Meet ADC 2015 jury's SA CD

The week began with the news that Masango has made the Art Director's Club jury for the 95th edition of the awards.

The Art Director's Club is a New York-based non-profit membership organisation, with its Annual Awards the oldest continuously running industry award show in the world to discover and celebrate raw creative talent.

Masango, who holds artistry and craftsmanship in advertising very dear, had time for a quick Q&A...

1. How did you hear about your addition to the 2015 ADC jury?

Masango: I received an email from the ADC just before midnight. Obviously, I couldn't go to sleep after reading it!

2. What does this mean for your career personally, and for Y&R SA's reputation?

Masango: It's an absolute honour to be representing Y&R and South Africa as a whole. The calibre of judges at ADC is quite high, so for me, it's a great opportunity to learn. At the same time, it's an opportunity to bring a fresh perspective to the table. The jury is predominantly from the Americas, so it helps to have someone with a different lens.

3. Give us the highlights package of your career.

Masango: During the few years I've spent at Y&R Cape Town, we have accomplished many agency firsts at creative award shows, but the highlight for me was the Financial Mail Annual AdFocus Medium Agency of the Year title, which was awarded to us in November 2015. It sums up the team effort that has gone into raising Y&R Cape Town's creative profile.

Prior to Cape Town, I was in Hong Kong for four years. It was a blast, but the challenges I experienced made me appreciate the talent and can-do spirit we have in South Africa.

4. Tell us about your international judging experience so far, including the Film Jury at AD STARS 2015 in Busan.

Masango: The key difference between local and international judging is the scale of the work. When I was judging Film at AD STARS, I was looking at work that had an impact on a global scale. Even with a multicultural jury, the brilliant pieces are rarely debatable. It's just a question of Gold or Grand Prix.

5. How does local/African creative work compare to what you've seen on a global scale? Where do we excel and where are we lacking?

Masango: We're dominating radio. Our print is solid at best. But we're struggling in pretty much everything else. Having said that, considering the size of our market, we still manage to make our presence felt at the shows, and I feel positive about the direction we are going in.

6. Is enough being done to promote gender equality in advertising? Explain the ADC's 50/50 Initiative, which promotes equal participation for women and men on award show juries at least, and how this can benefit the global ad industry.

Masango: Until there's an equal split of male/female ECDs and creatives, I'll say that not enough is being done.

The change won't happen organically. ADC's 50/50 Initiative has been running for three years now, and has proven that equality is doable. It doesn't compromise quality - it vastly improves it.

Over and out.

The 95th ADC Annual Awards judging will take place from 11 to 15 April 2016 in Colorado. Click here for more on the ADC and click here for more on Masango.