ITV

Tag: Creativity

  • Amit Shankar joins Hashtag Orange as co-founder & CCO

    Amit Shankar joins Hashtag Orange as co-founder & CCO

    Mumbai: Digital advertising agency Hashtag Orange on Tuesday announced the appointment of Amit Shankar as its co-founder and chief creative officer.

    Shankar moves on from Famous Innovations, where he served as the head of creative at the agency’s Gurugram office.

    In a career spanning over 25 years, Shankar has won multiple accolades such as metal at Cannes, One Show, AdFest, Spikes Asia, Effies and Abbies. His work has also featured often in Luerzer’s Archive.

    “Amit is a brand in himself, and we are thrilled to have him sail the ship for our creative department,” Hashtag Orange founder Mukesh Vij said. “Hashtag Orange is richer in its talents to have such a decorated creative soul be a part of the journey ahead. We look forward to making a big bang shortly.”

    Shankar’s advertising journey includes tenures at agencies like Publicis, J Walter Thompson, Contract and Grey (including Trikaya). Among the marquee brands he has actively contributed to and helped build, are Microsoft, Windows XP, Domino’ Pizza, NIIT, Honda, Hyundai, General Motors, Monte Carlo, Pernod Ricard, Pedigree, GlaxoSmithKline, Procter & Gamble, Hero MotoCorp, Times of India, Nestle, ITC, India Today, Government of India, Whirlpool, SpiceJet, Hindustan Times, Montecarlo and Revlon, according to the agency.

    “The best thing about advertising is that it unfolds a whole new chapter for you, every time you look forward to breaking the continuum,” commented Amit Shankar. “Being a technology-driven agency, Hashtag Orange offers a rich playfield for ideas that ride on tech. The creative energy here is irresistible and infectious, and I look forward to adding more vigour to it. The time is to un-learn and learn much more; I see lots of experiments, innovations and some sharp work on the cards.”

  • Taproot Dentsu wins creative mandate for Biba

    Taproot Dentsu wins creative mandate for Biba

    MUMBAI: Taproot Dentsu has been awarded the creative duties for the Indian ethnic brand, BIBA. The account was won by the dentsuMB company and creative agency from the house of dentsu India following a multi-agency pitch, and will be serviced from the agency’s Gurgaon office.

    As per the mandate, Taproot Dentsu will create campaigns for BIBA’s ‘2022 spring-summer collection’. The focus will be on the brand’s perspective on today’s woman and its commitment to providing her ample choice in terms of outfits, irrespective of the occasion.

     Speaking of the association, BIBA managing director Siddharath Bindra said, “We are excited to partner with Taproot Dentsu as our creative partner for BIBA. They bring to the table a good mix of understanding the category and interesting creative outputs for the same. We look forward to our partnership and creating some great campaigns together.”

    “Biba is a well-established brand that every woman has seen, heard of, and at some point, shopped from,” added Taproot Dentsu Gurgaon executive vice president & head of office Abhinav Kaushik. “To work with such a well-entrenched brand in giving it a contemporary voice that will connect with the woman of today is both exciting and challenging. We are working closely with the Biba team for their upcoming collections and are gearing up to create a fantastic campaign for 2022.”

    BIBA has recently launched a variety of styles such as workwear, occasion wear, fusion, mix & match, to name a few. Apart from this, the brand has also launched a line of clothing called ‘BIBA Girls’ for young girls aged 2-15.

    Taproot Dentsu national creative director Titus Upputuru commented, “Fashion is such an exciting segment! In my college days, I remember creating designs for a few women’s Indian wear design boutiques in Delhi. When we got a chance to work on Biba, a homegrown Indian brand, my mind went straight to my college days. Working on the new direction of the brand and checking out the new collections was so fascinating. The colours, the fabrics, the cuts are all very exciting and we are excited to create stunning new campaigns for the brand!”

  • The world survives on creativity: Piyush Pandey at Ad Asia 2021

    The world survives on creativity: Piyush Pandey at Ad Asia 2021

    Mumbai: The pandemic took a heavy toll on people, and constrained activities across industries. So much so that it made the advertising industry apprehensive of its deleterious effects on the creativity of its workforce. But according to Ogilvy chairman of global creative Piyush Pandey, ‘creativity is still alive and kicking’ and fuelling the industry in the post-pandemic world.

    Sharing his views on the ‘Advertising innovation under Covid-19 pandemic’, Pandey said that he is frequently asked whether the pandemic has killed the creativity of the advertising industry.

