Cannes Jury Spotlight: Kim Pick

At Cannes Lions, the world’s premier festival recognizing creative excellence, thousands of entries pour in from countries worldwide. Behind the scenes, a carefully selected panel of judges reviews the work that will ultimately take home a coveted Cannes Lion.

Joining the ranks of the industry’s most recognized and respected creative professionals, Kim Pick, Executive Creative Director, is serving as a juror for Film Lions Shortlist.

With over 25 years of award-winning advertising experience on some of the world’s biggest brands, Kim Pick has worked at leading agencies in New York, London, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. 

Kim began her career as a journalist and film critic in New Zealand, before switching to copywriting in Australia. By her mid-20s, she was appointed Creative Director of Singapore agency McCann Erickson, working on accounts across South East Asia. Moving to the UK, she joined Saatchi & Saatchi London, where she was promoted to Regional Creative Director on P&G accounts for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Kim was ECD of RAPP New York until 2014, when she returned to the New Zealand industry, joining Colenso BBDO as Creative Director. She was appointed national Executive Creative Director of VMLY&R New Zealand in 2018.

A former chair of Australia’s AWARD School and member of the New Zealand Marketing Association Digital Advisory panel, she currently serves on the NZ Commercial Communication Council Inclusiveness and Diversity panel.

How do you spot Cannes-winning work?

There is a sea of wonderful, worthy, clever, crafted and highly competent work, but then some work just leaps out. It makes you feel something: laugh, cry, surprise, empathy, goosebumps, or just envy or awe for the sheer craft or ambition or idea. 

Have you observed a pivot in trends/behavior when it comes to creativity influenced by the pandemic?  

What I did notice was a shift in tone from a few years ago: a lot of the sharp, smug, brittle humor and ‘in-the-know’ cleverness has evaporated, and stories and ideas are notably warmer, more generous and inclusive, about society, and the collective.

This shift is no doubt a result of the pandemic and other significant changes over the last couple of years, such as the #metoo and #blacklivesmatter movements. 

Describe creativity during the pandemic in one sentence.  

During the pandemic, there have been leaps of ingenuity that we’d describe in New Zealand as ‘number 8 wire’ thinking, the creative pivoting that’s necessary when you have no choice but to think laterally, improvise and make the most of what you’ve got.

What makes you passionate about the category you were nominated to judge?   

I love love love film, on any screen, so it was a real pleasure to be nominated to judge in this category, and to be treated to a marathon of the best filmed content from around the globe.  As a medium, film is so visceral and immersive: it enables such brilliant storytelling. I was once a film critic and I still can’t watch anything without the urge to analyze and critique – so I was in my happy place.