TAXI is proud to present the International ANDY Awards 2009: Daily Diary from Mexico series, with Carol Lam from TBWA\ CHINA Shanghai providing an exclusive chronicle of the ANDYs judging week, held in Cancun, Mexico from 18th-22nd February 2009. Part I: 18th February 2009 It feels just unreal. Six months ago, Mexico never came across my mind as my next travel destination. And my only ‘Mexican experience’ was Tequila, Nachos, and Frieda Kahlo. Thanks to Mark Waites and the ANDYs, I am brought all the way from China to Cancun. Sipping Margaritas, enjoying the caress of sunshine and warm breeze, I am expecting possibly the finest moments in my life – will Kahlo show me her spirit and some sort of creative enlightenment on her beloved homeland?

Of course I didn’t see Kahlo. Better still, I have the company of the finest creative brains on the planet. The biggest shots others would only see their names in the books. Prasoon, Jureeporn, Andrew Keller, Jose Molla, Mike Byrne, Susan Credle, Pete Favat, Mark Tutssel… and many more legendary figures in the industry. When a total of 20+ ‘legends’ become real in front of you, you just feel more unreal.

Unlike some other shows, the ANDYs adopt the same jury panel for all entries of all categories. That’s the exciting part to me. Voting is simple. It’s just a matter of number. But I wonder how a big group of 24 – and everyone’s got a strong mind and point of view – discuss and exchange ideas during the process. Would it be like Parliamentary/Congressional debates? Through the debates you would see the ‘real side’ of people. I’m very interested to find out in the next few days.

Every complication has a simple solution. The first day of judging is, though long, relatively simple. We divide and conquer. I am in the same group with Tutssel, Keller and Molla. We screen the work once, in random order. ‘IN’ and ‘OUT’. As simple as that. It’s a good idea to screen the work in random order. You will find the good ideas surface clearly regardless of categories or media used. Jewels shine obviously amongst the big load of entries.

Another observation is that the work is of wider variety than the shows I used to judge in Asia. You can tell which campaigns the agency is very confident about; they’re shot in multiple categories. But not to the extent of bombarding the judges in, literally, every single battle. This somehow reflects the sophistication of the entrants I guess. Deciding ‘IN’ and ‘OUT is hardly a left-brained thing. To me, if you need to find ‘reasons’ to get the work in, it’s not the one. You see it, you like it, you want to see it again. Then it’s ‘IN.’ It’s the emotional response that counts. And I’m going to refine my ‘emotion measure’ for the medalists in the coming few days.

Now it’s time for bed. Will Kahlo visit me in my dream tonight?

Part II: 19th February 2009

I’m writing this piece in between the judging sessions. Jose Molla and Andrew Keller are sitting next to me on either side. Jose is doing similar thing – tapping on his computer for his installment for a Spanish-language publication while scoring the work. A highly seasoned, talented, experienced (and good-looking!) juror like him is more than capable in multi-tasking, in every good sense. I’m fresh to the ANDYs, I need to be very focused. I can only write this during the coffee breaks.

Coming to the second day of judging, Congressional debates have not happened yet. The amount of short-listed work, though screened, is still overwhelming. We are given a little digital device to key-in individual scores. 5 for Gold. 4 for Silver. 3 for Bronze. 2 for Out. Yesterday it was more an intuitive decision – you like it, keep it in; you don’t like it, kick it out. Today I tend to be more thoughtful. Because every work put up today survives the previous test – someone in the group thinks it’s good enough to see again. That means something. It makes me rethink, especially when I see the work I kicked out before returns. I pay more attention to figure out what I missed. Diversified perspectives. Same goal. That’s the whole point of having a panel of various backgrounds and cultures.

During lunch break, I am at the same table with Mark Tutssel, Prasoon Joshi, Raul Cardos, and Mark Waites. We chat about the industry ‘ecology.’ Why more and more big brands tend to flirt with hot shops. The good and bad of being ‘Big’ and ‘Small.’ How the networks manage to be creatively strong despite the epic operation. How to create ‘sunshine’ so the flowers will blossoms by themselves. ‘West Coast’ –vs- ‘East Coast’ phenomenon. And the line of the day is:

‘You have to be exclusive because you want to be inclusive.’ ~ Prasoon Joshi.

Thanks to Prasoon. You make my day.

Part III: 20th February 2009

Energy. The paradox of energy. The more you hold it the more you lose it.

Sitting still is the most energy-consuming act in the world. Today we keep sitting for 9 hours scoring the remaining short-listed entries – all films and videos. Tiring indeed. Good thing is that I see more works that make me giggle and laugh. TV works are simple to judge. The feeling in your stomach tells. Integrated and interactive campaigns are tougher because it’s hardly an apple-to-apple comparison. That’s why we need the explanatory video to set the content in the context. Most videos are of high production quality.

