#Loeries2017: Jury president jabber with Keith Cartwright
This year’s international jury presidents for the Loeries will head up key jury panels and speak at the much-anticipated DStv Seminar of Creativity.
Fitting as gender equality come under the spotlight this coming August, Cartwright is known for launching Lego’s stereotype-breaking #keepbuilding campaign. Currently at over 11m views since its launch in 2014, this makes it the most viewed commercial in the brand’s history.
That level of creative success is proof of someone who knows what he’s doing. Little wonder then that Cartwright’s been awarded by all the big global creativity awards, from The One Show to the Clios, AICP, AIGA, Addys, Art Directors Club, The London and New York Festivals, D&AD and Cannes. Last year he was also named as one of Adweek Magazine’s 50 top creatives in the business and a media maven for the year by Advertising Age.
I chatted to him about his judging expectations, why it’s important to ‘break stereotypes’ beyond a dedicated timeframe and what he’s expecting from this year’s outdoor and OOH advertising entries…
Congratulations on being appointed as outdoor and OOH jury president for the Loeries! What does this mean to you personally, in terms of your career?
It’s always great to be chosen to judge an award show, even more so to be asked to be jury president. After 20 years in the business, it's an acknowledgement that the work you’ve done and the reputation you’ve built is respected enough to judge award-winning ideas.
What are you most looking forward to from the 2017 Loeries judging experience and Creative Week?
This will be a new experience for me. Meeting new creative talent and viewing work that I might not otherwise experience is more than exciting. This is the best part of what we do: Seeing tons of great work and being inspired by that work and the minds behind it.
What’s the biggest trend in your specific advertising category that you expect to see from this year’s entries?
I’m expecting to see a ton of work that goes beyond the traditional printed image. OOH is now a starting place for the conversation. How are agencies taking advantage of technology? How is that technology bringing me to a more subversive experience? That said, I’m a sucker for a really smart conceptual headline or visual. When done well, there’s nothing better.
August is also #WomensMonth here in SA. Talk us through the importance of work like your gender-busting #keepbuilding Lego campaign, the most viewed commercial in Lego’s history.
I feel the same way about Women’s Month as I do about African American History month here in the United States: Why relegate one month to celebrate a storied history of any segment of our society?
The work we did for Lego was a reminder that gender has nothing to do with one’s ability to grow and learn. When we celebrate any segment in our society, it’s a constant reminder that those segments are generally forgotten.
Wise words. Keep an eye on our Loeries special section for the latest updates and our live coverage of Loeries Creative Week Durban, taking place from 14 to 21 August 2017.
About Leigh Andrews
Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews.
