NEW JURY CHANGES FOR CANNES LIONS 2006: PRESS & OUTDOOR TO HAVE SEPARATE JURIES

Two new changes will be introduced to the judging procedure at the 2006 Cannes Lions Festival.

Next year, there will be separate Press and Outdoor juries to judge the entries in these categories. The Jury President, as in the past, will still preside over the Film, Press and Outdoor Juries. “This will also mean a clearer judging of the entries based on the merit of their medium without being influenced by how they performed if entered in both categories,” said Australia's Terry Savage, Executive Chairman of the Festival (pictured).

The other change will see the preliminary pre-Cannes ‘judging-at-home’ round of the Lions Direct competition abolished and all submissions will be judged in Cannes by an increased jury of 30 members plus the Jury President. “Direct Marketing is a tactile medium, and as such, it is important that the jury see all the entries from the first judging round in their true format and not digitally,” said Savage.

Press and Outdoor entries hit an all-time high in 2005 with over 11300 ads entered. Lions Direct entries have steadily increased since the launch of the competition in 2002. A record 1600 entries were submitted last year.

The 53rd International Advertising Festival will be held 18-24 June 2006 in Cannes.