Priya Patel: Inside the Cannes Jury Room – A Rookie’s Perspective
Priya Patel, CEO of DDB Group Australia and New Zealand, recently served on the Cannes Lions Creative Effectiveness jury – her first time judging at the world’s most prestigious festival of creativity. Here, Priya shares what it’s like to be a rookie in the jury room, navigating global perspectives, passionate debate and the fine balance between emotion and evidence.
Walking into the Cannes Lions jury room for the first time is a bit like showing up to a black-tie dinner and realising everyone else brought a TED Talk. You’re dressed for the occasion, sure, but are you actually ready for what’s ahead? In my case, not entirely. But that’s the beauty (and terror) of it.
Lesson one: respecting new perspectives isn’t optional – it’s essential. You quickly realise how much your creative instincts are shaped by your own market, your culture, your clients. What strikes one juror as revolutionary might come off as run-of-the-mill to another. I found myself unlearning things I hadn’t even realised I’d internalised. Listening to someone from São Paulo, Tokyo or Johannesburg dissect a piece of work cracked open new ways of thinking. The debates could get feisty, but they were always grounded in mutual respect – for the work, and for each other.
Debate, it turns out, is the lifeblood of the room. There’s no fast track to consensus. You earn it. Some discussions felt circular and hard: Is this campaign truly innovative, or just beautifully produced? Is that impact measurable or just anecdotal? Occasionally, we disappeared down rabbit holes about category definitions – does this really count as “healthcare”? Is it technically multi-market? It sounds niche, but those conversations underscored how much we cared about judging fairly.
I admit, I came in expecting agreement to be easier. It wasn’t. But disagreement, ultimately, sharpened my appreciation of the brilliant.
Then there was the work itself. To spend days immersed in the best creativity from around the world – ideas so bold, so elegant, so jealousy-inducing was a rare privilege.
I found judging Creative Effectiveness, also meant balancing two very different muscles: emotion and evidence. A beautiful idea is nice. A beautiful idea that demonstrably moved the needle? That’s gold. That’s when the room lit up. You could feel it. Like when we analysed Apple’s Shot on iPhone, or Dove’s Real Beauty. Work that didn’t just nudge culture – it reshaped businesses.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Serving on a Cannes jury is part judging panel, part creative therapy, part endurance sport. You’ll leave exhausted but inspired, with sharper instincts and an involuntary eye twitch any time someone says ‘purpose.’
So yes – if you’re ever invited, say yes. Bring an open mind, a strong opinion, and maybe a hip flask. You’ll need all three.
