Award-winning creative Judy John will chair the 2017 Brand Film Festival New York jury, PRWeek and Campaign’s celebration of the marketing industry’s finest cinematic storytelling in the Americas.
John is North America chief creative officer and Canada CEO at Publicis Groupe ad agency Leo Burnett. She was the brains behind the multi-award-winning #LikeAGirl campaign for Procter & Gamble’s Always brand that swept the board at Cannes, the PRWeek Awards, and many other programs last year.
Always’ #LikeAGirl was named by CBS as one of the top three Super Bowl Commercials of all time.
John joined Leo Burnett Toronto in 1999, as chief creative officer, in 2011 added the CEO title for Canada, and in 2016 added the chief creative officer title for North America.
"Being asked to chair the Jury of the 2017 Brand Film Festival is an honor and an experience I am really looking forward to," said John. "The show includes such diverse work, from long-form documentaries to YouTube videos, that it will be a challenging and exciting opportunity."
Under John’s direction, Leo Burnett Toronto has been recognized nationally and globally, winning the first Digital Black Pencil at D&AD in 2006 and the most awarded billboard campaign in the world in 2009.
In 2015, she won a second Black Pencil at D&AD, Titanium, Grand Prix, and Glass Lions at Cannes, and the Emmy for Outstanding Commercial. The Gunn Report ranked Leo Burnett Toronto the number one agency in Canada and number five in the world in 2015.
In 2016, John joined the board of directors of The One Club and The Women's College Hospital Foundation.
The Brand Film Festival New York is open to submissions from the U.S., Americas, and Asia-Pacific. It will showcase the year's most artistic, creative, and effective branded content films, from Vines to YouTube videos to long-form documentaries. This year, there is a new category to recognize the best use of VR in brand filmmaking.
PRWeek US editor-in-chief Steve Barrett and Campaign US editor-in-chief Douglas Quenqua will be part of the jury, along with a stellar group of executives from the worlds of advertising, media, digital, PR, and film production. The top films will be screened at a gala event in New York City in May 2017.
The jury will review the most creative activations from sectors including CPG, sports, healthcare, and sustainability; branded entertainment such as documentaries, animals, heartstrings, and LOL moments; engagement metrics such as viral and user generated; craft criteria including editing, direction, screenplay, foreign language, and silent; and Best of the Best.
Submissions will be open until Monday, February 6, 2017, after which the best work will be selected by the jury. Full submission details and an entry kit can be found here.