    “The world survives on creativity,” responded the industry veteran while allaying any such concerns. “In fact, the pandemic has taught us that lives can be saved through creativity. Right from scientists who brought vaccines at unprecedented speeds to governments who found new solutions to administer those vaccines to millions, and to common people who remained confined in their homes, every one of us had to get creative with their lives to survive and thrive,” he said emphatically.

    Pandey also lauded the work done by several advertising agencies during the lockdown, and cited three examples of great creativity that stood out for him.

    The first, a made-at-home short film ‘Family’ launched in April 2020 which carried the message of ‘Stay Home, Stay Safe’ while also raising funds for the daily wage workers and technicians of film industries across the country hit by the pandemic. The film featuring several top actors was virtually directed by Prasoon Pandey, without any of the actors stepping out of their homes. Sponsored by Sony Pictures & Kalyan Jewellers, the film helped in collecting $3 million a because of a little creativity in the most terrible of times.

    The second film Pandey named was Savlon India’s campaign promoting handwashing, released in October 2020. The campaign “Hand Hygiene for all” executed in partnership with Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA) highlighted the message of handwashing effectively. The story was told through a day in the life of Swapna, a talented foot artist, who by her own example shows how handwashing is the easiest way to prevent Covid and other infections and why we should all be doing it. “Think of solutions executed with both your hands tied behind your back,” said Pandey.

    He also made a special mention of the Cadburys’ Dairy milk Diwali campaign, ‘Not just a Cadbury ad’ where the confectionary major batted for the small shop owners by getting ‘India’s biggest brand ambassador’, Shah Rukh Khan to be the brand ambassador for each of the local stores. Retailers and small local stores were shut due to pandemic, as people ordered even essential, everyday items online. So the brand used machine learning & AI to help retailers create their own ads, which were promoted by Khan as per the pin code of the viewer.

  • Cannes Lion 2021: Dentsu Webchutney walks home with seven Lions

    New Delhi: Dentsu Webchutney, the digital-led creative agency from the house of dentsu India, has continued its run as the highest-scoring Indian agency at 2021 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity second year in a row. 

    In 2019, the agency topped the charts with seven metals and 16 shortlists. This time, they have beaten their previous record with 20 shortlists and seven Lions.  

    The agency has won three Silver and two Bronze for ‘The 8-Bit Journo’ campaign in the Direct Lion, Creative Strategy, Mobile Lions and Digital Craft categories. For the ‘World’s Most Reported Trailer’ campaign, the agency has bagged one Silver in the Entertainment category. Additionally, Dentsu Webchutney has also grabbed a Bronze for ‘The Better Half Recipes’ campaign in the Creative eCommerce category. 

    Commenting on the achievement, Dentsu Webchutney, NCD, PG Aditiya said, “This year’s Cannes Lions is probably our most meaningful one yet. A huge round of applause for our teams across the country, both past and present, & gratitude to our clients who’ve shape-shifted the status-quo of Indian creativity at a global level, with us.” 

    dentsumcgarrybowen (dentsuMB) India, CEO, Sidharth Rao said, “2019 showed us Webchutney was capable of creative excellence at the highest level. 2021 showed it was about doing it consistently – the wins this year have firmly planted the ‘new normal’ of what Webchutney’s north star as an agency is. The agency is home to some incredible talent and is a shining example of what the dentsuMB group of agencies and dentsu India itself wants to stand for.” 

    For the record, dentsu India has secured an overall 22 shortlists and seven Lions at Cannes Lions 2021. Dentsu Webchutney has 20 shortlists in the Creative Strategy Lions, Direct Lion, Media, Digital Craft, Entertainment, Brand Experience & Activation, Creative eCommerce Lions and Mobile Lions categories. Meanwhile, Taproot Dentsu has secured two shortlists for its heart-warming Pooja Didi Campaign for Facebook in the Film Craft and Film Lions categories. 

    dentsu India, CEO Anand Bhadkamkar said, “This recognition is only a testament to the fact that dentsu India is steadily emerging into becoming one of India’s greatest creative powerhouses. Dentsu Webchutney and Taproot Dentsu have already established a massive benchmark for everyone within the network and for many across the industry with their superlative and consistent performance. I am extremely proud of how our teams have shown such powerful resilience and stayed strong even in these challenging times.”
     

  • Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea.

    Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea.

    GOA: “This is the time for renaissance in advertising because of the availability of technology”, asserted Isobar global CEO Jean Lin, while shedding light on how the backbone of ideas without limits is the importance of innovation.

