MRM global CCO Ronald Ng named 2022 Creativity in the Metaverse and Evolution jury president
For the first time, LIA is bringing creativity in the Metaverse into an awards’ judging room. The metaverse is the space where real and virtual intersect, giving early adopters and consumers a more immersive experience with a brand. Ronald Ng, global chief creative officer of MRM, will be Jury President of Evolution and the inaugural Creativity in the Metaverse Jury.
Says Ng: “The future of The Metaverse is being written, and re-written every single minute. We’re all defining and shaping it, and have equal responsibility to ensure that it grows with breakthrough creativity. We’re looking to celebrate the beginnings of creative innovation in the metaverse and to inspire the future of this space and the unlimited creative potential it offers brands, businesses and the creative industry.
“When LIA President, Barbara Levy, asked me about introducing a category for the Metaverse, I must say that I wasn’t sure if we were ready for it. But the more we discussed it, the more people we asked, and most importantly seeing the work from brands, businesses, gaming companies, start-ups and agencies, we were both convinced that this needed to happen. After all, the role of an awards show isn’t just about recognizing work that has been done, but also to inspire the work of the future.
“So here we go. LIA is the first global awards show to recognize Creativity in the Metaverse, and I am honored to be the Jury President of the inaugural year. Judging work in this brand-new category is going to be an interesting adventure for our jury. There are no past winners to analyze or use as a benchmark. But let’s be honest. Just 18 months ago, few of us were talking about the Metaverse or Web 3.0. It’s like the new frontier – a work in progress, fun and speculative; but unlimited in potential.
“Much like the diverse work we’re hoping to see in this category, the Creativity in the Metaverse and Evolution jury consists of experts from a range of professional backgrounds including gaming, production, brand marketing, creative agencies, social media and entertainment. While I said what I said at the beginning of this introduction, now is the perfect time to introduce this category, and here’s why… Gaming is a peek into the Metaverse and there are 3 billion gamers globally, with people spending more time on Roblox than YouTube, Netflix and Facebook combined. As brands and businesses build relationships by putting people at the center of everything they create, I’d say that this category needs to happen right now.
“So, let’s do this. Your entries will help us shape the future of creativity in the Metaverse. And this is LIA, so the competition will be difficult and winning awards in this category will carry a great amount of prestige. Virtual or real, set in the future or present, there are timeless goals the big winners in this category should demonstrate:
Is the work core to the brand, business or platform?
Work in the metaverse should serve the goals of the brand, business or platform and the role they play in the lives of the existing or new audience.
If it’s not effective, it’s not creative.
Did the work work? How did people engage with it? What impact did it make?
Scale and longevity.
We expect to see many one-off activations, but the long-term experiences that create large or on-going engagements will merit extra consideration. The ‘Creativity in the Metaverse’ and ‘Evolution’ jury is looking forward to seeing your exciting work. Let’s build the future together.”
Says Barbara Levy, president: “The Metaverse is relatively unchartered space. But brands and agencies are already embracing it with new and creative ideas. As a show that celebrates creativity, we are excited to go where the bold have gone and to award creativity at the next level.
“We are very pleased to welcome Ronald Ng as our first Jury President for Creativity In The Metaverse. He is also chairing our Evolution competition. I know there will be a lot of discussions, debates and insights being exchanged in the room. In the final analysis, as always, the most groundbreaking work will rise to the top.”
Ronald Ng as Jury President, will be joined by these other highly recognizable names on the Creativity In The Metaverse and Evolution jury:
Joey David Tiempo, Founder / Chief Creative, Octopus&Whale, Manila
Naoki Ito, Co-Founder / Chief Creative Officer, PARTY, Tokyo
Waithera Kabiru, Head of Media Futures, Diageo/EABL, Nairobi
Kaleeta McDade, Global Executive Experience Director, Ogilvy
Rodrigo Moran, Global Head of Creative WhatsApp, Creative X / Meta
Carren O’Keefe, Executive Creative Director, AnalogFolk, Amsterdam
Dave Rolfe, Head of Production, WPP and Hogarth Worldwide, New York
Jimmy Smith, Chairman, CEO & CCO, Amusement Park Entertainment, Irvine
Wesley ter Haar, Founder / Executive Director, Media.Monks, Amsterdam
Lewis Tutssel, Head of EMEA Gaming, Creative Shop, Creative Shop at Meta, London
Jia Zheng, VP Creative Strategy, Activision Blizzard, Los Angeles
The entry system is now open. All entries that are submitted and finalized by 15th July, 2022 will enjoy a 25% discount on the standard entry fees.
Final Entry Deadline: Friday 2nd September
Judging in Las Vegas: 29th September – 7th October
Winners Announced: 8th November
For more information on the juries, visit our website at: www.liaawards.com.