Agencies are reminded that the deadline for campaign entries for this year’s Sharks creative festival in Kinsale is August 8. The festival is a showcase for the world’s top creative campaigns and attracts some of the best exponents in advertising, film, design and digital communications. Media agencies are invited to submit award entries in eight categories, including return on investment and best targeted work.
Chairing this year’s print jury and hosting a masterclass in art direction is Alex Taylor. As well as being one classy lady – resembling a thespian straight off the Mad Men set – Taylor’s talent has seen her clock up 200 entries in the coveted D&AD awards, bagging four Yellow Pencils. She’s held top-notch agency positions, not least joint creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi.
Taylor will encourage delegates to produce advertising ideas through inventive art direction.
A talk by British radio expert Paul Burke (above) in Kinsale Yacht Club on how to write radio ads with the wow! factor was one of the highlights last year. Burke presented a wonderfully insightful and witty talk on the medium often dubbed ‘the theatre of the mind’. Problem was, Burke’s talk was too short and so he returns this year to present an extended workshop.
The awards show in Acton’s Hotel marks the climax of the festival. Last year, Sweden took home the grand prix for Volvo Trucks by Gothenburg-based agency Forsman & Bodenfors. In the ad, pop culture hero Jean-Claude Damme does his famous splits between two reversing trucks accompanied by Enya’s haunting ‘Only Time’ track.
The Young Sharks will again highlight up-and-coming creative talent.
As Jack Nicholson says in The Shining, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. Apart from the more serious task of attending workshops and getting up to speed on award-winning ads, Kinsale is a great place to network and have fun. As Ireland’s gourmet capital, the town and its environs has more fine restaurants and watering holes than one can fathom.
Details on delegate fees are available online at www.kinsalesharks.com
The Sharks festival gets underway on Thursday, September 10 and runs for three days.
Marketing.ie is a media partner.