    Quoting Alibaba’s success story, she mentioned that creativity is the key to make everything successful. “In the digital age it’s about delivering ideas without limit. The key point behind innovation is that the idea actually exists, we have to just innovate.”

    She further outlined that according to a PWC research in 2013, companies that look to innovate grew faster by 60 per cent, compared to the 20 per cent growth of companies that were taking on each other. The rate of change of society is a function of the age at which youth were introduced to the dominant technology of the time.

    Lin explained how Alibaba.com had launched a singles day sale in 2015 which got it sales worth $ 14.3 billion on that day. With 69 per cent of the sale from mobile devices, shoppers from 200 countries participated and 16,000 international brands were bought. “People from all over the globe can buy online. India is one of the highest border-less buyers worldwide. Now clients don’t have to look at other brands within their geography, they need to compete with prices even in other countries.”

    She also presented the example of Disneyland’s investment in the magical wrist band which worked well for the company as well as helped the travellers to track ticket, hotel room key and for getting reservations in hotels.

    The next thing that she spoke about was programmatic videos. She cited the example of how Unilever used this in technology where it showed 100,000 different videos for different people for a deodorant brand. “Even for programmatic video, content is required. It will take different thinking though. It gives viewers higher satisfaction. Technology helps, but it takes a creative to think of creativity in a different way”.

    The case studies of how Pinterest came up with its predictive shopping and how Youtube provides 100 per cent shoppable videos were also briefly discussed by Lin. “Ideas without limits is when YouTube and Pinterest take e-commerce seriously and MasterCard introduces the concept of Pay by selfies,” she added.

    Going further, she divided ideas into two types:

    Ideas that reimagine the last mile

    With an array of examples like UMood, Coca-Cola, etc, Lin pointed out that an idea should be limited only be for an ad campaign.

    Ideas that invent and reinvent

    “Innovation comes from an idea that already exists”, voiced Lin. She used examples of Sky Tip, GM Co-driver, Fiat, etc.

    She emphasized on the new role of agencies which is not only about creatively solving problems. “Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea. That’s a key to win. We need to grow with clients. This will come when tangible results are seen. When you think of ideas without limit, it can happen.”

  • Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea.

    Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea.

    GOA: “This is the time for renaissance in advertising because of the availability of technology”, asserted Isobar global CEO Jean Lin, while shedding light on how the backbone of ideas without limits is the importance of innovation.

    Quoting Alibaba’s success story, she mentioned that creativity is the key to make everything successful. “In the digital age it’s about delivering ideas without limit. The key point behind innovation is that the idea actually exists, we have to just innovate.”

    She further outlined that according to a PWC research in 2013, companies that look to innovate grew faster by 60 per cent, compared to the 20 per cent growth of companies that were taking on each other. The rate of change of society is a function of the age at which youth were introduced to the dominant technology of the time.

    Lin explained how Alibaba.com had launched a singles day sale in 2015 which got it sales worth $ 14.3 billion on that day. With 69 per cent of the sale from mobile devices, shoppers from 200 countries participated and 16,000 international brands were bought. “People from all over the globe can buy online. India is one of the highest border-less buyers worldwide. Now clients don’t have to look at other brands within their geography, they need to compete with prices even in other countries.”

    She also presented the example of Disneyland’s investment in the magical wrist band which worked well for the company as well as helped the travellers to track ticket, hotel room key and for getting reservations in hotels.

    The next thing that she spoke about was programmatic videos. She cited the example of how Unilever used this in technology where it showed 100,000 different videos for different people for a deodorant brand. “Even for programmatic video, content is required. It will take different thinking though. It gives viewers higher satisfaction. Technology helps, but it takes a creative to think of creativity in a different way”.

    The case studies of how Pinterest came up with its predictive shopping and how Youtube provides 100 per cent shoppable videos were also briefly discussed by Lin. “Ideas without limits is when YouTube and Pinterest take e-commerce seriously and MasterCard introduces the concept of Pay by selfies,” she added.

    Going further, she divided ideas into two types:

    Ideas that reimagine the last mile

    With an array of examples like UMood, Coca-Cola, etc, Lin pointed out that an idea should be limited only be for an ad campaign.

    Ideas that invent and reinvent

    “Innovation comes from an idea that already exists”, voiced Lin. She used examples of Sky Tip, GM Co-driver, Fiat, etc.

    She emphasized on the new role of agencies which is not only about creatively solving problems. “Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea. That’s a key to win. We need to grow with clients. This will come when tangible results are seen. When you think of ideas without limit, it can happen.”

