Amy Weston’s Cannes Diary #2: “There are no free bronzes on this list”

Amy Weston, Executive Creative Director, Clemenger BBDO, is representing Australia on the Cannes Brand Experience & Activation Lions jury. As judging continues in Cannes, Weston shares her insights from day two inside the jury room, exclusive to CB.

When we walked into the room for Day 2, we all laughed at how simple the schedule looked.

9am–1pm: Bronze.

2pm–6pm: More Bronze.

By 9.02am we realised it was not going to be simple at all.

Every time we moved one piece of work forward, more than two others wouldn’t. Immediately, the stakes were higher and the debates much more specific.

We reread category descriptions. We re-watched case studies. We dug through supporting data. Searching for a hidden detail that justified something we felt in our gut.

What made the difference wasn’t always the biggest execution or the biggest result. Sometimes it was justifying why this was a role only this brand could play. Sometimes it was proving the way people participated. Sometimes it was realising this was a perspective or cultural insight we simply weren’t going to see elsewhere.

When we found the reason a piece of work deserved to move forward, the whole room celebrated.

And when someone came across the thing that meant it wouldn’t, the whole room felt that too.

It wasn’t simple. It wasn’t on schedule.

Around 1am, after approximately 16 hours of judging, consensus was finally reached.

There are no free bronzes on this list.

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