TITANIUM AND INTEGRATED: Nick Worthington, executive creative director, Colenso BBDO.

Worthington began his career working at BBH London (1986-1996) under the watchful eye of John Hegarty, creating numerous celebrated campaigns including Levis Creek, Levis Drugstore, Polaroid and Boddingtons. He defected to AMV BBDO (1996-2003) working under David Abbott, where he worked on Wrangler, Dulux and Road Safety, continuing the award winning work with three Gold Lions for the ‘Two Things at Once’ Road Safety campaign.

In 2003 Nick joined Dave Droga at Publicis, taking a seat on the worldwide creative board and heading up Publicis Mojo New Zealand. Mojo became Agency of the Year in New Zealand, floating a pub to London for Speights, creating a short film festival for Schweppes and winning 15 lions.

After Droga’s departure from Publicis, Worthington returned to BBDO to help run Colenso in Auckland, where he continues to create more highly regarded work including the Yellow Tree House for Yellow Pages New Zealand. The agency was recognised as Agency of the Year in 2009 and Agency of the Decade in 2010.

MEDIA LIONS: Barry Williamson, media director, Mediaedge:cia

A 40-odd year ‘young’ veteran in the communications industry, Williamson has specialised in strategic media planning throughout most of his career, but has had considerable experience as group account director on brands such as Air New Zealand, Coca-Cola, Nestle, Gillette, Energizer and Heineken. He was national media director for McCann Erickson and Saatchi & Saatchi before joining the Bates Group as media director.

He then moved to the ‘dark side’, running the Bates Group media buying company, Media Decisions, which later became The Media Palace. He has been with Mediaedge:cia on a contract basis for four years and has recently taken over the media director reins in the Auckland office. In addition to his responsibilities with the Y&R Group, Williamson has been active within the industry, conceptualising and running the CAANZ Media Training Course for six years and currently judging convener of the CAANZ Media Awards. He was recognised by the industry in 2002 and 2006 for his efforts on behalf of the communications industry.

DIRECT LIONS: Vaughn Davis, creative director, Y&R

Davis signed on at Y&R as a writer in 2000. For most of the time since, his focus has been on retail and response-driven advertising that builds brands. His main role at Y&R is keeping the creative department well fed and happy, in order that they might continue to crank out astounding work for a stellar portfolio of clients. A regular speaker and writer on advertising issues and social media, he is a sometimes outspoken champion of hard-working advertising that does the business for the people who pay for it.

Outside work, Davis is a qualified marksman on the Browning 9mm pistol and holds an Air Transport Pilot’s Licence, both qualifications obtained in his previous life as an RNZAF pilot. Like all New Zealanders, he owns three sheep.

CYBER LIONS: Lachlan McPherson, executive creative director, Publicis Mojo

In his executive creative director role, McPherson is responsible for leading the agency’s creativity across all disciplines. His long relationship with the group started in 1994 when he was hired as creative director of Mojo’s Melbourne office. That same year he served as president of the Melbourne Art Directors’ Club.

After a stint working with Publicis Mojo Auckland in the late 1990s, he was impressed with New Zealand’s burgeoning creative industry and accepted the invitation to become the office’s creative director. In 2002, he was ranked New Zealand’s number one creative by Campaign Brief magazine. Shortly after, he was appointed executive creative director of Publicis Mojo Sydney and helped lead the agency to win a Gold Lion and become the AdNews Agency of the Year. In 2004, he returned to Auckland as a partner of Publicis Mojo New Zealand.

McPherson’s creativity has helped some of the world’s leading brands, including Coca Cola, Nestle, Toyota and Greenpeace. Judges at Cannes Lions have awarded him multiple Gold, Silver and Bronze Lions. His ‘Enjoy’ campaign for The Coca Cola Company has a chapter devoted to it in the book How Asia Advertises: The Most Successful Campaigns in Asia Pacific and the Marketing Strategies Behind Them. He is also founder of Publicis Loft, a project based agency designed to work in new ways by bringing marketers and creative people together.

RADIO LIONS: Chris Schofield, creative director, DraftFCB

Schofield is an advertising creative dedicated to the pursuit of original ideas, effective ads and happy clients. He has a diploma in advertising from AUT, and after completing the Axis Adschool gained experience at Colenso BBDO, Generator Bates and Saatchi & Saatchi before joining FCB in 2005. He has worked as a writer in advertising for six years and during that time he has worked on memorable, award winning and effective campaigns for a range of clients including Telecom T3G, CanWest TV3, Firestone Direct, DB Breweries, and Amnesty International.

Since joining DraftFCB in 2005 Schofield has travelled throughout the DraftFCB network assisting agencies in Japan and the US as well as landing a host of local and international awards for local clients.

PROMO LIONS: Guy Roberts, creative director, TBWA/Tequila

Roberts has worked in London, Australia and New Zealand in a career spanning 20 years and has won numerous international awards: Cannes, One Show, Clio, D&AD, Award, Adfest, Effie, Axis, and Media Spikes, with highlights being a double Grand Prix, D&AD and Grande Clio.

However, if asked he would have to say his greatest achievements to date are his three year old son Louie, his 11 month old daughter Isla and a 12.5 pound rainbow jack.

Sandra King, sales and marketing manager for Fairfax Media Group, the official media partner of the Cannes Lions, says the selected jurors represent the country’s leading talent.

“These New Zealand representatives will join an exclusive team of international industry heavyweights to determine the advertising campaigns that will be named the best in the world at Cannes in June. The selection process involves choosing the best in the business while weighing up a fair cross-section of representatives from agency groups and regions.”

And the selected jurors are:

MEDIA LIONS JURY: Barry Williamson, media director – Mediaedge:cia

DIRECT LIONS JURY: Vaughn Davis, creative director – Y&R

CYBER LIONS JURY: Lachlan McPherson, executive creative director – Publicis Mojo

RADIO LIONS JURY: Chris Schofield, creative director – Draft FCB

PROMO LIONS JURY: Guy Roberts, creative director – TBWA/Tequila

In addition, Nick Worthington, executive creative director at ColensoBBDO, was chosen as a member of the festival’s elite Titanium and Integrated Jury.

“It’s testament to the creative strength of the New Zealand advertising industry that we have representation on six of the twelve juries at the festival. We are one of the most awarded countries in the world for our size when it comes to advertising accolades and no doubt our performance at this year’s Cannes Lions festival will prove that once again,” says Ms King.

Entries are now open in all categories of the 57th Cannes Lions Advertising Festival. Entry forms can be completed online at www.canneslions.com

Deadlines:

Film, Film Craft, Outdoor and Press Lions Entries: 5 March 2010
Design, Direct, Media, PR, Promo & Activation and Radio Lions Entries: 12 March 2010
Cyber, Titanium and Integrated Lions Entries: 19 March 2010