  • Paul Kemp-Robertson to highlight ‘Dangers of Anti-Creativity’ at Adfest

    Paul Kemp-Robertson to highlight ‘Dangers of Anti-Creativity’ at Adfest

    MUMBAI: Contagious Communications co-founder and editorial director Paul Kemp-Robertson will be presenting a session on ‘The Dangers of Anti-Creativity’ at Adfest 2016 on 19 March.

     

    Kemp-Robertson is an expert on marketing innovation trends, and is considered one of the most reliable forecasters of the brands and movements that are shaping the future of our industry.

     

    At the session, he will examine the threats that exist to creativity both in marketing and business terms, and look at ways to ensure that your company keeps focused on creativity.

     

    “Budget cutters, the short-termists and our own biases are threatening the one thing proven to deliver effective marketing: creativity. But it’s not just putting marketing at risk. We’re caught in the headlights of an anti-creative juggernaut on course to run down entire businesses,” says Kemp-Robertson.

     

    He co-founded Contagious Communications in 2004, which publishes quarterly creative journal Contagious, the collaborative research platform Contagious I/O and the consultancy unit, Contagious Insider that applies Contagious thinking to solve clients’ challenges and briefs.

     

    “Paul understands the trends that are changing our industry before almost everyone else, and his insightful observations and predictions are always incredibly popular at Afdfest are delighted he is joining our program once again this year,” says Adfest president Jimmy Lam.

  • Paul Kemp-Robertson to highlight ‘Dangers of Anti-Creativity’ at Adfest

    Paul Kemp-Robertson to highlight ‘Dangers of Anti-Creativity’ at Adfest

    MUMBAI: Contagious Communications co-founder and editorial director Paul Kemp-Robertson will be presenting a session on ‘The Dangers of Anti-Creativity’ at Adfest 2016 on 19 March.

     

    Kemp-Robertson is an expert on marketing innovation trends, and is considered one of the most reliable forecasters of the brands and movements that are shaping the future of our industry.

     

    At the session, he will examine the threats that exist to creativity both in marketing and business terms, and look at ways to ensure that your company keeps focused on creativity.

     

    “Budget cutters, the short-termists and our own biases are threatening the one thing proven to deliver effective marketing: creativity. But it’s not just putting marketing at risk. We’re caught in the headlights of an anti-creative juggernaut on course to run down entire businesses,” says Kemp-Robertson.

     

    He co-founded Contagious Communications in 2004, which publishes quarterly creative journal Contagious, the collaborative research platform Contagious I/O and the consultancy unit, Contagious Insider that applies Contagious thinking to solve clients’ challenges and briefs.

     

    “Paul understands the trends that are changing our industry before almost everyone else, and his insightful observations and predictions are always incredibly popular at Afdfest are delighted he is joining our program once again this year,” says Adfest president Jimmy Lam.

  • Cannes Lions announces 2015 jury presidents

    Cannes Lions announces 2015 jury presidents

    MUMBAI: The biggest and the boldest festival of creativity, Cannes Lions, has announced the presidents that will lead juries at the 2015 edition of the awards.

     

    Commenting on the appointments, Lions Festivals’ chairman Terry Savage said, “We have always selected the most awarded, respected global creative leaders to guide our juries. This year, it is particularly exciting to see so many women numbered among that elite group. We are looking forward to a time when there is true gender balance in the industry and this will be unremarkable, but in the meantime the female representation is something that we are passionate about.”

     

    The 2015 jury presidents are:

     

    Branded Content & Entertainment Jury President

     

    BBDO Worldwide chief creative officer and BBDO Worldwide North America chairman David Lubars.

     

    Lubars, who has won over 90 Lions, 4 Emmys and over 100 One Show pencils said, “To me, it’s the most exciting part of Cannes Lions right now and maybe the most important.  All these different areas are smashing up against each other really fast; the category helps give context and horizon lines.”

     

    Under his leadership, BBDO is among the most awarded agency networks in the world and is currently ranked number one for creativity in The Gunn Report.

     

    Creative Effectiveness Jury President

     

    Sparkling Brands president and Coca-Cola North America strategic marketing Wendy Clark.

     

    “Creativity and Effectiveness cannot be mutually exclusive outcomes. Creativity fuels compelling storytelling and innovation that, in-turn, fuels positive impact and outcomes for brands. I’m looking forward to reviewing this year’s entries and seeing how our industry has once again raised the bar on great creativity and effectiveness,” said Clark.

