GLOBAL – NEW YORK, USA, JANUARY 27, 2011 – New York Festivals International Advertising Awards has announced that Donald Gunn, founder of the renowned Gunn Report, will be Moderator of the 2011 New York Festivals International Advertising Awards Executive Jury. The Executive Jury judging sessions will take place in New York the first week in May.
“Donald is the perfect choice to moderate the jury as he is a principled man of high integrity and will project fairness throughout the judging process. We are honored to have him moderate the jury proceedings. His attendance will ensure jurisprudence,” said Jim Smyth, CEO, New York Festivals.
The NYF Executive Jury is an exclusive group comprised of 36 international advertising agency Chief Creative Officers. Unlike other advertising competition juries, the NYF Executive Jury will not have a Chairman or President presiding, allowing all members of the jury to be of equal status. Gunn’s role as Moderator will be to guide the jury.
Executive Jury members to date include:
• Steve Back, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy & Mather, Singapore
• Rob Feakins, Chief Creative Officer/President, Publicis
• Jonathan Harries, Vice Chairman/Global Chief Creative Officer, Draftfcb
• Rei Inamoto, Chief Creative Officer, AKQA
• Akira Kagami, Executive Advisor and Global Executive Creative Advisor, Dentsu
• Tham Khai Meng, Worldwide Creative Director & Chairman, WW Creative Council, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide
• Ronald Ng, Executive VP/Executive Creative Director, BBDO
• Benjamin Palmer, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Barbarian Group
• Mark Tutssel, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett Worldwide
• Graham Warsop, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, The Jupiter Drawing Room (South Africa)
• Conway Williamson, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi
Additional Executive Jury members will be announced soon.
“Adding a live-judging element to the current online-judging process allows us to combine the best of both worlds with regard to the judging processes,” said Michael O’Rourke, President of International Awards Group. “The online Grand Jury allows us to assemble 250 award winning Creative Directors representing over 50 countries ensuring diversity and unequaled fairness. The newly formed Executive Jury’s live-judging sessions will take place to ensure each entry that has progressed to the Finalist stage will be given the hands-on attention it deserves, while avoiding the judging fatigue factor that often plagues other advertising competitions.”
The Executive Jury sessions launch a four-day series of events, including seminars and exhibits, and culminate with the annual International Advertising Award presentations.
The final entry deadline for the 2011 International Advertising Awards competition has been extended until February 7, 2011.
