Craig Mikes Interview(s)

As a fan of great advertising, I just love seeing the global entries I often miss in my bubble. I want to bring an appreciation of the craft and ideation of great work and celebrate the work that make me jealous.

I always thought the idea was king, so as we constantly evolve how we bring those to life, I still look for idea first and look forward to all of us finding new ways to tell our messages. So I'd like to see more attention paid to innovative ways messages are brought to life. In contrast, I see a rebellion to AI with a resurgence of hand-crafted analog solutions that demand your appreciation.

I look forward to seeing work from "emerging markets" every year. I see some of the best empathetic and rebellious work coming from South and Central America where advertising is needed for political and environmental change. Even healthcare advertising in other than U.S. countries surprise me as they try harder to engage with an insight based on care.

I see a resurgence of hand-crafted, analog solutions that seem to be out to prove, "no AI was used in this artwork."

When entering shows like this, keep the entry write-up free of jargon and over-hyped explanations and just let your idea shine. A great execution or simple idea still stands out and your insight will shine through.

I look forward to seeing work from AlmapBBDO, Area23, Gut, David, and of course Mischief.