Rose Herceg: 'Not All Data is Equal'
Cannes Lions 2024 is well and truly right around the corner.
The creative data category celebrates all things information. Unlike most of the other categories, there is nowhere to hide when it comes to data. Data deals with facts.
The integration of this data in order to archive a creative outcome is what makes this category so special. Rose Herceg, WPP president and jury president for creative data has had years of experience dealing with strategy, data, and creativity.
Rose sat down with LBB’s Casey Martin to discuss all things data, creativity and learning AI.
LBB> What are you most excited about for Cannes Lions 2024?
Rose> The work that I've seen so far is pretty special. It's really amazing to see what is happening in other parts of the world outside of Australia and New Zealand. They are inspired and creative data is such a fantastic category to be judging. What people are doing with data and how they're interpreting, it's mind blowing.
LBB> How does Creative Data play a role in advertising?
Rose> It’s looking at the way that data has been interpreted, or how it's been used creatively, for a client or for a campaign. It’s a standard entry of the two minute film with a lot of supporting material. What's really interesting about it is it's not just data, it's whether or not it has been applied creatively. It’s interesting because not all data is equal. Information is only information, you can’t turn it on its head. The way data has been used has been exceptional and incredibly imaginative.
Data is irrefutable. It's solid quantitative data, or legislative data, or demographic data, government data, there's all those data sources. And then of course, there's just fact. We live in a world kind of devoid of fact, and fact checking. Whereas in this category, you have to have your ducks in a row.
LBB> What does creativity mean to you?
Rose> It’s all about solving a problem. For me, it's applying imagination and lateral thinking to solving a problem. If you can do it in a way that is both charming and memorable, you get bonus points. Finally for me, it means growth, we've proven creativity is the best lever to achieve financial growth..
LBB> Do you believe awards such as Cannes Lions boost the morale of a creative team?
Rose> One hundred percent! When you get recognised for great work, it's going to boost morale, passion, and determination. I think it also shares with the world these incredible ideas and campaigns that prove the material value of creativity.
LBB> What stands out to you when judging work?
Rose> What really stands out for me is if it actually solved a massive problem. It's delivered, usually with an entirely new revenue stream or audience. That's what I like. And then you’ve got these incredible ideas that change legislation and change the way a country works. Those are the moments that make you go “wow, okay. We can do that with this industry.”
LBB> What advice would you give those going to the Cannes Lions this year?
Rose> Make friends with numbers. My favourite creative people understand the way clients make money, they understand a business model. They like margin and profit. These are words that they embrace. I think the greatest creativity usually results in great commercial success. And I would say really great creatives understand and love numbers.
The other thing I'd say is learn how to prompt AI and learn all the tools you have in your AI universe. WPP Open, our operating system for our AI, has had creatives come in and out learning how to best operate AI.
