Cannes Lions has announced Jury Presidents for the two categories at the center of the new Lions Innovation festival. Y&R’s Global Chief Executive Officer David Sable will lead the first ever Creative Data Lions while R/GA Global Chief Creative Officer Nick Law will head the expanded Innovation Lions.
“The significant planning and consultation which has gone into category development for Lions Innovation demanded equally careful consideration of who would lead judging. In David and Nick we have the epitome of acknowledged, awarded industry innovators and our juries could be in no better hands,” said Cannes Lions Chairman Terry Savage.
Sable, whose career with Y&R spans almost 40 years, is recognized as an early digital entrepreneur and passionate advocate for storytelling.
“The smart use of data illuminates, enlightens and informs. It helps create. It is not about aggregating numbers – it’s about understanding people. So, when we judge (Creative Data Lions) entries, we will look for a meaningful correlation between the data and its ultimate creative expression. This is going to be an exciting expedition to uncharted ground,” said Sable on data as a tool to balance creativity and innovation.
For over a decade, Law has led development of many of R/GA’s most innovative and Lion-winning projects including Nike+ running, Nike+ FuelBand and Beats Music for Beats by Dre.
“Today, thanks to the power and pace of change, we can apply creativity to the technology itself. The Innovation Lions will recognize people at the vanguard of this golden age of possibilities; people whose inventive spirit is changing the world and redefining what it means to have a game-changing idea,” said Law when asked for his view on the role of technology to the industry.
The awards will showcase the relationship between technology, data and ideas.
“As the home of creativity, we need to explore what the future of that creativity will look like through a dedicated festival like Lions Innovation. But with the Creative Data Lions and Innovation Lions we are celebrating the ground-breaking work which is already leading the charge,” said Cannes Lions Chairman Terry Savage.
Entries to the Creative Data and Innovation Lions will open 22 January 2015.
