along the way – the trip wouldn’t have been what it was without you. If anyone anonymously wants a few pointers on where to go, what to do and who to do it with in Vegas, shoot me an e-mail on sebcovino@gmail.com titled ‘Pointers’ and I’ll sort you out.
Before Creative LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I knew that it was an amazing experience, but I didn’t really know what it entailed apart from going to Las Vegas. Both of my Creative Directors went early in their careers and spoke incredibly highly of it. Another colleague said that the talks are of such a high level that he goes and watches them, while he’s there to judge.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
- I expect to get advice from and rub shoulders with the best of the best on a global scale.
-Meet and learn about different people from around the world. How does their culture affect their creative product? Does it at all?
- Witness what it’s like to judge, not just enter an award show. - Also, a week in the city of lights sounds pretty unreal.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I would like to hear about their process in regards to their own work. I think when you watch/read/experience all great pieces of work, it seems they all have that aha moment that is so obvious and immediately makes sense of an idea. To consumers, it seems simple, but as creatives we know how far away it is, and the distance between brief and end product. It’s always interesting to hear brilliant creative minds talking about that. i.e. How do you go from Nike’s brief to celebrating 30 years of ‘Just Do It’, to using Colin Kaepernick as the center of the campaign? How was the script written? What did you present it as and how did that differ from the final cut? It would be interesting to just hear one brilliant creative talk about his/her or their agency’s most famous piece of work, and what it took to get there.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I’d choose John McKelvey. I know a few people who have gone out and done their own thing in Australia, but very few that have managed to make it that far in New York. John x Hannes is polling as a global heavy hitter. He feels like the next David Droga, and his agency’s work is phenomenal. I’d predominately ask him how it was starting up in a big city, why he decided to go there and not keep it local in his home of Sydney, the trials and tribulations of the process, and how he wanted his agency to differ from the traditional big ones he worked at throughout his career. Also, is growing so fast always a good thing?
My second choice would be Mark Tutssel, for almost the complete opposite reason. There would have been a point in his career where going out and starting an independent of his own was on the cards. Why did he stay with the large networks? What’s the biggest difference between being a mid-weight creative and being the global CCO? Does he still come up with ideas and put them forward? What does he do outside of work to fuel his creativity? I probably wouldn’t be able to ask this much in two minutes, but I’d do my best. It would also be nice to just have a chat with an established legend of the game.
Sergio Mantilla

Sergio Mantilla

Art Director
McCANN Bogotá
Bogotá
, Colombia


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
A year ago, a great friend named Christian Mondragon told me about the experience he had when he attended the program in 2015 and I was really excited about the opportunity to be with the greatest creative minds in the world. I know it will be amazing and I will learn a lot professionally.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I really want to learn from all the program attendees. It is a perfect opportunity to grow professionally and to gain a more global vision about advertising. It is also the perfect opportunity to meet the most important creatives in the world.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
Currently the digital world and new technologies are in a very big revolution that advances more and more. Also new trends and new consumer demands make advertising and creativity take a new approach and must adapt to new creative challenges. I would choose to hear about these two themes.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I would really like to interview all the members of each jury; they are all amazing! However, I love McCANN and would be honoured to speak with Rob Doubal CCO, McCann UK and Co-President McCann London.
Shannon McCarroll

Shannon McCarroll

Copywriter
FCB Toronto
Toronto
, Canada


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I had previously heard about the LIAisons program from my last art director; she attended last year. I have heard from her that it is an invaluable learning and networking experience that she was proud of attendending.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
For the most part, I expect to be extremely inspired. I’d like to feel challenged and get the opportunity to network with people from all over the world. I’d also love the chance to get a behind the scenes look at what goes on in the judging rooms.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I’m interested in hearing discussions around the importance of awards today and advertising’s role in climate change and current political issues
Shingo Isobe

Shingo Isobe

Chief Designer
POLA INC.
Tokyo
, Japan


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?

I knew that LIA was a competition that, while being globally well-known, involves people who are active in numerous, different unique creative fields.

2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?

