"Talent exists but we need to work on presentation" - Meenakshi Madhvani, jury member <u>Cannes Special!</u>

Despite a gruelling schedule, Madhvani took time out to speak to Viveat Suasn Pinto agencyfaqs! at the fag end of yesterday. Excerpts from the interview

Judging for the Media Lions 2003 was completed yesterday and out of the 22 Lions finally awarded, the Grand Prix went to US-based Fallon for its entry tilted ‘Archipelago' - "a solution to create a media signature announcing the opening of the stock exchange for daily trading", says Meenakshi Madhvani, one of the jurors on the 17-member panel (including the President of the jury).

Despite a gruelling schedule, Madhvani took time out to speak to Viveat Susan Pinto agencyfaqs! at the fag end of yesterday. Excerpts from the interview.

Q: As a jury member, what are your views on the entries submitted as well as the final winners?

A: Selecting winners wasn't easy at all. There was a lot of good work on hand. Out of the 22 winners, Fallon's ‘Archipelago' bagged the Grand Prix based on a combination of good insight, strategy and outstanding media involvement.

What was heartening for us jurors was the fact that no one country dominated the show in terms of the quality of work. Whether from Japan, Portugal, Brazil or India, the quality of work was pretty uniform. In other words, there was a universality of concepts and approaches linked to the media discipline rather than the country or culture of origin.

There was also a very wide representation of winners from across the globe. New Zealand and South Africa each had three winning entries, while Singapore, Japan, Korea, Denmark, Austria and Portugal had one entry each on the winning list.

Q: But India had merely three shortlisted entries that did not even make it to the final list…

A: I don't think we are lagging behind in terms of the quality of ideas. No way. However, the areas we need to concentrate on are the quantum of entries and the packaging and presentation of concepts. There were more than 700 entries we were looking at and you need to have the idea presented in a concise, interesting fashion to stand out in the first round of judging, the shortlist and finally in the winning list. Talent definitely exists in us but we need to work on presentation, besides of course, increasing the number of entries.

Q: Submitting entries to Cannes is an expensive affair…

A: Yes it is. But if media agencies understand the prestige value of winning a Cannes Lion, the quantum of entries will automatically increase. You also need to bear in mind that the Media Lions were instituted just four years ago while the Advertising Festival is into its fiftieth year. I know for sure that entries have been coming from India since the last two years. We have come a long way. We'll definitely move forward.

Q: So you see hope for India in the subsequent years?

A: Oh yes I do.

Q: Considering that the jury was sitting through more than 700 entries, was the task very complex?

A: Unlike the creative jury, the task of the media jury is more complex in the sense you are constantly grappling with various things - whether you are reacting to the creative concept or to the media execution/strategy. Essentially, however, we took a collective decision focusing on the fact that if the media has added value to the creative or if the media has made a fundamental contribution to the impact of the idea - besides the media solution being original - then the entry deserves consideration. I must add that it was wonderful to be on the jury because members were from different parts of the world. Hence you were looking at work leaving aside your cultural differences. © 2003 agencyfaqs!