     

    Cyber Jury President

     

    Isobar global CEO Jean Lin

     

    Named as one of 30 ‘Women to Watch’ by Advertising Age China, Lin leads the Dentsu Aegis Network agency in over 42 markets, overseeing 69 agencies.

     

    “We are living in the most exciting of times in our industry and the digital landscape has never been at more of a tipping point, into the era of Brand Commerce in which digital technology infuses brand experience with transactions and innovation. It is the perfect time to take up the presidency of the Cannes Lions Cyber Jury – witnessing the redefinition of digital creativity. I am honoured to lead a jury of my peers and excited to see work and ideas from across the world.  At Isobar, we strive daily to deliver what we call “Ideas Without Limits” and this is the lens I will view entries through and will ask my fellow jurors to do the same.”

     

    Design Jury President

     

    Interbrand Group global chief creative officer Andy Payne.

     

    Under his leadership, Payne has guided Interbrand to become one of the most highly awarded brand design consultancies in the world. “I hope as a jury we can champion the value of design – yes celebrate the beauty and the craft but understand that the true value of design is in ideas – ideas that move companies, organisations, brands and people forward to better and more inspiring experiences.”

     

    Direct Jury President

     

    Leo Burnett CEO and chief creative officer Judy John

     

    John is responsible for leading the Leo Burnett #LikeAGirl campaign – now a multiple award winner.

     

    “It’s an incredible honour to be the first Jury President for Canada. I’m looking forward to the discussions around the inspirational work with a world class jury.”

     

    Film Jury President

     

    Grey president and Worldwide chief creative officer Tor Myhren

     

    Myhren has been chosen as one of Fortune Magazine’s ’40 under 40’ (2011) and Fast Company Magazine’s ‘Most Creative People in the Business’.

     

    “Every year Cannes Lions sets a new bar for global creativity, and being president of the Film jury is thrilling. I continue to believe that even in the digital age, film remains the most powerful form of storytelling. We will look for what’s truly “new” and reward brave and remarkable work. I can’t wait.”

     

    Film Craft Jury President

     

    Mixer Brazil founder and partner-director Joao Daniel Tikhomiroff.

     

    A constant performer at Cannes Lions, Tikhomiroff has taken home 41 lions to date making him the second most awarded director in the history of the Festival.

     

    “From the script to the sound, “craft” is the structure that supports an idea. In a world overflowing with information, engaging the audience is becoming increasingly challenging. But that is exactly what I will look for. By achieving excellence in craft, we can actually touch people and make them cry, laugh, think, change. The idea is the soul. With a body, it becomes alive.”

     

    Media Jury President

     

    Mindshare Worldwide global chief executive officer Nick Emery.

     

    “It is our responsibility, and that of the Cannes Lions awards, to champion media at its very best – not just the glitz and glamour, but the connection of data, insight and execution that makes media so compelling. Everything today begins and ends in media. Media is fame and money, ideas and accountability, Hollywood and A Beautiful Mind. Our duty, and what Cannes Lions should represent, is the challenging of the status quo, the provocation of creating new things and not just counting what we already know.  Cannes Lions is a celebration of technology, content and invention, and the Media Lions sits at the centre of that world.”

     

    Mobile Jury President

     

    FCB Brazil vice president creative director Joanna Monteiro.

     

    Co-winner with Max Geraldo of the 2014 Mobile Grand Prix for Nivea ‘Protection Ad’, Monteiro was recently named Business Insider’s ‘Most Creative Woman in Advertising’ and is among the 10 most awarded Creative Directors in the 2014 Cannes Report.

     

    “It’s a true honour to have been selected as president of the Mobile jury, a category that unleashes great potential for creative work. In a time when dialogue between brands and their consumers is crucial, there’s nothing better than mobile.”

     

    Outdoor Jury President

     

    DDB Latina president & CEO and BBD Americas creative chairman Juan Carlos Ortiz.

     

    The first Latin American to become president of a USA based advertising agency, Ortiz also won Colombia’s inaugural, and to date only, gold Film Lion.

     

    “In life and during my career, I’ve always believed that the simplest things can also be the most meaningful. If you stop for a moment and think about it, everything falls into human nature, human insights. Outdoor has always represented the magic of simple ideas, ideas with real power. It’s an honor to be judging this year in this category as one of my main expectations is to see how we as creatives, have evolved and can apply things such as technology within the DNA of our human insights and see them reflected in the real world.”

     

    PR Jury President

     

    FleishmanHillard Asia Pacificpresident and senior partner Lynne Anne Davis.