Some are so well crafted that it’s a masterpiece in itself. But unless there is a category called ‘Best Entry Video,’ an extravagant video won’t guarantee the fortune of the work if it lacks a brilliant idea based on a profound insight. An event with some PR/ free media coverage plus an amazing number of page views on Facebook /YouTube is not good enough. Everybody’s got the same ingredients. Why is your campaign more powerful, more refreshing, more inspirational and more forward-looking than the others? It goes back to the basic – a great idea perfectly implemented that nobody did before. It’s a pity to see some work start off with a good idea but then buried by the same old mechanisms when it goes ‘integrated.’ They are nice and neat, and maybe highly effective; but unfortunately it’s a creative show that champions only disruptive ideas. Yes, it’s tough. It’s easier said than done. And that’s why the winner deserves all the glories.

Work aside, something about Mexico. Last night I finally had the chance to smell the ‘real’ Mexico. We all went to town for dinner. Dress code is ‘dressy casual’. It reminds me of the category titled ‘non-interactive interactive’… Ok, forget work for a minute. Raul Cardos, the good host of Mexico, gave me a micro lesson in ‘Tequila 101’. Now I know it’s made of big leaf plants called ‘octli’. And the spirit is named after the place it’s made, just like Cognac in France. ‘The thing mixed in your drink is…yuck!’ I was almost choked by my Margarita when Raul said this. ‘Tequila for mixed drinks contains a little percentage of octli which is nothing; the best genuine 100% octli Tequila must be drunk straight. It is just fantastic...’

Passion and pride shines on his face. One day if I win the ANDYs grand prix, I would certainly crack myself a bottle of 100% octli instead of champagne. Till then, one more Margarita please.


Part IV: 22nd February 2009

Smile. Giggle. Laugh. Tingled. Thrilled. Heart-pounding. Moved. Even eye-wetting.

If your work arouses any of these emotions, it stands a good chance to survive in the ANDYs. Just a chance. The brutal fact is that there is an ocean of work that reached this benchmark. Is a funny ad better than the one that makes people cry? What makes one a Gold and the other a Bronze?

Every juror has his own measure. I don’t know how others do it. I take it personal. Yes, I do. How do I feel, as a creative professional, when I see the work? Evil sentiments help. I adopt a three-scale measure: Envy. Jealousy. Intimidated.

Envy. I wish I did that. I wish I had worked harder. It’s a Bronze.

Jealousy. I start to hate the people who did it. I want to go back to work right away and give them a showdown. It’s a Silver.

Intimidated. I feel threatened. I know even if the clock ticked back and I put in my best effort I would not be able to surpass them. It’s a Gold.

Coming to the last day of judging, it’s not surprising that only a very few entries get on the final review list. A literal ‘short’ list for Gold, a longer for Silver and Bronze, and a even longer list for ‘In Contention’ which means the votes they get is just about to reach Bronze and worth re-considering in the final round of discussion.

For print work, only 20+ pieces are left on the table and some of them are actually the same ones shot for different categories. When I walked by Susan Credle she muttered ‘I feel like I was redundant for the past two days…. many of my favorites just disappear!’ I smiled. I feel the same. Many jurors feel the same. Some raised the question to Mark Waites ‘Can we call back some work?’ Mark stands firm. He explains ‘Those that failed to get on this table means their votes are way behind what they need. It reflects some truth. And if we start calling in, we’re opening a can of worms.’
It’s true. Then we start discussing the ‘survivors’ one by one, confirming the level of medals each should get across all categories. The principle is ‘only move up, not move down’. See, there’s mercy in here despite the toughness of the show. In fact, quite a number of pieces got moved up – some up to three ranks – after the enthusiastic speech of their biggest fan jurors.

Congressional debates heat up when it came to the finale – the GRANDY pick. After another round of anonymous voting, we are down to 4 contenders. The most voted 2 are absolutely tiered. We start to discuss what message the ANDYs should send to the world.
Communication is the solution to any problem – that’s the belief. Great ideas can make our world a better place to live; it can do much more than selling tons of burgers or beer (that’s just an example; please don't take this as a hint to the result).
Good causes should always be well recognized. But on the other hand, shall we award the idea rather than the intention in the show? While we’re thrilled by the impact of the idea for the social issue, we shouldn’t discriminate a great idea for a commercial cause.
Every juror expressed their opinions and preferences…. and then it comes to THE moment. And the winner is….

I wish I could tell you now, but I can’t. All I can say is that the ANDYs experience means a lot to me. A strong reminder that I have to work a lot harder - jealousy is not a good feeling indeed. I feel sorry for my team – they’re going to have a tough time when I get back to China.



Stay tuned for the next riveting installment of the ANDY Awards 2009: Daily Diary from Mexico series, proudly brought to you by TAXI, partner to the ANDYs.