Spikes opens for entries, names Innovation and Healthcare jury presidents

Emad Tahtouh, director of applied technology of Finch in Australia will lead the Innovation jury, while June Laffey, executive creative director of McCann Health, Australia, will head up the Healthcare category.

The other Spikes 2014 categories are Branded Content & Entertainment, Creative Effectiveness, Design, Digital, Direct, Film, Film Craft, Integrated, Media, Mobile, Outdoor, PR, Print, Print & Poster Craft, Promo & Activation and Radio. The awards will take place in Singapore on Friday 26 September, at the conclusion of the festival, which begins on 23 September. See the Spikes Asia website for entry instructions and forms.

Tahtouh started his career as a network engineer before moving into production following a "passion" for the way technology changes storytelling. He has develop and curated a range of technology solutions for multi-award winning campaigns. He won 2012 Gold Lions for Pedigree's 'Donation glasses' and 'The great crusade', while 'The most powerful arm', a petition-signing robot built to raise awareness for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, won numerous awards including a Digital Gold at Spikes Asia. More recently, he and his team brought a robot orchestra to life for Intel’s Intelligent Sounds campaign. His current project for the Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia saw him build an attention-powered car that goes when you’re paying attention and slows when you’re not. The campaign has already been honoured at Adfest, AWARD and at One Show for Intellectual Property.

"Innovation and technology are quickly becoming a necessity in our industry," Tahtouh said. "Helping to shape and define the standard we choose to judge the best pieces of work with is a tremendous challenge, and I’m excited and honoured to be a part of it.”

Laffey began her career as a writer in mainstream advertising. At the start of the new millennium, following her desire to make a difference to people’s lives, she moved into healthcare communications. She and her team have received a range of accolades including the Global awards, Clio Health, One Show, IPA best of health awards, Campaign Agency of the Year, and Spikes.

"The fact that Spikes Asia is extending into the healthcare industry is both important and exciting," she said. "Innovative, creative, game-changing solutions in the health/pharma space don't just have the potential to win in a world-class festival such as Spikes, they have the ability to change and save lives. So a credible awards competition such as Spikes that encourages and recognises creativity in this area can only be a good thing.”

Terry Savage, CEO of Lions Festivals says, “We are delighted to be able to announce jury presidents of such high calibre in line with Spikes Asia opening for entries. It is fantastic that the first ever Innovation and Healthcare categories will be judged by such formidable professionals.”

The Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity is a collaboration between Lions Festivals (organisers of Cannes Lions, Lions Health, Dubai Lynx and Eurobest) and Haymarket (publishers of Campaign Asia Pacific).