I felt happy and also a bit nervous at the same time, because I feel a high sense of responsibility towards my participation in this program.

3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?

I hope to learn about how other creators and designers, with different cultural and education backgrounds, transmit emotions through their creations and also learn about the judges’ point of view and opinion about the execution. As, I have only worked in Japan, I would like to get some hints about how people with a different upbringing conceive creativity and how they actually express it.

4. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?

I expect to encounter numerous creators and be inspired by their artistry and their points of view.

5. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?

I would like to hear about the changes that are expected to affect the creative arts industry in the future and how creators and designers can adapt to those new trends.

Shirley Yushkov

Shirley Yushkov

Copywriter
Grey
Toronto
, Canada


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Prior to being chosen, I knew nothing about the program.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
My first thought upon finding out was, “does Las Vegas have an In-N-Out burger?” Then I became really excited to find out that it does. Apart from that, I’m extremely thrilled to spend a week immersed in amazing creative work, to learn from some of the best creatives in the world and eat really great burgers.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
LIA stands for world class creativity. I hope to learn what differentiates the truly great ideas from millions of others. I look forward to listening to the judges debate the merits of ideas and the rationale that goes behind crowning a winner. Lastly, I want to see firsthand how the judges differentiate good from great and great from best in a show.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
There are so many great minds present, that it’s hard to pick just one. However, I want to learn from some of the amazing, talented women in the industry and hear how they got to where they are. Women such as, Tiffany Rolfe, Emma de La Fosse, and Judy John.
Simon Detournay

Simon Detournay

Creative
Duval Guillaume
Brussels
, Belgium


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I knew about the festival, but I did not hear a lot about the Creative LIAisons Program. It will be a nice first experience of the program.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I know it will be an inspiring experience. Seeing the diversity of ideas the world’s most creative minds came up with is just a huge boost for my creativity! It will also be interesting to take a look behind the scenes of a jury session and see what makes a great idea become an awarding idea.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
I think that the Samsung Ostrich is one of my favorite ads seen these last few years, so I’ll go for Colin Selikow. It would be nice to speak with him!
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I’m sure that Fred Levron has a lot of precious advice for creatives and I’d like to hear his vision of what creativity should be.
Soleil Beatriz Badenhop

Soleil Beatriz Badenhop

Copywriter
Dentsu Jayme Syfu
Makati City
, Philippines


After Creative LIAisons:
“Thank you again for a wonderful and awe-inspiring week at LIA.
LIA was, in a nutshell, mindblowing. I learned so much and got great bursts of inspiration from meeting different creative legends; legends I never thought I'd get a chance to talk to.
One of my takeaways from the program is the question: "WHAT WOULD IT TAKE?" and I kept asking myself that when I left Las Vegas; What would it take for me to do brilliant work like those legends? No doubt, I will carry the lessons and experiences with me as I do whatever it takes to seek answers to that question. Thanks again! “
Before Creative LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I first heard about LIAisons through Adobo Magazine here in the Philippines. They hold contests yearly to sponsor a young creative to join the Creative LIAisons program.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I expect to hear a lot of great, never-before-heard of talks from creative leaders and experts from around the world. I want to get as much information and learnings as I can from each speaker and also to get the chance to have a conversation with them.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
Paul Nagy, Jureeporn Thaidumrong, Pum Lefebure, Judy John, Suthisak Sucharittanonta, Eric Johnson, Mark Tutssel, Ralph Van Dijk, Piyush Pandey, Kazoo Sato. I also wish that Susan Credle was on the roster. Hehe
Stephen Kiprono

Stephen Kiprono

Motion Designer
KOKO Networks
Nairobi
, Kenya


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I didn’t know much about the LIAsions program. Since learning and researching about it, I am really happy to get the chance to experience it.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was very excited and felt very lucky. I couldn’t wait to be part of the unique creative experience and thank you Jeremy Craigen for recommending Las Vegas.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I would be interested in hearing about the speakers’ views on what makes an idea stand out and how to make it great. Also I would like to hear about what the future is in awards and its impact on the industry.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I think I would choose to interview Joel Simon, President of JSM Music. I would like to ask him about and learn from his experience on how and what makes a visual medium memorable through its music and sound design.
Sumer Kotwal

