Seen and noted

BEST TV
Winner: Motrio 'The Ranch'. I was a little disappointed by the quality of the ideas in all five categories. I saw several really good, well-crafted executions, but the concepts themselves were not as fresh or as clear as I would've hoped. Motrio's "The Ranch" was a clear exception. I picked this short film as my favorite in the TV category because it's based on a clear and compelling concept, one that was brought to life with both drama and humor. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it and it made me smile at the end. The mockumentary genre isn't new, but this entertaining, no-dialogue, montage approach brings a fresh spin to the format. The performances are great, and Rodrigo Prieto's beautiful photography helps to bring the story to life in an appropriately cinematic way. Thumbs up for this one!

Tie Runner-up: Barnes & Noble 'Magic of Reading' and Fatal Fury 'The Fury Continues'.
I picked two films to tie as runners-up because they're both fresh and interesting approaches to their respective brands and categories. I thoroughly enjoyed the epic storytelling behind the Barnes & Noble spot and felt a gratifying rush of insight as the Barnes & Noble brand was revealed at the end. Fatal Fury, on the other hand, was executed with so much visual energy that I found myself glued to the screen despite the long running time. The executional style was filled with amusing pastiche that won me over despite my initial resistance to the stylistic approach.

BEST PRINT
Winner: Foundation Ser 'Weapons that save'. I struggled a bit with this category. Print is such a pure, simple medium and, because of that, it still serves as one of the best canvases for big ideas and great advertising. In the end, I picked "Weapons that save" because I think it did the most to lean-in to the visual power of the medium. The arresting black and white photography combined with the simple, bold message forces the viewer to take notice. The resulting effect is unusually visceral for a print ad, clearly conveying a sense of urgency and gravity.

Runner-Up: Vaquero Bandido 'Fuel up. Ride hard.' The hellish terrain depicted in this ad is intriguing. By the time I figured out what it was advertising, I felt like I had experienced the taste and sensation of the product itself.

BEST OUTDOOR
Winner: Burger King 'Arch Nemesis'. The cheeky, challenger nature of this ad is delightfully on brand for Burger King. I love the way Burger King took a simple, innocent MacDonalds headline and used it against them. I often refer to this kind of tactic as media jiujitsu - when a brand uses its competitor's strength to their own advantage - and I love it. This is obviously a small and temporary activation, but it's fun and effective and I'm sure it put a smile on the face of every passerby.

Runner-Up: AA 'It's Ok'. This is a fun partnership that effectively leverages the cultural moment created by the release of the new Jurassic World movie. The installation has immediate stopping power, and the conceptual resolve delivered through the headline is so silly and charming that it elicits a grateful laugh from the viewer. And in the process it does a great job of communicating the underlying benefit of the product/brand.

BEST INTERACTIVE
Winner: Movember 'The Lifesaving Lobby'. Over the past decade, online gaming has become an increasingly powerful way for brands to reach an audience, but those brand integrations don't always do justice to the gaming experience. The Lifesaving Lobby stuck out for me because of the native way in which it was brought to life, adding interest and excitement to the medium, while clearly and successfully delivering its sensitive, lifesaving message.

Runner-Up: Vajira Hospital 'Praykinson'. While we have seen an increasing number of mobile-phone-based diagnostic and treatment tools appearing in the health and wellness space, I found the idea of using prayer as a mechanism to treat Parkinsons particularly meaningful. The experience itself seems simple and accessible, making it a viable tool for those suffering from this debilitating condition.

BEST RADIO
Winner: 2degrees 'Hush Little Phony'. It's harder to break through the media clutter than ever before and radio/audio is no different from the rest. The innovative approach of creating lullabies using only the sounds from mobile phones was a smart way to grab interest while delivering a clear and important message.

Runner-Up: Braveheart 'Mummies & Daddies'. This misdirect created by the dialogue between the children sets the audience up and ensures the ad's ability to deliver a strong and impactful message at the end.


This week's guest judge is Jason Xenopoulos, Regional Chief Creative Officer for VML North America and the Global Chief Creative Officer for WPP Ford.

Jason is an award-winning Chief Creative Officer, filmmaker, and serial entrepreneur whose creative ventures have spanned all areas of media from film & TV to advertising, music, and the Internet.

Jason has won Grand Prix and Gold awards at the world's most prestigious advertising festivals as well as Best Screenplay and Best Feature Film awards at international film festivals. He was ranked in the Top 25 most awarded Chief Creative Officers globally in The Drum's 2023 World Creative Rankings.

Over the past ten years Jason has helped to shape the vision and direction of VML, now the world’s largest creative agency.

As the CEO of VMLY&R New York from 2018 - 2021, Jason helped to transform New York into a flagship office with over 1000 employees. As co-CCO for VMLY&R North America during the same time, he also helped to drive the agency's creative transformation, leading the region to a Top 3 performance at Cannes Lions 2022.

Among Jason's many entrepreneurial ventures, he co-founded NATIVE in 2010, which rapidly grew to be Africa's leading digital agency before being acquired by WPP. Under Jason's leadership as CEO & Chief Creative Officer, NATIVE (now VML South Africa) won hundreds of awards, including being named Cannes Lions Entertainment Agency of the Year in 2017.

Jason's career began in 1993 when he graduated from New York University with a BFA Honors degree (summa cum laude) in film and television. Fresh out of college, Jason founded VWV Interactive in 1994, which grew to be South Africa's leading web development company. Primedia acquired VWV in 1996 and Jason joined the group to establish Primedia Entertainment, spearheading the acquisition of Ster-Kinekor, Africa's leading cinema and film distribution company. As CEO of Primedia Pictures between 1997 and 1998, Jason was involved in the development and production of various feature film projects including Boesman & Lena, starring Danny Glover and Angela Basset.

From 1998 to 2000, Jason held the position of CEO at Metropolis Transactive - an internet media company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. At the age of 28, Jason was the youngest CEO of a JSE-listed company.

In 2001, Jason completed his first feature film as writer-director, Promised Land, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to win a host of international awards including Best Screenplay at the Tokyo International Film Festival.
Jason has directed many award-winning TV commercials for iconic brands, including one of the first brand-funded feature films ever made ("Critical Assignment," Guinness, 2004), which was selected as the Opening Night Screening at the New York African Film Festival and went on to win the Jury Award at the Hollywood Black Film Festival and the award for Best West African Picture at the Screen National Film & TV Awards in London.

From 2004 - 2007, Jason held the position of Executive Creative Director at Y&R South Africa where he played an instrumental role in winning several major accounts.

In 2008, Jason co-founded 2.0 Media, a Branded Entertainment Agency, where he served as Chief Creative Officer until 2010. Jason ranked in the Top 5 Most Highly Awarded film directors at the 2010 Loerie Awards Festival.

In addition to his creative awards, Jason was named All Africa Entrepreneur of the Year by CNBC and Entrepreneur of the Year at the ABSA Jewish Business Achiever Awards.

Jason has published numerous articles, essays and opinion pieces on storytelling, philosophy,
creativity, and business, including having co-authored the book, The Art of Branded Entertainment, which appeared on the Amazon Best Sellers list.

Jason regularly judges award shows including Cannes Lions, Effies, NY Festivals, Loeries, Andy's, and Dubai Lynx (where he served as the president of the Branded Entertainment jury).
Jason is a 5th Dan Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and the proud father of teenage triplets.