As part of our special series of interviews with Indian jurors at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2016, we talk to Josy Paul, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India, who is judging the Glass Lions category, in which his agency bagged the Grand Prix and a Gold Lion last year
Q] You were the big winner in the inaugural year of the Glass Lions last year, winning a Grand Prix and a Gold. Tell us about your approach to the jury process for the Glass Lions this year.
The Glass Lion jury hasn’t yet met; we all are going to meet in Cannes. There has been a general discussion and we are going to follow the points made. The important thing about the Glass Lions is that it looks at ideas - mainstream ideas that break stereotypes in society, be it about gender inequality or any other issue related to women, or any kind of insensitivity. It is exciting because it’s about the impact of the idea, about the issue itself. It’s about the influence of that idea, the inspiration of that idea.
Q] What are the qualities you would look for in the entries that you judge?
At a personal level, I’d look at the five ‘I’s I mentioned - Issue, Idea, Impact, Influence and Inspiration. Perhaps some measurable results. We haven’t yet finalized the criteria, but these thoughts cross my mind. I am not the official spokesman for the Glass Lions. I am a jury member. So, when I go there, this will be my contribution to the discussion. Of course, the final say is the jury president’s, depending on how the other members feel.
Q] What are the trends you see in the area of gender sensitive advertising that should reflect in the Glass Lions judging process?
I think there is a lot of diversity in the way people are looking at the whole gender sensitive subject. There are so many brands in the country today that are touching on subtle expressions of insensitivity or need for sensitivity. Some brands are extremely progressive, I would say, and fun as well - not everything has to be deadly serious. There seems to be more and more of it happening. It’s almost like one brand does it, inspires the next brand to do it, it inspires three more brands to do it, which in turn inspire 10 more brands to do it, so it feels like this effect is cascading pretty well. It’s seen across the world.
Q] The Glass Lions jury will be presented with a mix of cultural nuances… you wouldn’t even know what some of those issues faced by people in other countries are…
Yes, that’s the real excitement about being on this jury… it’s a form of discovery... That’s what happened last year, from what I hear, that there are issues and there are issues, but everyone was quite moved by this particular thing of ‘you can’t touch the pickle’. It’s in places like this that there is a cultural exchange and that makes you less of a judge and more of a pilgrim, and that’s what makes me excited about being on the Glass Lions jury. I am going there as a cultural ambassador for the country and to learn about other cultural nuances; therefore, I will come out richer.
Q] Overall, what are India’s prospects this time, across categories at Cannes? What is the kind of advertising that has caught your eye? What is the kind of advertising that will win…
India is always a crouching tiger. There is always something that comes out of the blue… The Cannes jury selection is fairly diverse. You have people not just from China, India, the US, UK, etc., but from smaller countries as well. You can never tell what is the mood or mindset or consciousness of that group until that group comes together. It represents the state of mind of a collective of nations. It depends on what the jury is going through at that time through their own countries, their emotional fusion. And it’s a beautiful thing, because it’s not about winning, it’s about representing that time. That piece ofwork, therefore, is about that time. It says that at that time, 200 nations felt the same way about it, which is brilliant and truly universal.
Interviewed by SRABANA LAHIRI
srabana@exchange4media.com