Sumer Kotwal

Art Director
Publicis Sapient
Dubai
, United Arab Emirates


After Creative LIAisons:
Creative LIAson’s did a lot of things for me, but most importantly it gave me perspective. It allowed us young creatives to hear from icons from different fields in the industry and made them human. We got to see their process when it comes to creating, hear about how they learn from failures, realize their relentless quest to never stop learning and understand what they think made a piece of work great. These are just a few things, but it’s the exposure to different ideas and thoughts in detail that helped make LIAison’s so special.
Apart from the speakers, it was great to meet the other delegates. The LIAson’s were very diverse and I met people from all over the globe. It was often fun to have discussions post the talks about what each of us thought, how it could be applied and so forth. I didn’t know what to expect before attending the program, however having experienced it I really believe it is one of the best opportunities to learn and grow for any creative. Thanks a lot for organizing the event.
Before Creative LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I had not heard of the Creative LIAisons program prior to being chosen to participate. However, as soon as I heard of the opportunity, I went straight to the inter-web and discovered what a great program this is and what it does for young creatives across the globe. Really excited to be attending this year’s program.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
It felt amazing. To be chosen amongst all the great talent in our agency internationally and be amongst other young creatives from around the globe will be an experience I look forward to. I can’t wait to sit in on the jury discussions and see how the work is judged, considering the current climate of the creative industry and the shifts happening within.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I would love to hear the speakers present on topics such as:
• “How the creative industry will need to transform itself with the rise of AI”
• “Making Failures: A journey through the work that never quite made it”
• “Creative Entrepreneurship: What it takes to set up and run a business led by creativity.”
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I would love to interview and engage with almost all the jurors as I believe it would be great to hear about their past experiences and learn from their individual stories. If I had to pick one, I would like to interview Tiffany Rolfe from R/GA to understand more about her approach of ‘Storydoing’ and gain perspective on the different ways of transforming a brand. Also, I would like to explore R/GA’s methods to transformation through the lens of experience, products and service.
Sydnie Felton

Sydnie Felton

Copywriter
VMLY&R
Kansas City
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I was familiar with the London International Awards, but I don’t know anyone who has participated in the Creative LIAisons program (apparently everyone I know who works in advertising is a slacker). That being said, I think it’s better in a way that I hadn’t heard a lot about this program: I can go into it with a totally open mind and no preconceptions, which makes it simultaneously more terrifying and exciting.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I would like to meet awesome, inspiring people, see work that makes me so jealous I come back ready to kick major creative butt, get over my crippling fear of talking to strangers, and most importantly, do tons of stuff that makes my entire team back in Kansas City really, really, jealous.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
“So you don’t have a beard: Unfiltered words of wisdom from badass female creative leaders”
• “What am I doing here: Getting over imposter syndrome (or at least learning how to pretend better)” • “How to make work people fall head over heels, ‘marry me and have all my creative babies’, madly in love with”
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
Kerstin Emhoff. I’ve always dreamed of one day being able to create branded content and entertainment that goes way beyond your average commercial or paid partnership, and I’d love to hear more about what that process looks like (although I think that would require a whole lot more than two minutes). Also, the women who have inspired me most thus far in my career have been producers or owners of production companies: they’ve all been such unapologetic, vibrant go getters. Nothing motivates me to keep pushing forward more than meeting women who make me say “I want to be like her when I grow up”.
Taira Ishikawa

