JWT Amsterdam Wins Innovation Agency of the Year

J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam has won Innovation Agency of the Year 2016. The prestigious accolade was announced today by the organisers of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. A new distinction for 2016, J. Walter Thompson far outranked such agencies as Saatchi & Saatchi and McCann New York. In addition to being awarded the title of Innovation Agency Of The Year in Cannes, J. Walter Thompson also had success at New York’s CLIO Awards, winning a Gold and two Bronze CLIOs for ‘The Next Rembrandt’.

The Next Rembrandt - a 3D printed painting made solely from data of Rembrandt’s work - continues to occupy the art and tech world since its unveiling in April this year.

This week the painting will be presented at one of the year’s most prestigious cultural events, the Frankfurt Book Fair. Straight after this, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will use The Next Rembrandt as an example of the strength and beauty of data during a Wall Street Journal event in Los Angeles. Next, the painting will be presented at the 24 hours of Advertising Festival in Amsterdam (1 November 2016), followed by keynotes on The Next Rembrandt at the Epica Festival in Amsterdam (17 November 2016) and at the Eurobest Festival in Rome (30 November 2016).

Said Bas Korsten, Creative Partner J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam: "Being awarded this title is recognition of our agency’s ongoing quest to find new ways to give our clients the edge they need. It’s about the constant search for the answer to the question: “What’s next?”. We are currently involved in a number of projects at the cutting edge of technology. We want to remain ahead of the curve."

Emmanuel, Innovation Director J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam, commented: “We’re honoured and humbled to receive this distinction. It’s a result of a lot of hard work and a long journey. We believe that the agencies that will win are the agencies that truly embrace innovation - not as a buzzword but as a day-to-day process. Something quite magical happens when you bring innovation to the business of creativity – and as such I don’t think there has ever been a more exciting time to be in this industry. From where I am standing the future looks pretty bright!”