Jury Insider: Cannes Craft With Devon Hong
After a COVID-induced two-year hiatus, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is back in full force. Festival organizers report receiving 25,464 entries this year from 87 countries—with 538 jurors tapped to evaluate the work.
We caught up with Dentsu Creative ECD Devon Hong to hear about his first time judging at Cannes for the Industry Craft category. Read on for a quick Q A into what resonated with Devon, how he approaches objectivity in a group judging setting, entry pet peeves and more.
Q: How do you define compelling craft? What resonates most with you about the work?
Devon: Craft, for me, is about finding a near-perfect execution of an idea. And perfection isn’t necessarily about laborious detailed work. Rather, it’s about finesse and confidence and a point of view. Some of the best work this year was deceivingly simple. A home run is often something that sears an impression on my mind—and craft has the power to do that.
Q: Any things you wish agencies would stop doing in case studies or entry write-ups?
Devon: I have to say, case studies these days are pretty spectacular. Truly an art form unto itself. The ones this year at Cannes have been stellar.
If I had one pet peeve, it would be the over dramatization of the problem or the solution. Sometimes, you’ll see cases pointing to a problem that isn’t really a problem for the sake of adding tension. Or, some position their solution as the cure-all to a big societal problem. I look for honesty in the presentation and try to look through all the bells and whistles.
Q: What’s missing in how agencies tell stories of the work?
Devon: I personally love seeing a case study where the idea is so good, you don’t need VO at all. Using earned media responses to describe your idea is so much more compelling.
I’ll be honest, I don’t think I’m all that great at case studies; I’ve been learning a lot from my colleagues. One thing I learned is to write a case study for the idea early on. Not only will you be able to pinpoint the most compelling parts of the idea, but you’ll also discover the desired response you want from your audience. This step in the process is incredibly helpful to get to a great idea.
Q: What gives you pause or sense that work lacks authenticity?
Devon: Entries that are execution heavy and concept light don’t usually get high marks from me. Some work heavily relies on extensive photoshop skills or elaborate illustrations to score high—and I don’t buy it. It feels old-fashioned and navel-gazing. Craft needs to have meaning, otherwise it’s just “effort.”
Q: Why’d you want to be a juror? What excites you the most about this opportunity to evaluate work from all over the world?
Devon: Honestly, it’s 100% selfish. I just want to learn from others. The way they judge something inspires me. The exposure to all these case studies makes my ears perk up. When I’m judging, I feel like anything is possible.
Q: Any advice for how to approach work objectively while also evaluating in a group setting?
Devon: As a judge, you’re being asked for your opinion—for which I have many. The great thing about being in a group setting is having the opportunity to see the same work from someone else’s POV. That added context can change the way I look at a piece of work and make me check my bias. Ultimately, I take everything into consideration as I make my final decisions.
Questions For You
What do you think this year’s shortlists and winners say about the global benchmark for excellence in creativity and effectiveness? Any category shocks or snubs? Is craft evaluated irrespective of creative effectiveness worthy of celebration?
Share your thoughts in comments. If you have other judging questions, drop them here—and we’ll work to get answers.