AdFest jury leader Victor Ng says outdoor advertising defies categorisation

Victor Ng said he was impressed with the quality of this year’s entries in the Outdoor Lotus category.

“What I found really interesting was how diverse the work in the Outdoor category is. The category has almost evolved into something that defies categorization,” said Ng, who was Jury President for Outdoor at the AdFest 2010 Lotus Awards judging in Tokyo last week.

Ng, the former Chief Creative Officer at Euro RSCG in South East Asia and Singapore, began his career at Leo Burnett Singapore in 2000. In 2006, he moved to Mother London, working on Miller, Orange and Boots, before joining Euro RSCG in 2008.

In the following interview, Ng shares his views on Outdoor trends in Asia…

How is Outdoor advertising evolving in this region?

“I think it’s growing by leaps and bounds. We’re seeing a true evolution of great Outdoor ideas thanks to the growth of technology. In terms of video projections, image recognition – these kinds of new technologies have really opened up so many possibilities for agency guys to take their Outdoor ideas to a different dimension altogether.

“Having said that, I think the trap for creatives is not to become completely dependent on technology, because award-winning work always has to be centered around great ideas. There is always a chance to marry both. I look back at ‘Melody Road’ last year [by Dentsu Razorfish] as a great example of how a simple idea can be so fresh.”

How did you pick this year’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Outdoor Lotus winners?

“Before we began judging I told the other judges that the important thing we’re doing here in Tokyo isn’t to decide the winners, it should also be to direct next year’s winners. Essentially we’re sending a message to the rest of the industry about the progression and the direction of this category. When all is said and done, we wanted to be able to say, ‘These are the few shining examples of creativity that will lead the industry into 2011.’

“Agencies are really being a lot more mindful about the strategic insights of an Outdoor idea, so it’s no longer about ‘Hey let’s vandalize this street’, it’s more about asking, ‘Why are we doing what we’re doing in terms of results and effectiveness?’ It just shows this sector is maturing and I think that’s really encouraging.”

Did your Jury nominate many contenders for the Lotus Roots award?

“Based on my understanding of Lotus Roots, this award is really about ideas that are deeply entrenched in local cultural insights. There are a few examples we saw that are very compelling ideas rooted in local culture. Certain insights – if you took the idea to another place, say to the West – a lot of the judges would completely miss the point. I think if we’re looking for work that really represents Asian people, we’ve seen some really good work at AdFest this year.”

The AdFest 2010 Lotus Awards winners can be downloaded via www.adfest.com