[JURY INTERVIEW] MAD STARS Is the Gym in Which You Build Creative Muscle!
- Interview with Ali Rez, chief creative officer of Impact BBDO
We talked with Ali Rez, chief creative officer of Impact BBDO, who was a final jury and speaker at last year's MAD STARS, as well as the executive Jury of the New Stars 2023!
He has an impressive list of awards, having won over 900 awards in 20 years at the world's major awards. He is also one of the world's most recognized creative leaders, having been named one of the 'Top 10 Creative Leaders in the World' and the 'NO.1 ECD in MENA and APAC' by marketing publication The Drum for the past two years.
Ali Rez spent a lot of time on the podium at the Awards ceremony for MAD STARS 2023 accepting just some of his agency’s huge haul of awards, Overall, the agency won 42 trophies, including 2 Grands Prix and 12 Golds, and was crowned ‘Agency of the Year’.
Impact BBDO’s full list of wins at MAD STARS 2023:
- Agency of the Year
- International Honorary Awards with AnNahar Newspaper
- 2 Grands Prix, 7 Gold, 1 Silver & 1 Bronze for Schoolgirl Newscasters for EBM
- 2 Gold, 3 Silver & 1 Crystal for Waxing Lady Tutorials for GharPar & Indus Hospital
- 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze & 2 Crystal for The Newspapers Inside the Newspaper Edition for AnNahar Newspaper
- 1 Gold, 1 Bronze & 2 Crystal for Shrine Saviors for Yokohama & Roads for Life
- 2 Silver & 5 Bronze for We Miss Lebanon for LBCI
- 1 Bronze for Cinema Crunch Hack for Lay’s
- 3 Crystal for Redress Lebanon for AnNahar Newspaper
- 2 Crystal for Hunger Insurance for Gamers for Snickers
Ali also presented his session,‘To Create Change, Change the Way You Create’, during the last year’s festival. The idea behind this session was that if one wants to create truly ground-breaking work that ushers in a new trend or starts a movement, focus not on the output, but on the process that leads to that output.
He talked about his conference. “Often the answers to a completely creative solution lie in the way we create things. This is true for work that takes on societal issues and seeks to bring change for the better, as much as it’s true for brands seeking an uplift in their communications and business success. If the input isn’t creative, most likely the result is going to be mediocre. This topic is even more pertinent in an age where we see conversations of Generative AI dominating discussions around the process of creation.”
In other words, if you want to create world-shattering creativity that starts a new trend or sparks a new movement, you need to focus on the process that leads to the outcome, not the outcome itself.
We sat down with Ali, one of the leaders driving innovation in the advertising industry, to talk about how to foster creative thinking, what makes a successful ad, and the role of awards like MAD STARS in the industry.
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Q. What does it mean to you and your agency to have so many wins art MAD STARS? How important do you feel awards and festivals are for the industry? What do they do?
A. It’s a fantastically big honor to have won the Agency of the Year two years in a row at MAD STARS. The caliber of work in this global show is superb, as are the jury members who select the work.
Awards and festivals are vital for the industry. It’s an old myth now that they serve the purpose of vanity alone. Instead, shows help us see where the industry is headed, and what good, effective work looks like. Award shows help build purpose in people who make the work and in brand owners who care about their brand. They inspire, motivate, and rally those who see great work and aspire to set new benchmarks.
The most valuable asset a client can ask of their agency is the creativity that the agency brings to the table. Award shows are the gym in which you build that creative muscle.
Q. Advertising has become a tough industry. What do you think are the keys to success right now?
A. It’s always been a tough industry, hasn’t it? Of course, the challenges keep changing shape, but at its core, it’s the same fundamentals: how does one keep creating new things?
‘How do we stay one step ahead? How do we attract and retain the talent that can generate that sort of creativity?’
The race for the Big Idea will always be relevant, and one of the keys to success is having the ability to crack it consistently. Another path to success is building a work environment that is creativity-focused.
Q. What would you say to creatives on the way up about how to make their work/ad great? How best to develop their creative thinking?
A. If you look at the true definition of creativity, whether in arts or sciences, it is always a reprocessing and 'Connecting the Dots' of several forms of input, or inspiration. In order to get to a place where your brain can come up with something radical, it must have something to feed on. What I always recommend is to fill your brain with as much as you can, especially with things that are outside advertising.
Never watched ballet? Go watch it right now. Read Vonnegut. Listen to Stravinsky. Learn about Zaha Hadid. Absorb Rothko.
Steve Jobs would never have offered fonts in the first Macintosh if he had not taken a calligraphy class in school, and it changed how we interact with computers forever. What we bring in from the outside, we reformulate to build something new.
Q. You were also a New Stars judge. What did you feel about the standard of work and the New Stars that attended?
A. This was a great jury to be on, one where we all learned a lot from the work and each other - and I must say, everybody on the jury was just amazing.
There was some terrific exploration and a lot of deep insightful strategic thinking in this category designed for younger creatives. The standard of work was high, especially considering the amount of time the teams had to put their work together. Some cases were crafted very well, while others had a very conceptual approach with local insights. The ones we picked to award had an all-round presentation: strategic thinking that addressed the brief, a sharp creative idea, and well executed.
Q. How important do you feel it is to promote and nurture new talent? Why?
A. It is essential to the industry. Not only from the perspective of making sure that new talent keeps up the high standards of what good communication and creativity are but also from a purpose-based point of view. There’s great learning in it too for those who mentor.
I’m often astounded and inspired by the playfulness and explorative methods used by newer talent that challenge age-old processes. Promoting and nurturing new talent is an absolute win-win for the creative industry.
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🌟 MAD STARS 2024: Call for Entries 🌟
Don't miss out on the chance to showcase your creativity and innovation on a global stage.
The 1st entry deadline is approaching fast—May 10th (KST) is less than a month away! 😯
As Ali Rez rightly suggests, why not seize this opportunity to unleash your creative potential and draw inspiration from innovative solutions worldwide?
And calling all professionals in marketing, advertising, public relations, ad tech, and related fields with 5 years of experience or less! Be sure to participate in the New Stars MAD Competition 2024!
This competition isn't just about winning—it's about connecting with fellow creatives worldwide, exchanging ideas, and receiving valuable feedback from industry experts. 🔥
And here's an exciting perk for the Gold winners: a workation in the stunning city of Busan, South Korea! 🏖️
Don't miss this chance to combine work 💻 and relaxation 🌊 in a picturesque seaside setting.
Ready to make your mark at MAD STARS 2024?
Submit your entry now: 👉🏻 https://bit.ly/3x4rjlZ
Apply for the 2024 New Stars MAD Competition: 👉🏻 https://bit.ly/3P7ch4X
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