Spikes Asia 2013: The next stage of creativity

As it enters its fourth year, the Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity promises to bring together the brightest creative minds in the region for three days of inspiration and relationship building.

The event sets out to recognise the best works from Asia across more than 16 categories. In addition to the awards, which have been running for 27 years, a series of top-level seminars and workshops will give delegates an insight into where the hands have come on the creative clock.

This year sees the introduction of two new academies alongside the Young Creative Academy and the Young Marketers Academy: the Young Media Agency Academy and the Young Account Executive Academy. There is a new competition for students, who are invited to create a poster in response to a brief from UNICEF. Also new this year will be the Production Zone, where production companies can showcase, inspire and network with delegates from across Asia-Pacific.

Spikes Asia is a collaboration between Cannes Lions and Haymarket. For full details of the festival and awards, please visit www.spikes.asia.

KEY EVENTS

KEY SPEAKERS

Rei Inamoto CCO/VP, AKQA Rei Inamoto is one of the most influential people in the marketing and creative industry. With broad international experience in Asia, Europe and the US, as well as an unusual combination of backgrounds in advertising, design and technology, Rei brings a unique perspective to his work. Inamoto is responsible for the agency’s creative vision in the US and Asia, delivering creative solutions for clients such as Google, Nike, Xbox and Verizon Wireless. In addition, he leads the agency’s fast-growing New York office, overseeing all departments, including creative, technology, production, strategy and client services. Originally from Tokyo, he spent his childhood and teenage years in Japan and Europe.

John Mescall ECD, McCann Worldgroup Australia The man behind the celebrated ‘Dumb ways to die’ work for Metro Trains, John Mescall, has held his position since October 2011. Under his creative leadership, McCann has become one of Australia’s most awarded agencies. Prior to joining McCann Worldgroup, Mescall was ECD and partner at Smart, one of the most successful and progressive independent agencies in Australia. As both a writer and creative director, he has won awards at all the major shows including Cannes Lions. His work has also been featured in the TED Ads Worth Spreading initiative, the only Australian work to be selected.

Morihiko Hasebe ECD, Hakuhodo Born and raised in Tokyo, Morihiko Hasebe started out as a copywriter with Hakuhodo in 1986. Driven by a passion to communicate, he undertook all sorts of tiny jobs with creative freedom. He also produced big campaigns that reached millions. Before he knew it, he was a veteran of 20 years, with many international and domestic awards under his belt. His passion for great advertising continues. He has sat on the jury at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, among other prestigious shows.

Tony Hertz Hertz Radio Tony Hertz’s passion for radio has spanned 40 years, three continents and careers as copywriter, international agency CD and boss of two highly awarded radio specialist companies. Over the past 10 years, Hertz has become well known for his highly acclaimed creative radio seminars and workshops, which he has taken to 36 countries. They have been featured at Cannes Lions and Dubai Lynx among other events. He has also twice been on the Cannes Lions radio jury. In June 2012, Hertz relocated to Manila, where his first radio production won a Cannes Silver Lion.

Sheung Yan Lo Chairman, Asia Pacific Creative Council, JWT Sheung Yan Lo has come a long way since joining JWT in 1996. He has helped the agency garner prestigious regional and global awards, including being named Agency of the Year by Campaign Asia-Pacific in 2011. He is also credited with helping China bring home its first Grand Prix from Cannes in the same year. Lo has a keen interest in the theatre and song writing. He has written lyrics for Asian pop songs and musicals and is a member of the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong.

David Nutter Television pilot director Fresh from directing the much-hyped Game of Thrones ‘The Red Wedding’, this year’s ‘DDB Presents…’ speaker, David Nutter will share the secrets behind developing, directing and producing successful TV pilots and identifying material that connects with people. Nutter has directed 16 TV pilots, all of which have been ordered to series—an unrivalled run that has lent him the name the ‘Pilot Whisperer’. His résumé includes multiple episodes of The X-Files, Homeland, The West Wing, ER, The Sopranos, Band of Brothers and Entourage.

Tham Khai Meng Worldwide CCO & Chairman, Worldwide Creative Council, Ogilvy & Mather After stints at Leo Burnett London and Batey Ads, Tham Khai Meng joined Ogilvy & Mather Asia-Pacific in 2000 as regional creative director and co-chairman. This year, he led Ogilvy to win Network of the Year at Cannes for the second year running. The network took home 155 Lions, including four Grands Prix. After a lifetime fighting fires in the creative department (and setting a few, too), Tham now lives in a former 19th century firehouse in New York City.

Tony Wright Global chairman, Lowe and Partners Named by Campaign magazine as one of the five best planners in the world, and inducted into the Advertising Hall of Achievement by the American Advertising Federation in 2001, Tony Wright’s unique talent for brand-building has been recognised on both sides of the Atlantic. He was the architect behind the rebranding of Europe’s largest company, British Petroleum, into BP—Beyond Petroleum. He has also worked at Chiat Day, where he is credited as the force behind the famous ‘Energizer Bunny’ campaign.

The article first appeared on www.campaignasia.com