Three more top industry award-winning professionals are named as jury chairs by the organisers of the 57th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, the largest and most prestigious global advertising and communication awards.
— Cyber Lions Jury President – Jeff Benjamin, VP/Interactive Executive Creative Director, Crispin Porter + Bogusky
— Design Jury President – Steff Geissbuhler, Partner, C&G Partners
— Direct Lions Jury President – Pablo Alzugaray, CEO, Shackleton
“We have appointed three extraordinarily accomplished experts to lead the Cyber, Design and Direct Lions categories. We are truly honoured to be working with them at Cannes Lions where their talent will add another dimension to these categories,” states Terry Savage, Festival Chairman.
Jeff Benjamin joined Crispin Porter + Bogusky at the end of 2003. As VP/Interactive Creative Director, Jeff works on brands such as Burger King, Microsoft, Domino’s Pizza, Coke Zero, and Geek Squad.
Jeff began his career at Modem Media specialising in GIF banner optimisation before joining Goodby, Silverstein & Partners where he worked on HP, Saturn, and Goodyear.
His work has been recognised nationally and internationally by every major award show. He has won the Grand Prix at Cannes in three different categories, the Best of Show at the One Show, and the Grand Clio at the Clio Awards. His work has been showcased in several publications, including the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Communication Arts, Time, and Newsweek. Jeff has also been a featured commentator on CNBC.
“When I started my career, the thought of ever stepping on stage at Cannes seemed fairly impossible. So you can only imagine what it feels like to be trusted with the honor of guiding this year’s Cyber jury. Over the years, the Cyber Lion has become the most coveted of Lions, redefining and pushing our industry forward. I expect this year to be no different,” says Jeff Benjamin on his appointment.
Steff Geissbuhler, Partner of C&G Partners, is among America’s most celebrated designers of integrated brand and corporate identity programs. His work for a broad spectrum of international and national clients includes identity systems for NBC, Merck, Time Warner cable, Telemundo, Voice of America, Toledo Museum of Art, National Parks of New York Harbor, Crane & Co., Calamos Investments, Conrad Hotels and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Prior to forming C&G Partners he was a partner at Chermayeff & Geismar Inc. for 30 years.
In 2005 Steff’s work was honoured with the American Institute of Graphic Arts Medal for his sustained contribution to design excellence and the development of the profession. He is also the recipient of the U.S. Federal Achievement Design Award, and several awards from the Art Director’s Clubs and the International Poster Biennales.
“Design is being recognised in Cannes as a fundamental ingredient in advertising. This will be the third year that design will be judged as its own category. I was very lucky to be a part of the inaugural jury and now will have the privilege to chair this one. It will be hard work and also a lot of fun. The location is fabulous and the parties are fantastic and seeing great work is always inspiring,” comments Steff Geissbuhler. “We hope that more and more design firms, along with agencies, will submit work to this famous competition,” he continued.
Pablo Alzugaray, CEO of Shackleton, set up the independent group of agencies in 2004. Prior to this, he started his career at di Paola in Argentina before moving to Spain where he headed the Contrapunto Group (Contrapunto and CP Proximity), took part in setting up Proximity Worldwide and was a member of the BBDO Board of Directors.
By 2009, Shackleton was operating out of both Madrid and Barcelona with a portfolio of over 90 clients and a staff of more than 200 people. Within a mere five years, Shackleton was ranked 10th best agency in the world across all disciplines and the number one direct marketing agency in the world in the 2007 and 2008 Won Report. In Spain, Shackleton was voted Agency of the Year in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 and was named Cannes Lions Direct Agency of the Year in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The agency won the Direct Cannes Lions Grand Prix in 2007, the Echo Diamond Award 2008 and the Effie Grand Prix 2008.
Pablo has served on the jury at the Cannes Lions Festival, El Ojo de Iberoamerica, Echo Awards, Imán, Club de Creativos as well as Jury President at Eurobest and El Sol.
He chairs the Asociación de Agencias de Marketing Directo (AGEMDI), and is a Board Member of Asociación Española de Agencias de Publicidad (AEAP), and the Federación Española de Comercio Electrónico y Marketing Directo (FECEMD).
Commenting on his appointment as Direct Lions Jury President, Pablo Alzugaray said, “The first time I came to Cannes I was young and had little money so I made a fake pass and ended up in the Organisers office. That was a long time ago, but I still feel the thrill of attending every year. Seeing better work than yours makes you want to improve. Being Jury President will not only be a more relaxed way to attend the Festival free of charge than my first, but also a great honour to which I shall respond with rigour.”
More about the Jury Presidents
Cyber Lions Jury President:
Jeff Benjamin, VP/Interactive Executive Creative Director, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, USA
Prior to CP+B, Jeff worked at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners where he worked on HP, Saturn, and Goodyear. Before Goodby, Jeff began his career at Modem Media, specialising in GIF banner optimisation.
Jeff has been recognised nationally and internationally by every major industry award show. He has won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 3 different categories, the Best of Show at the One Show, and the Grand Clio at the Clio Awards. His work has been showcased in several publications, including the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Communication Arts, Time, and Newsweek. Jeff has also been a featured commentator on CNBC.
