2024 Campaign Big Global Awards judges talk AI, economic challenges and the 'jealousy barometer'

In their first year, Campaign’s Big Global Awards will run across four continents, providing a global arena where agencies’ most consistently creative work will be recognised. 

 

For those shortlisted and the award winners, the potential for global exposure is massive: there are almost 1.2 million unique monthly users for Campaign’s UK, US and Asia editions combined. 

 

The Campaign Big Global Awards include 25 categories, allowing judges to shine a light on the very best across the industry, large and small. Entries for these inaugural awards are now open, and the deadline for entries is 19 October. The shortlist is set to be announced in December. 

 

Chaired by Liz Taylor, Ogilvy’s global chief creative officer, our judging panel is made up of a diverse range of the best creatives from around the world.

 

Two of Campaign’s Big Global Award judges share their hopes and fears for the industry on a global basis. 

 

Atiya Zaidi, chief executive and chief creative officer, BBDO Pakistan

 

Q. What will be the biggest opportunities and challenges for global marketers and their agencies in 2024, and how will they affect brands?

 

The biggest opportunities for the global markets will be to take advantage of AI and how it shapes the landscape. This opportunity also comes with the challenge of remaining distinct, as everyone learns the ropes of AI-generated content and creates similar content.

 

AI is also learning from us all the time, and in a business where confidentiality remains essential, the lines between confidential and public knowledge are blurring. 

 

Q. Over the past year, what trends have you seen in the industry that you think will be most pivotal in your region?

 

Purpose-driven work remains the biggest trend in my region. How can we solve societal and cultural problems, while simultaneously solving brand and business problems?

 

Secondly, recession and inflation are one of the top concerns for businesses, and the trend of creating value as volume goes down will be the difference between victory and defeat.

 

Economic woes and an ever-shrinking pie of dispensable income will require a shift in brand target audience strategies as consumers will downsize their purchases.

 

Brand loyalty comes into question when consumers are not clear on the distinction between one brand and the next. In such scenarios, brands need to rethink and realign their marketing spends and strategies. Silence from any brand in time of recession means that you will be forgotten. 

 

Q. What are you most looking forward to about judging Campaign’s Big Global Awards and, as a judge, what are you looking for in the work?

 

I call it the jealousy barometer. As a creative who now heads the business in a tough market; the creative work that was effective for the business and evokes a “why-didn’t-I- think-of-that?” response is what attracts me the most to Campaign’s Big Global Awards.

 

The jealousy barometer has a side apparatus called the client’s bravery thermometer. How did they get this idea approved and made to see the light of day? I am eager to immerse myself in the submitted work with awe and wonder.

 

Q. How do you feel the awards will benefit the agencies taking part?

 

To me, awards are essential to any creative business. Why would you play football if you don’t want to win the World Cup? Being the best, in whichever field you belong to, separates mediocre from the masters.

 

Awards provide a direct benefit to agencies and clients alike. It’s not just a trophy that one wins, it’s the testament of being the best. 

 

Brian Leong, executive creative director, Publicis Sapient Shanghai

 

Q. What will be the biggest opportunities and challenges for global marketers and their agencies in 2024, and how will they affect brands?

 

AI is not only a big opportunity, but also a big challenge. The opportunity is clearly evident in its ability to create and facilitate imagination.

 

In brainstorms, as presentation visual aids, accelerating the turnaround on a pitch brief, its potential to meet short timelines with greater level of craft is definitely there. It’s why agencies across the globe are hiring specialists, developing their own, integrating AI into how current teams work. 

 

The challenge comes when a default to answer the issues of timeline/craft becomes “can’t we just use AI?” This ignores the learning curve needed with AI. The time to learn it, the added time it takes to practice and perfect it for our work. 

 

As it is still a new tool in our arsenal, AI needs learning and practise from the teams that use it.  

 

Q. Over the past year, what trends have you seen in the industry that you think will be most pivotal in your region?

 

There are a lot of work-related trends, like AI, experiential events, brand collaborations, which will be pivotal in an increasingly challenging market, where people are buying less and less, while our clients are judged on sales. 

 

But perhaps it’s now more important to focus on a trend that has an impact on our people. We should care about them as much the work they produce.

 

A trend I have noticed with my people is their new focus on personal health, family time, over the job at hand. As a leader of young fresh-grad creatives to older head-of-family creatives, this trend crosses generational mindsets and the talent grab and motivation tactics, that leaders use need to work harder and differently than before.

 

The empathy we show to our people needs to be authentic and real to create environments that truly care about the welfare of people.

 

Q. What are you most looking forward to about judging Campaign’s Big Global Awards, and as a judge, what are you looking for in the work?

 

I’m looking for work that surprises; a feeling of “been there but never seen that”. Work that is local, but also crosses borders, so ideas that are very local, but can touch people from around the world.

 

I am also looking for work that does something good for society, or even just helps one person.

 

Q. How do you feel the awards will benefit the agencies taking part?

 

I think Campaign’s Big Global Awards will put agencies on a new level within their local market, a level that new clients and new talents will see. It will show they have the experience and environment to deliver great work with consistency, across time, across brands. 

 

It is not just a benefit to agencies, but creatives should also push to take part, to get their names read in the UK and US and across Asian markets.

 

Agencies can enter Campaign’s Big Global Awards here. The winners will be revealed in February 2024.