Cheryl

Cheryl BermanTitanium Lions jury memberChairman, chief creative officer Leo BurnettFriday, June 24: There were only 10 of us on the Titanium jury, so we could be quicker, more efficient, more honest. It felt more like a SWAT team than the United Nations delegation many juries tend to turn into. We could actually get to know each other a bit, and we all noticed when Bob Greenberg fell asleep, or at least pretended to. Although, Bob asleep is probably smarter and more in touch than 90 percent of the people who claim to be awake in our industry. In many ways, we behaved exactly like your typical consumer. We tuned out the tedious, the boring and the trite. We were turned off by big, chest-beating claims and statistics that, after awhile, it seemed anyone could fabricate. We were bored by the overuse of the corporate "we" and came to detest slick advertisements that used trendy music to fill in for the lack of an idea. We were all inspired by simple ideas that could actually change the way we engage with consumers. These ideas did not surface frequently, but when they did we collectively breathed a sigh of relief and remembered why we were actually here and why the Titanium jury was formed.As the days passed, we came to realize our responsibility, and we felt privileged because we knew we were actually paving the way for the future, a future where countless categories that incessantly irritate us on award night would eventually become obsolete. We felt, in the future, everyone would be competing for Titanium Lions, or whatever the award of the future would be called. We definitely agreed the time would come when the categories, the channels, would become irrelevant, and we would simply be rewarding inspirational ideas that point the way forward. We would be giving awards to the delightfully surprising, "never been done before" stuff. Inspirational would be key, not integrated, which is the title our jury had been stamped with. We knew the term "integrated" would actually become antiquated. It was merely a means to an end. And in the end, what the Titanium jury awarded was hope for the future, a way to redefine our business, and new ways to engage people. But of course, as is the case with any jury, we wanted it all—the big idea, the brilliant execution and the flawless crafting. And all that would immediately limit what was deserving of a Titanium Lion. But lucky us. We had the brilliance and passion of Jeff Goodby, an industry icon, for our leader. We had the pros, renowned experts in different disciplines from all over the world. And we had only 133 entries, so we finished Thursday afternoon. Brilliant.

Brand Marketing

Cheryl

Adweek Staff

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