During his free time, Jeff competes nationally in yogic flying high-jump competitions.
Design Lions Jury President:
Steff Geissbuhler, Partner, C&G Partners, USA
Steff Geissbuhler is among America’s most celebrated designers of integrated brand and corporate identity programs. His work for a broad spectrum of international and national clients includes identity systems for NBC, Merck, Time Warner cable, Telemundo, Voice of America, Toledo Museum of Art, National Parks of New York Harbor, Crane & Co., Calamos Investments, Conrad Hotels and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Prior to forming C&G Partners he was a partner at Chermayeff & Geismar Inc. for 30 years.
Steff has designed architectural graphics for the IBM building in New York City; a complete sign system for the Universities of Pennsylvania and Connecticut; printed materials for the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Mobil, Philip Morris, Cummins Engines and Union Pacific. Other commissions include graphics for the Smithsonian Institution’s Bicentennial exhibition; the “Sports Illustrated at the Olympics” exhibit; a new identity and graphics for the New York Public Library; the New Victory Theatre; and a series of posters for New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs. In 2005 Steff’s work was honoured with the American Institute of Graphic Arts Medal for his sustained contribution to design excellence and the development of the profession. He is also the recipient of the U.S. Federal Achievement Design Award, and several awards from the Art Director’s Clubs and the International Poster Biennales. Steff served as the U.S. president of the Alliance Graphique Internationale and has been a member of the board of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. He is past president of AIGA’s New York chapter.
Steff received his diploma in graphic design from the School of Art and Design, Basel, Switzerland. He has taught at the Philadelphia College of Art, Cooper Union, Yale University and lectures throughout the country.
Direct Lions Jury President:
Pablo Alzugaray, CEO, Shackleton, Madrid Spain
Pablo Alzugaray (41) began his career at di Paola in Argentina. Three years later he moved to Spain and was hired by CP Comunicación, the Contrapunto Group’s Direct Marketing Agency. In 1994 he was appointed Managing Director of CP Comunicación Proximity and led what was described by the French magazine Strategies as being “the biggest development experienced by a consulting agency at the end of the 90’s in Europe.” During the next 10 years, its volume of business multiplied by 27, and for 9 years running the company received more awards than any other Spanish agency. In the last five years it received more Direct Marketing awards than any other in Europe, and in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2003 was the agency with the most awards worldwide, including 2 Echo Diamond, 1 Echo US Postal, more than 15 Echoes and 9 Cannes Lions.
In 1998 Pablo Alzugaray founded CP Data Optimum, a data-base consulting company, and CP Interactive, which started an expansion process with companies being founded first in Barcelona and then in Lisbon, Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile.
In 1999 he was named member of the Board of Directors of BBDO, and in 2000 he took part in the creation of Proximity Worldwide, a global network that brings together all the BBDO agencies in 44 countries, where he occupied one of the four positions on the Worldwide Board of Directors and was named Chairman for Latin America.
In January of 2004 he set up Shackleton, an independent group of companies, which by 2009 had operating branches in Madrid and Barcelona, a portfolio of over 90 clients, and a staff of more than 200 people. The campaigns of its first years have been recognised at Echo awards, Cannes Lions Festival, John Caples Awards, D&AD, Eficacia, Ondas, El Sol and Imán, among others.
With a mere five years of activity Shackleton is the 10th best agency in the world in all disciplines and the 1st agency in the world in Direct Marketing, according to the 2007 and 2008 Won Report. In Spain it was voted Agency of the Year in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 and was named Cannes Lions “Direct Agency of the Year” in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Shackleton won the Grand Prix at Cannes Lions Festival 2007, the Echo Diamond Award 2008 and the Gran Premio Eficacia 2008.
Pablo has been appointed jury member of the Cannes Lions Festival, El Ojo de Iberoamerica, Echo Awards, Imán, CDC and President of the jury for Eurobest Awards and El Sol.
He chairs the Asociación de Agencias de Marketing Directo (AGEMDI), and is a Board Member of Asociación Española de Agencias de Publicidad (AEAP), and the Federación Española de Comercio Electrónico y Marketing Directo (FECEMD).
About the 57th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, 20-26 June 2010, Cannes, France
The International Advertising Festival – Cannes Lions – is the world’s biggest celebration of creativity in communications. As the most prestigious international annual advertising awards, over 22,500 entries from all over the world are showcased and judged at the Festival. Winning companies receive the highly coveted Lion trophy honouring the most creative film, print, outdoor, interactive, radio, design, sales promotion & activation and integrated advertising, as well as the best media, direct marketing, PR and Titanium ideas. The Festival is also the only truly global meeting place for advertisers, advertising and communication professionals. Over 6.000 delegates from 90 countries attend seven days of exhibitions, screenings, as well as over 50 high-profile seminars, 30 workshops and master classes presented by renowned worldwide industry leaders. As the networking and learning opportunity of the year, Cannes Lions is the must-attend event for anyone involved in brand communication.