Taira Ishikawa

Art Director
Dentsu
Osaka
, Japan


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I knew of the awards itself, but to be honest, was not familiar about the program at first. After I heard about the application, I read the report from another participant, and came to know the details of the program prior to being chosen.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was happy for the privilege, but also felt uncomfortable, because I’ve never had chances like this before and felt like I wasn’t ready for it. And also, I somehow didn’t know I was 1 out of 100 from “all around the world.” Honestly it made me feel more privileged and excited to come knowing that.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
I’m very curious about the process of the judging. We always get to know what the results are, but not the process. I’d like to know what each of the juries prioritize, how they discuss creativity, and how they conclude choosing the winner. I’m sure there are many legends with their individual point of view, and I’m looking forward to experiencing the sense of it and learning what different ideas they have from my own.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
It’s hard to choose, but as an art director, I’d like to interview a juror whose original specialty is a graphic designer or an art director.
Teresa Berude

Teresa Berude

Senior Copywriter
DDB Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
, Germany


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Unlike LIA itself, I have not heard of the program before, which could be because in Germany you don't get to meet too many people who attended the LIAisons. As it is over a 15-hour flight time away, it’s not so easy to get to. But since LIA is one of the most credible creative awards, I amthrilled to know everything about it.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
To be one out of 100 attendees from all around the world is indescribable. It was a big surprise and honor. Now I’m counting down days until this amazing event starts. I look forward to meeting inspiring people, absorbing insights from experts & different cultures and turning my expectations into learnings.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
- Gut feeling vs. checklist: How to decide what makes an idea a great idea.
- A story about trial-and-error: How to sell every idea to anyone anytime.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
It would be great to secretly peek into everyone’s heads and creative soula. But if I had to decide, I’d choose Dörte Spengler-Ahrens. As the most famous female creative leader in Germany, she could surely give some great career insights.
Teresa López Carrión

Teresa López Carrión

Senior creative
Cheil Spain
Madrid
, Spain


After Creative LIAisons:
The Creative LIAisons has showed me that creativity is the only and most powerful language in the world. From this experience I take a notebook full of insights and a group of Whatsapp with a lot of new friends.
Before Creative LIAisons:
1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I received some information from some coworkers who had been to the Creative LIAisons in Las Vegas last year.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I felt excited and privileged to be part of this amazing experience. More importantly, I am going to share this experience with my coworker and Art Director, Maria.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
- Explore new ways to impact new generation on media such as TikTok
- Digital Craft
- “Femvertising”
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I'd choose Tiffany Rolfe. I believe that being a female president of a jury is an achievement for the sector. She's a reference for me and I'd love to get a trajectory similar to hers. Her work is enviable and is of great digital creative talent.
Tess Evans

Tess Evans

Senior Creative Copywriter
VCCP Health
London
, United Kingdom


After Creative LIAisons:

Sadie and I have just got back from the Creative LIAisons programme in Las Vegas – one of the most informative, bizarre and brilliant experiences of our careers so far. Nobly pushing through jet lag, I've gone back through our notebooks to share some of the things we learned this week.

What we learned from the judges:

1. Go that extra mile. It may sound obvious – but when we sat in on a judging panel for the day, it was incredible to see how the tiniest thing would bump work down against flawless competition. We saw a film spot drop from a silver statue to a shortlist based on one imperfect transition and a mistimed copy line.

2. Would your mum understand it? Jon Chapman, ECD at Havas Lynx and judge on the Pharmaceuticals jury, gave us his brilliantly simple personal checklist for assessing creative: 1. What is it? 2. What does it do? 3. Is it interesting/different? 4. Would my mum understand it? We’ll be checking all our future work against it (using our own mums of course, we don’t know his).

3. Context makes a difference. Judges are watching 100+ entries at first pass. They're not going to analyse each in depth. An entry video setting up context can be the difference between being awarded or not. Why is it so effective? What makes it unique in its category? If you don’t tell them, they won’t know.

What we learned from the speakers:

1. Be more Pum. Pum Lefebure is one of those people who inspires you without trying to, through her personality and work. In her gentle, genuine way you could see she loves what she does and won’t compromise on her vision. We’ve already ordered prints of her Hong Kong ballet work as a reminder to stay optimistic and find inspiration in everything. The new campaign video's fantastic too.

2. Find the opportunities already in your hands. Malcolm Poynton showed us there are no excuses, you can make an outstanding campaign for the clients you already have. He shared examples – including the Black Supermarket campaign for traditionally conservative French supermarket Carrefour – to illustrate what you can achieve if you dig deep into the clients you have and find a story or cause worth pursuing.

