Nigel Dawson’s Cannes Diary: Day Four
Nigel Dawson, ECD at Grey Melbourne is Australia’s representative on the Cannes Lions Press jury. Dawson, along with most of the Australian and NZ jurors, is of course reporting exclusively for CB.
Back to the track for the final. But first we warm up with the Young Lions. It’s incredible what those cubs can produce in 24 hours, albeit wrongly in many cases. Turns out the winner was in the year below my son at school. Ain’t old age wonderful!
After four days one develops a close relationship with the work. At first meeting there is an elusive something that strikes you, be it a superficial beauty or apparent intelligence. But as you meet again over the days one gets more involved, uncovers new traits, and even wakes up in the morning thinking about it. And in a few cases it inexorably turns into love.
Others are evidently equally beguiled. 460 times Rhys, our matchmaker, asks “is it Gold? Silver? Bronze? My beloveds appear to have many admirers. Meanwhile the others are thrown back on the streets.
I came to this judging looking for emotion, work that touched me somewhere. And today I find that it is possible to influence others to feel the same way. Several times I get work imbued with humanity brought back and occasionally upgraded. We have to judge as humans as well as creatives. It’s an implant influence that I feel balances the portfolio of winners.
By day’s end we have our winners. With one exception I reckon we’ve got it spot on. Of course craft rears its beautiful head and is rewarded, perhaps excessively. But then it is judged on looks, not personality.
Deciding the one entry we want to live with for the year to come takes an inordinate amount of time, even though practically everybody has fallen in love with the same piece that has arrogantly barged through and said “Reject me if you dare”. Undoubtedly it will cause ructions.
But I’ve made my choice and look forward to a tempestuous relationship, albeit one shared with 17 people who have become good friends.