JOHN CLARKE TO FEATURE AT SIRENS EVENTS

John Clarke will be the guest speaker at a breakfast in May to announce the winner of the year’s best Australian radio ad at the Siren Awards, and will also speak at a creative seminar following the breakfast.

Clarke, best known for the mockumentary, The Games and also his weekly mock interviews with Bryan Dawe on ABC TV’s The 7.30 Report, will talk about the inspiration behind his comedy and some of the barriers in writing from script to production. He will also talk about the similarities between advertising and entertainment and what advertising can learn from the entertainment industry.

The Sirens breakfast and Masterclass will also feature Australian comedy team and top-rating radio personalities, Hamish and Andy. They will discuss how they write observational comedy and connect with their under 40 audience.

The winner of the 2007 Siren Awards will be chosen from the winners and highly commended of the five rounds of the Awards and will be judged by the Siren Creative Council – comprising leading creative directors from national advertising agencies. The 2007 winner will be automatically entered into the Cannes Radio Lions – to be held in June and will also win two tickets to attend the festival.

The Masterclass will also feature Dr Rebecca Huntley, a researcher and author, who recently published a book, The World According to Y: Inside the New Adult Generation. Huntley will talk about Generation Y and how to engage them and will also be part of the panel. Cannes Radio Lions judge for this year and creator of the award-winning Australian radio brand campaign, Ralph van Dijk of Eardrum Australia, will also talk at the Masterclass and run several interactive sessions on how to write world-class radio ads.

Both the Sirens breakfast and Masterclass will be held at The Point, Albert Park in Melbourne. Commercial Radio Australia is running the event in association with the Melbourne Advertising and Design Club (MACD). The breakfast will run from 7.30am to 9.30am and the Masterclass will follow the breakfast and includes lunch. Tickets are on sale now at $395 for the breakfast and Masterclass combined and $60 for breakfast only. An early bird discounted rate of $350 is available for those members of Commercial Radio Australia and MADC who book and pay before Thursday April 5. For a booking form and more information visit the dedicated website www.sirenawards.com.au.