3. Put as much time into planning the presentation of your idea as you do into the idea itself. We are certainly guilty of not doing this…while moaning how hard it is to get great ideas through. So Matt MacDonald’s talk on presenting your work was invaluable. Here’s a summary of the key things we’ll be implementing:

What we learned from other creatives:

1. If you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong. Nothing is as bonding as laughter, and it leads to great results too. In the Great Guns workshop, we were grouped with creatives we had never met from Canada, Austria and Germany and given four hours to create a 6 second video. It was undoubtedly a shared sense of humour that got us to this winning entry. That, and some pretty stellar fake vomit.

2. Don't get lazy. At the upper end of the ‘young creative’ age range, we met some people almost a decade younger. They are brilliant. As a borderline technophobe I'm already doing my homework to keep up. Mashable helps.

3. Copywriters en masse get nerdy fast (don’t get me started on the oxford comma). Art Directors en masse compare tattoos.

What we learned from Las Vegas:

1. What happens there stays there. Mostly, it turns out, because it's impossible to describe. Vegas is a weird place.

2. Sleep is for the weak.

3. Roulette is not our game.

This only really scratches the surface of everything we experienced during Creative LIAisons 2019. We've come away with so much to implement in our work, a broader outlook of our industry and new friends around the world. It may not quite be Vegas, but you can catch some of the LIA talks and interviews here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKBffG_7gmQE6ob74fn8vQw

Before Creative LIAisons:

1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?

I had heard a little bit about the program from our Creative Director, including that participants get to observe Statue Discussions in the jury room, which I thought would be fascinating. And of course that it was in Las Vegas!

2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?

I want and expect to come away having met inspiring people and feeling energized and determined to produce some great work.

3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?

• How to keep ideas fresh

• How to make the most of new channels

• The speakers’ personal experiences and advice

Thanh Ly

Thanh Ly

Art Director
Saatchi & Saatchi New York
New York
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I actually had now heard of the program before being chosen! But I think it’s a great initiative and opportunity for young creatives to learn, grow, and connect with each other to make the work even better. I’m very excited to participate and meet people around the world and to talk to creatives who have had a wealth of experience in the industry.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was very surprised to be within the lucky few. I’m so excited to meet all of these people and to pick their brains.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I’m curious to hear what the speakers have to say about the future of advertising. I only joined the industry 3 years ago, and already, it has changed so much with new technology and media. I want to see the trends and what to expect from our industry.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
Mark Tutssel is such an amazing creative and I would love to pick his brain and learn what was behind the work and how he got there.
Thomaz Bregantin dos Santos

Thomaz Bregantin dos Santos

Copywriter
Almap BBDO
Sao Paulo
, Brazil


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I have friends who participated in the program in previous years and I only heard about how great it was – a great networking and learning opportunity. Now it’s finally my turn and I’m very excited to go.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I felt really happy. It is a really great honor that AlmapBBDO picked me of all people, when there are so many incredible creatives working there that could have been chosen to go.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I’m particularly interested in how entertainment is re-shaping advertising and making it essential that brands create relevant content. I would love to see a speaker address this.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I would choose Nicholas Hulley, from the Branded Entertainment jury. I’m a huge fan of AMVBBDO’s work, so I would love to pick his brain.
Tsholofelo Masiye

Tsholofelo Masiye

Graphic Designer
FCB Joburg
Johannesburg
, South Africa


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
The first time I heard of the LIA Creative LIAisons program it was my first year of interning at FCB Africa during the induction ceremony. Someone had shared the program and its offerings and how creative agencies including FCB Africa send peers to attend the awards and that it is a great way to learn more about the industry.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was shocked and excited at the same time as I never expected to be one of the chosen to participate in such a prestigious well-known global event in our industry. I feel very honored and am excited to participate in this exclusive program.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
One of the topics I would be interested in hearing about would be how much of an influence does modern design impact/ influence African design aesthetics and how we can better introduce design to the African continent.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I don’t have a specific juror I would like to interview, but I would like to interview all the female jurors to ger their perspective of more female leaders in their respective fields and within the creative industry as a whole as well as to hear some of the challenges they are currently facing.
Vera Ickert

