Cannes Lions appoints Wendy Clark

Coinciding with the opening of entries to the Creative Effectiveness Lions, Cannes Lions has announced the appointment of Wendy Clark, President of Sparkling Brands & Strategic Marketing, Coca-Cola North America as Jury President.

Launched in 2011, the Creative Effectiveness Lions celebrates award-winning creativity with a proven business impact and has an entry process involving close collaboration between clients and agencies to showcase both. Now in its 5th year, this will be the first time the jury will be headed by a client-side marketer rather than an agency leader.

Wendy Clark is a widely lauded marketer and leading industry voice on evolved consumer engagement, known for leveraging the power of authentic brand stories to create shared value. Crucially, said Lions Festivals CEO, Philip Thomas, “Wendy is a passionate and vocal believer in the power of creativity to drive commercial success and be a force for good, which gets to the heart of what Cannes Lions is about. She is uniquely qualified to undertake the role of Jury President.”

Commenting on her appointment, Wendy said, “I am delighted to be the President of the Creative Effectiveness Jury for Cannes 2015 and honored to be the first client to lead the jury for this esteemed award. For clients, nothing could be more important than creativity that builds our brands and businesses, and the Creative Effectiveness Lion builds that bridge between creativity and effectiveness in a truly quantifiable way. In this sense, it should be considered the ultimate accolade in our business.”

Asked what she and the jury would be looking for from this year’s entries, Wendy replied, “Work that is emblematic of the role and importance that creativity plays in driving brands and businesses forward; in changing or cementing minds and perceptions; and in advancing and impacting our society and world.”