Ahead of Cannes Lions Live 2021, we spoke to Kazuhiro Shimura, Creative Director at Dentsu Inc., about what he's looking forward to seeing as a juror for the the Creative Data category.
What are you looking for from winning work?
Cannes winners are likely to be the trends in the industry in the next few years. There are many signs of the future here. In the Creative Data category, which I judged, the competition is for creativity with data.
A few years ago, data was considered as a logical matter and unrelated to creativity. But now it is the key to realising unique ideas. I’m looking forward to seeing some amazing ideas on how to use data. And I think the more amazing they are, the more likely the creative industry will be involved with data in the future.
What are the main themes coming through in the work that you’ve seen?
I served on the Cannes Jury in 2017 and I’m amazed at how quickly things have changed since then.
We are still in the middle of the judging process but what surprised me was that very few entries were in the home advertising. The last time I judged was Digital Craft and at that time there was a lot of work that supported brand communications and promotion.
This time there were many entries regarding new initiatives, new products and new services. I think we are no longer advertising agencies but people that make innovation happen.
What is your favourite Cannes Lions moment from previous years?
I love meeting new people at Cannes and to be inspired with ideas and start new projects with these ideas. Unfortunately, this year’s event will be online but I hope that more people will be able to participate and that we can create such a place in the new way.
What are your hopes for the future of the Cannes Lions?
I hope it continues to be a place where we can find new ideas for our industry and where we can find the direction we need to move forwards.