Matthew Chen’s Creative LIAisons Diary #2: Welcome to Zombie-con… powered by coffee, Tylenol and sunglasses indoors
Art Director Matthew Chen is representing Australia at the 2025 Creative LIAisons program in Las Vegas, featuring some of the world’s most respected creative directors as speakers. Here, Chen reports exclusively for Campaign Brief.
Day 3 already!? Time to get judgey. Quietly sitting behind ten of the world’s best minds we watched as they dissected, debated and discussed who’s worthy of metal in the Evolution and Creative Use of Data category. A truly fascinating experience. Some moments of unanimous love for work and some moments of intense debates, deconstructing each piece and inspecting the creativity, the results, and how well they fit the category.
In the end, the deserving winners were decided and with some proud Aussie representation topping the category. Of course what better way to celebrate than with a party, Vegas style! Jurors, speakers and mentees all together, a chance to let loose and connect, and an open bar.
Day 4 we attended zombie-con, at least that’s what you may have thought seeing everyone filter in for a day full of seminars. Powered by coffee, Tylenol and sunglasses indoors, we took on as much as our foggy brains could handle. Hearing from experts discussing topics of “Creativity in gaming”, “The power of imposter syndrome”, “What is the playbook for next level ‘non-trad’ ideas?”, “Unleashing creativity from within” and “Make your case. How to create a winning award entry case film”.
Here are a few thoughts for your hopefully sober brains to ponder:
– Compared to categories like film and print, gaming is practically brand new and still being worked out, take advantage of that.
– You could be the first person to walk on the moon and still have imposter syndrome. Literally, he does.
– Non-tradition is a risk. Take it.
– Case studies are a craft, treat it like one.
And so another two days go past. One final day that is sure to be a big one. An early night is calling but not before a quick show at the one and only Sphere.