Vera Ickert

Senior Art Director
DDB Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
, Germany


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I was aware of the Awards given by LIA. We were lucky to win 3 trophies last year. Since I follow the LIA social media channels, I have already gotten a little insight about the LIAisons program and I am really happy to have been selected for such a great program.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I expect a wealth of information, impressions & suggestions in a very short time. One of the things I’m most excited about is being able to observe the LIA jurors while they judge the creative work.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
I would like to hear insights from judging an international award. Also, I would like to hear about presentation and self-marketing for creatives and in general, different experiences in creating campaigns for different markets like e.g. Asia compared to America.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
Rather than talking to one juror, I am looking forward to meeting as many jury members as possible. I’m keen to meet so many different talented people from all over the world and to get to know their different experiences and views.
Victor Ferreira

Victor Ferreira

Creative Art Director
Cheil Brazil
São Paulo
, Brazil


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Honestly, I heard about the program this year, because of Cheil. We spoke internally about whether I could participate or not. I found it very interesting the possibility to be in contact with great professionals who participate in the program and the focus on the development of creatives.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
I was really happy. Having your work recognized is what everyone strives to achieve when they join an agency. I am really grateful and happy with the opportunity and to see that my decisions are leading me to times like this.
3. When sitting in on statue discussion judging what do you hope to learn?
How the discussion happens, what are the criteria used, what makes a piece worth a prize... I definitely want to understand the reasoning behind it.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
This is hard to answer. I think Joel Simon, because I'm curious to talk about how creativity acts in other industries besides advertising.
Whitney Downing

Whitney Downing

Art Director
Wieden + Kennedy
Portland
, United States of America


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
I didn’t know anything. It seemed that everyone knew about the program, but me.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I’m assuming you’re trying to help me become a LIAison. I don’t mind doing that. I’ll meet new people.
3. Who from the LIA Juries would you most like to meet/speak with? (https://www.liaawards.com/juries/jury/)
Jimmy Smith
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
When I was in grad school a man told me that I should meet Jimmy Smith.
Williana Chen

Williana Chen

Art Director
MullenLowe
Singapore
, Singapore


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
Prior to being chosen, I knew that LIA and the LIAisons Program is a program in which we can meet creative leaders from around the world, learn and get inspired.
2. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in Creative LIAisons, an exclusive program of 100 attendees aged 21 – 30 from around the world?
Very excited! This is a chance to refresh our minds and get new points of views for our future work.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
How do we know if an idea is a creative idea?
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I would like to interview Leslie Sims, as she is a female creative leader for a giant creative agency. I would like to gain any important insights for Female creatives and how to make sure we as women are heard without making us sounds “bossy.”
Zebedee Devey-Waterhouse

Zebedee Devey-Waterhouse

Junior Creative
Wunderman Thompson
London
, United Kingdom


1. Prior to being chosen to participate in this program, what did you know or hear about the LIA Creative LIAisons program?
A couple of my colleagues have been a part of the program in recent years and have only had positive things to say about the experience.
2. What do you expect to get out of Creative LIAisons? What do you want to get out of Creative LIAisons?
I want, and expect, to meet a bunch of like-minded people that all have different experiences of which I can learn about and learn from. That’s including fellow LIAisons in the program and any other industry professionals that I may meet.
3. If you were to choose what the speakers present, what topics would you choose?
As creatives, I feel there is a balancing act between creativity and what is right for the business. So I’d be interested in hearing different experiences of when it’s gone right and when it’s gone wrong, especially when in more senior positions and the business side of things is more prominent.
4. If you could choose any juror to interview for two minutes, who would it be and why?
I’d choose to interview Leslie Sims, because it seems that she has achieved an incredible amount in her career, and I’d be interested in hearing more about her experiences of rising through the ranks.