The Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity has locked in eight jury presidents judging work across 16 categories. The Festival which opened for delegate registration last week will return to the Madinat Jumeirah Arena, Dubai and will take place from the March 5-8, 2017.
“The jury presidents are a core element in ensuring that stand-out work rises to the top and leads the way for the year to come. We’re delighted to have such an experienced line-up to lead the discussions on creativity in MENA with their respective juries,” commented Thea Skelton, Festival Director.
The Jury President for the new Innovation Award, launching this year to celebrate technological creativity, will be announced in the coming weeks.
The 2017 Jury Presidents are:
Film, Print, Outdoor, Radio, Print & Outdoor Craft and Integrated Jury President
Matt Eastwood, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, J. Walter Thompson, Global
“The Middle East is fast becoming one of the most dynamic and vibrant creative cultures in the world. It’s a place where creativity is used as a tool to not only to promote brands, but to inspire change, to change the future of an entire country, or even to save lives. I look forward to celebrating the work that lifts creativity, and indeed society, to a higher level.”
Branded Content & Entertainment Jury President
Fredda Hurwitz, Global Chief Strategy Officer, Havas Sports & Entertainment, United Kingdom
“Having previously judged at Dubai Lynx, one of the most refreshing take outs for me was the smart insights into the causes and the creative solutions to dealing with social injustice at both a small and large scale. I hope to see more of this creative flair across all the work, a great cocktail of bang-on reflection, relevant insights and locally meaningful solutions with entertainment at the heart of the ideas.”
Film Craft Jury President
James Bland, Executive Producer & Managing Partner, Blink Productions, United Kingdom
“I’m honored to be this year’s Film Craft Jury President. I’ve recently been very impressed with work from the MENA region and can’t wait to get a front row seat and see all the work first hand. As always, Film Craft is at the service of the idea and it will be very interesting to see how it’s been applied.”
Direct, Promo & Activation, Interactive and Mobile Jury President
Rob Doubal, Co-President & Chief Creative Officer, McCann London, United Kingdom
“The MENA region is so diverse and there’s been a lot going on in recent years, so I’m excited to see what has been created and how creativity is playing a part. Entertainment always plays a role in the region, so I’m looking forward to being transfixed, crying and laughing – and if I fall asleep – that’s fine too.”
Media Jury President
Gerry Boyle,Chief Executive Officer, Publicis Media Asia Pacific
“There’s a new form of energy from MENA comprising attitude and re-imagination, which is shaping the ways in which media builds business and shapes the lives of millions. We will be looking to enjoy and celebrate work that harnesses this energy and the unbeatable power of media to move the world.”
PR Jury President
David Brain, President & CEO, Edelman Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Hong Kong
““As brands and corporates have looked to put purpose and engagement at their core, we have seen an incredible growth in PR creative because it is often the best suited to deliver on those things. In MENA in the past, PR for brands has tended to be about amplification and publicity and whilst those are still valuable assets, the jury and I hope to be looking beyond that sort of work this year. Agencies in the region are making huge progress fast and I am very much looking forward to seeing some of the best creative work in the whole of Lynx turn up in this category this year.”
Design Jury President
Nathan Reddy, Chief Creative Officer & Founder, Grid Worldwide Branding and Design, South Africa
“I think the MENA region in the last couple of years has been producing some outstanding creative work across the communications platforms. Winning several golds at Cannes and other leading award shows around the world. This region is rich in diversity and creative work certainly reflects this. I’m looking forward to being part of this success story.”
Creative Effectiveness Jury President
Jean-Paul Burge, Chairman & CEO, BBDO Asia, Asia Pacific
“It is no understatement to say that Creative Effectiveness is the one award category that all agencies should want to win. The work we will be judging has proven its creativity, subjectively and our task is to unequivocally demonstrate that one idea has worked for the client better than another. And we will be doing this for one of the most exciting and innovative regions, which has for some time been creating bold and exciting work that should be better recognized internationally.”
