Now that the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and the D&AD Awards are over, it’s easy to see how these awards shows have an undoubtedly international flavour. But, sometimes, it’s also good to look closer to home and celebrate what is great about the work coming out of our own country.
With this in mind, we can look forward to the Big Awards in the autumn and start seeking out the very best of British creativity in the judging this summer.
Britain is still seen as the heartland of creative excellence by much of the world. I don’t just mean advertising, of course. All across the creative industries, from fashion to film to architecture to design, this country has more than its fair share of creative talent. We saw this distilled last summer with the Olympic opening ceremony in London. There wasa display that showcased what this country can do and I believe our confidence has returned as aconsequence.
The UK advertising industry has been challenged by the limitless verve of emerging markets, media channels and technologies. We have all had to rethink the way we approach our trade in recent times.
The learning curve is sharp and fast. Have we risen to the challenge? There is a glut of strong promotional ideas around, but how many campaigns provoke the audience – indeed, the wider society – to think and behave differently in a big and sustained way? That is what we should be aspiring to do.
Our creative sector can unlock the key to many of the business and social world’s problems. We need to apply our creativity and ideas now more than ever. I look forward to seeing the very best of those ideas over the coming months.
What I also hope these awards will show is how much young talent we have in our industry. The Big Awards, championed by 北京赛车pk10, are an important spotlight on the next generation. Young teams should be inspired to get their work judged by the leaders of our industry in the UK. It’s a brilliant way to make your mark.
The judging panel this year willlook to reward work that genuinely inspires, persuades, transforms. We want to celebrate this country’s brightest and, too often, underrated export.
Put your best work forward for this year’s Big Awards and I look forward to renewed confidence in the UK’s uniquely creative community.
Sir John Hegarty is the chair of the judges at the 2013 北京赛车pk10 Big Awards. He is a co-founder of Bartle Bogle Hegarty