Laura Desmond, Media Lions juror

Tuesday, June 17, 2008 - I knew it wasn't going to be a day at the beach, but nothing can really prepare you for the work ahead of you as a member of the Media Lions jury. We spent the last five days wading through over 2,000 submissions. The first three days we split into teams to review individual categories which formed the basis of our shortlist. On day four, we reviewed and confirmed the shortlist, and finally, on day five we were able to select our bronze, silver, gold and Grand Prix. Every day, we would read the submissions, look at the boards, watch the video, debate the merits (the last day quite passionately) of the case, and finally cast our vote. While my brain is slightly numb yet wildly overstimulated, I do want to share one bit of advice with you Media Lion hopefuls out there: Deliver. Simple. Brilliance.
  You’ve only got 60 seconds to capture my and my fellow jury members’ imagination, so you better distill your thinking down to its essence and tell your story well. Just do the math and you know it is true: 2,000 cases, 25 jury members and five days. I’m a speed reader, and let me tell you, it was a struggle. We are locked in a room all day for five days looking at case after case; if you don’t stand out quickly and make yourself heard, you will not be standing on the stage come Gala Awards night.

  But what about the amazing yet complex cases out there vying for our attention? They have a much harder route to victory. Unlike a print ad, which you can view and determine if you love it or hate it within seconds, some brilliant media work really deserves more time in order for you to digest the thinking and media strategy driving the big idea, which goes well beyond the actual execution.
  Is this a good or bad reality? I’m still debating this in my head. On one hand, we all need to get faster, smarter and better at telling our media stories. I saw way too many jargon-laden, process-heavy write-ups. And while I’m always pushing my folks that less is more, especially in the art of storytelling, I do wonder if some great media work could be getting lost in the overwhelming number (and growing every year) of entries that the Media jury must wade through in such a short time frame. Don’t know the answer yet, but will let you know when I do.
  That’s enough for now. Remember, it’s all about delivering simple brilliance. I’m off to the awards ceremony, and will check in tomorrow and share my thoughts on the winners.

—Laura Desmond is CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group Worldwide and a Media Lions juror.

June 17, 2008 | Permalink