Burnett's Pops on AdFest 2011 jury; to judge outdoor yet again

This 14th Asia Pacific Advertising Festival will be held at the Mövenpick Resort & Spa, Karon Beach, in Phuket, Thailand; the dates have been set for March 17, 18 and 19, 2011.

Leo Burnett's national creative director, KV Sridhar, better known as Pops, has been invited to judge at the Asia Pacific Advertising Festival (AdFest) 2011. He will judge entries battling for the Outdoor Lotus 2011.

This 14th Asia Pacific Advertising Festival will be held at the Mövenpick Resort & Spa, Karon Beach, in Phuket, Thailand. The dates have been set for March 17, 18 and 19, 2011.

Burnett's Pops on AdFest 2011 jury; to judge outdoor yet again

This is the second time Pops will be on the AdFest jury, for the very same category. He was called upon to judge entries in the outdoor category back in 2006. At the time, the event was held in Pattaya, Thailand, from March 9-11. David Nobey, executive creative director, Saatchi & Saatchi, Sydney, was the chairman that year.

Washington Olivetto, chairman of WMcCann, and chief creative officer of McCann Worldgroup, Latin America and Caribbean, will be the grand jury president this year. Sheung Yan Lo, executive creative director, North East Asia and chairman, China, JWT, has been appointed as jury president for the Outdoor Lotus 2011.

So, what is Pops expecting in the outdoor category this time? He says, "The outdoor medium has become a lot more innovative and interesting in recent times. I am expecting a lot of interactive and engaging innovations." He attributes this dynamism in the outdoor arena, in part, to the recent spurt in technology.

"This medium has become very dynamic of late, and this year I am expecting the entries to take things to the next level" says Pops. Will the competition be tough? "As a jury member, I'm going to see whether each innovation is relevant to the consumer, whether the idea connects with the people, simplicity of the message, freshness and originality of the idea, fit between the idea and the concerned brand, and whether or not one would want to see the advertisement again and again."

Above all, he is looking for the 'enjoyment quotient' in the entries that come his way.

For the record, Pops has been a jury member at many an award show in the past. Just last year, he was part of the jury at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival where he judged the Press Lions. The category was headed by jury president, Mark Tutssel, global chief creative officer, Leo Burnett Worldwide.

In 2009, Pops was on the TV cinema jury panel for the New York Festivals (NYF).

In 2008, Pops was on the jury panel of the London International Awards (LIA) and judged the Integrated Media and Television and Cinema category. Bill Bruce, chairman and chief creative officer, BBDO New York, was the jury president for this segment of awards that year, while Pops found Indian company in the form of Raj Kurup, chairman and chief creative officer, Creativeland Asia and Santosh 'Paddy' Padhi, chief creative officer and co-founder, TapRoot India (then executive creative director, Leo Burnett) on the panel.

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