     

     “What a thrill and a privilege to chair the jury responsible for selecting the year’s most inspired public relations work from all over the world.  PR is at the heart of the world’s greatest campaigns.  It’s a highly dynamic discipline that is constantly elevating its power by making emotional connections, revealing human truths, opening minds, touching hearts and inspiring action in ground-breaking ways. The 2015 Cannes Lions showcase is set to be the richest, most creative yet.”

     

    Press Jury President

     

    Saatchi & Saatchi worldwide creative director Pablo del Campo.

     

    Not only one of the most awarded Argentinean creatives, Campo is also founder of Del Campo Saatchi & Saatchi; an agency that ranks consistently high including in the Gunn Report’s Most Awarded Agencies.

     

    “In an industry transformed by new media, print still represents the toughest creative challenge. Print has only one sensory dimension so the idea has to work hardest. Originality, simplicity and surprise need to combine to create a singular emotional moment, which makes this an exciting category to oversee.”

     

    Promo & Activation Jury President

     

    JWT worldwide chief creative officer Matt Eastwood.

     

    Highly awarded in the creative world, one of Eastwood’s best known hits was the hugely successful ‘Hashtag Killer’ campaign.

     

    “It is both an honour and a privilege to lead the Promo & Activation jury. Today, clients look towards work in this category to truly supercharge their brand promise. In selecting the work that will stand as a permanent record of excellence, my hope is to inspire both clients and creatives to push beyond their imagined limits.”

     

    Radio Jury President

     

    WhybinTBWA Group Melbourne executive creative director Paul Reardon.

     

    “My criteria for judging work is pretty simple. I look for brilliant ideas that are strategically relevant and flawlessly crafted. The really, really hard part is finding those ideas. But that’s the exciting thing about Cannes Lions. The show is so big and attracts so much talent, you know that brilliance is out there, hiding amongst thousands of submissions. I’m honoured to be guiding the hunt in Radio in 2015.”

     

    Titanium and Integrated Jury President

     

    Wieden+Kennedy Portland partner and executive creative director Mark Fitzoff.

     

    Famous for invigorating ‘your grandfather’s deodorant’, Fitzoff was the executive creative director behind the legendary, Grand Prix winning, ‘The Man Your Man Could Smell Like’ for Old Spice.

     

    “In 1998, I was shortlisted for an ad banner that I wrote for Microsoft. It was my first Cannes Lions award. And therefore the one that still matters most. What am I looking forward to as this year’s Titanium and Integrated Jury President? I think giving someone that same feeling would be pretty fantastic.”

     

    Cannes Lions takes place from 21-27 June 2015.

  • Rei Inamoto is ADFEST 2015’s Grand Jury president

    Rei Inamoto is ADFEST 2015’s Grand Jury president

    MUMBAI:  Worldwide chief creative officer and vice president Rei Inamoto at AKQA has joined ADFEST 2015 as its Grand Jury president.

    Originally from Tokyo and now based in New York, Inamoto has been instrumental in putting AKQA on the map as one of the world’s most formidable agencies whose clients include Audi, Nike and Red Bull, among other leading brands. He oversees AKQA’s creative vision and output globally and played a pivotal role in the agency’s selection as one of Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies as well as multiple Agency of the Year accolades.

    “The true insight of this highly technological world we live in is this: the most powerful force in our universe isn’t technology, it’s imagination,” said Inamoto.

    He added, “It’s our imagination that allows technology to advance our industry, society and most importantly, humanity. As Grand Jury President of ADFEST 2015, I look forward to witnessing the most imaginative ideas that force us into the next chapter of our universe.”

    Inamoto helped launched AKQA in New York in 2004 and now provides global creative leadership across all of AKQA’s 14 offices. He has been named twice on Creativity Magazine’s annual “Creativity 50”list, was named one of “The Top 25 Most Creative People in Advertising” by Forbes, and was inducted into “The Hall of Achievement” by the American Advertising Federation.  

    “Rei is without doubt one of the most influential thought leaders in the creative industry today. As Grand Jury President, his responsibilities are large – not only will he preside over all 18 Lotus categories, he will also oversee a super panel of Jury Presidents judging the Integrated Lotus, INNOVA Lotus, and the very unique Lotus Roots categories. We can’t wait to welcome him to Thailand next year,” said ADFEST president Jimmy Lam.

    ADFEST 2015 will take place from 19 to 21 March at the Royal Cliff Hotels Group in Pattaya, Thailand.