"D&AD Judging takes place from 19-22 April in London and we have been monitoring the situation closely since flight restrictions first came into place last Thursday. Judging will go ahead as planned and we have instigated a two-pronged contingency plan.
"First, wherever possible, we are setting up remote voting to enable judges unable to travel to London to cast their votes.
"Second, we have a bank of reserve judges based in the UK that will be able to replace those unable to attend or participate remotely.
Sponsor"All affected jurors have been contacted to discuss options and to establish a plan of action.
"We are very grateful to the industry, who have shown such commitment to make D&AD Judging happen; either going to great lengths to get here or changing their schedules to stand in at the last minute."
By now, everyone knows of at least one person affected by the 17,000 flights that have been cancelled because of the spread of volcanic ash across Northern Europe.
McCann Erickson Managing Director Nandy Villar went to Stockholm for a meeting and founded himself stranded in France. Fortunately for him, former Leo Burnett Manila’s former Chief Creative Ofiicer Richard Irvine and Villar’s former planner Marite Irvine made his stay more comfortable by inviting Villar to their home in Megeve.
Villar wrote on his Facebook page, "There are good things that can come out of being stranded, especially when there are friends around."
Hit Productions Creative Director Brian Cua went on a tour of Scandinavia–including Iceland–and got out of Reykjavik a day before the eruption of Mt. Eyjafjallajökull. He and his companions didn’t get far; they are currently waiting for flights in Paris.
On Facebook, he said, "Good thing about being stranded in Paris is that i know most of the main places, riding the subway and losing weight by walking!"
The travails of Kimi, daughter of BBDO Guerrero/Proximity CCO David Guerrero and adobo Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Angel Guerrero, have been well-documented in Facebook, as well as Philippine Daily Inquirer. Along with 19 other Filipinos en route to the UK, she was trapped in a small airport lounge in Frankfurt for 48 hours, by immigrations officials who refused to let them into the city for food and temporary lodging.
Likewise, Ace Saatchi & Saatchi CEO Matt Seddon’s daughter Charlotte is stuck in Dubai, when her return flight to the UK was cancelled. Her parents are currently trying to decide whether they should rescue their 15-year old and bring her back to Manila.
Meanwhile, trying to get back TO Dubai is Publicis art director Charles Nequinto was met with a different set of challenges in Bucharest, Romania. As of last report on Twitter, he was planning a landtrip from Bucharest to Istanbul, and from there, a plane back to his family in UAE.
Nequinto’s exit strategy may seem extreme, but it’s nothing compared to ad endorser and Monty Python comic John Cleese’s. According to AFP, Cleese bit the bullet by hiring a taxi from Oslo, Norway to Brussels, Belgium, and from there, a train to London.
The cost of the taxi ride? Over US$5,000.
Of his unexpected journey, Cleese said, "I will think about a joke you’ve probably already heard: How do you get God to laugh? Tell him your plans."
