Creative Club Austria Jury 2018

© Heidi Pein

Last week I was part of this year's Creative Club Austria Jury. The Club, that takes care of awarding the best of the best in Austria's creative industry. This year, as an official member. I joined the club after more than 10 years of not understanding why I should be part of it. This little article is an elaboration on why I am part of the gang now and to shine some light on this years judging day.

First off, the judging took place at the amazing Erste Campus Vienna. I was never sure about this humongous skyscraper palace from the outside, but from the inside, I have to say it is super welcoming, modern and has a nice atmosphere. 

This year none of the judges knew beforehand, what jury they will end up in - to shake things up a little bit and to keep everything as secret as possible. So I ended up on the jury for packaging, branding and art direction. With 8 other creatives from different agencies, studios, and whatnot. Not all of them being members of the club - which I think is crucial. This is one argument, why I joined the club (or did not for years): over the years the club seemed to have had the same people judging over and over again. BUT they opened up the concept and are now involving creatives that are not members. Which brings in some fresh air and sets the tone for good discussions.

So we had to judge 3 categories and decide whats good enough to get a nomination, a bronze, a silver or a golden venus. All based on the process, that the judges can discuss the cases but vote silently. Round by round the air gets thinner and the cases move or don't move up the next level. All considering the rules and criteria of the Creative Club:

• A nomination is a good case that is better than the rest
• A bronze venus gets a creative work, that is beyond average and that you would use as a good example for advertising in Austria
• A silver venus goes out to those cases, which stands above all other cases in their category
• A golden venus only is awarded to those creative works which are extraordinary and stand above all others without a question - so it has the potential to be remembered for years

© Heidi Pein

If you were involved in a project you are of course not allowed to vote and have to leave the room if your case is discussed.

We had a lot of good discussions and a lot of diverse inputs. And one thing I really appreciated was the fact that people really tried to be and stay objective. Which for me over the years was also a little hard to tell from the outside. Sometimes it seemed like a little mafia giving veneries from friend A to friend B - but I can tell you now, that in our jury it was not like that at all. Furthermore, the jury was really tough, which can be a good or a bad thing and really comes down to the 9 individuals judging the categories. But for me personally, I'd rather see the best of the best than more of the rest.

I was amazed by the good work in branding, stunned by the rather small amount of cases in art direction and disappointed by the entries in packaging design.

In general, it was an exhausting day because we did not make it easy for ourselves and all the cases and I think the veneries we gave away were deserved and judged fairly.

I had a lot of discussions with people over the last years, why they turned away from the club, like it or don't like it. but for me it is clear: If you want to see the creative industry ranked in your country you have to be involved to be able to judge the club and the process. you also have to be involved if you want to voice your point of view on ideas, conception, and creative execution. it is good for young creatives to get seen and be noticed. It is nice for teams, clients and hard work to get appreciation from the scene and other colleagues. Sure it is weird that creatives judge creatives but who else would have the expertise? In the end, everybody has to decide on their own why they enter contests like this.

Me personally, I am a happy judge and I am totally on board if an agency or a client wants to enter a collaboration. For the international branding clients I work with – it often does not matter whether they win prices. Which I understand too. In that case, I would never enter a case just for the sake of my own designer gratification. Unless I think I can win new clients with it or set a significant mark for the creative industry in Austria.

More pics and behind the scenes on CCA's facebook page.