creativity

What The Jury Wants: An Interview With Our Chief Creative Officer Tamara Cross, Cannes Lions Juror 2026

Q. Congratulations on your appointment as Cannes Lions Shortlisting Juror for the Outdoor Lions. As a juror, what are you hoping to see in this year’s submissions?

A. For me, the most important response, the most instinctive one, is: “God, I wish I'd done that”. Judging outdoors specifically, that reaction tends to come from really simple solutions that connect instantly. Most Out of Home isn't a long dwell time medium, so the creative has to be immediately impactful, pulling you in the second you pass it and making you turn your head.  

Where tech has been deployed, I want to see that it's genuinely consumer-centric, adding real value to the experience, or elevating the category the brand sits within. I've seen quite a lot of examples where the tech feels like it's there for tech's sake. It'sbrilliant to see people using out of home innovation in interesting ways, but the brand and consumer have to be at the heart of it. Is it solving a problem? Is it delivering an experience that's relevant to both client and consumer?  

Q. Has there ever been a time when you were on the fence about an entry and then something swayed you? If so, how?

A. Yes, I actually went back through the entries I marked earlier this week and adjusted my scoring. Which came from reminding myself what this is. To win a Cannes Lion is the ultimate. Particularly for the craft, it is the pinnacle.  

So I went back and asked: is this truly in the top 0.1% of work? Is this something I've never seen before? Something that's really moved me, or that utterly belongs in Out of Home rather than other channels? If it wasn't, I adjusted. 

Q. Is there anything you wish you saw more of in creative work in Media?

A. To me, the work that really stands out is where the media deployed has been as strong as the creative message. Where you can see someone has genuinely thought about the medium they're putting that idea into. That's what makes something exceptional, the multiplier effect of a smart message and smarter medium is what really makes the work enviable.   

I've seen entries where the media has just been used as distribution rather than something that can actually add to the idea. The placements haven't been as strong as they could have been, and something gets lost.  

I've also found it interesting seeing what different territories are able to do within their own regulatory environments. In the UK, we are highly regulated (which is so important, and I think our industry is better for it) but it does mean we wouldn't be able to create some of what I'm seeing from other markets.   

What that does, though, is force you to think more creatively within those parameters. The work from some territories is extraordinary stimulus. The question I keep coming back to is: how would we do that here? I think that's actually a brilliant creative challenge. 

Q. What do you feel people get wrong when writing entries about creativity?

A. There are so many assets within a Cannes entry; the paper itself, the board, the video, the supporting content, and they all need to be telling the same story. Inconsistencies between the assets can really undermine an entry.  

But within the paper itself, the core question is: are you justifying why that idea was the right idea? Why did it fit that brand specifically? How was it elevating that brand within its sector? How did it deliver on what it was there to do? And for me it also always comes back to the consumer. How did it bring value to the audience and connect with them? The strategic reason why is as important as the creative how.

Q. What would you want a junior creative to take away from the Lions this year?

A. Make sure your reasoning behind everything shines through. There's a fair amount of work I've judged that uses interesting tech, or has what looks like a cool idea at its heart, but it's executed poorly, the tech isn't really relevant to the brand, or it doesn't pay back to the consumer in a meaningful way. 

You need to make sure there's enough of your audience and enough of your brand in the idea. Just because it's a great idea doesn't make it right for that brand or audience.  And have fun with spaces, especially in outdoor. I love the medium and it’s so flexible and innovative – everything has a chance at being outdoor, so think big! 

Q. From your perspective, what's the difference between a good creative idea in media and one that actually creates difference?

A. The work that's truly exceptional is where everything is working together in the round; the visibility, the creative standout, the right placement, the problem it's solving.   

The flip side is work where you look at it and think, “You could have made so much more of this”. The medium you choose can add to an idea, or it can just distribute it. The best work knows the difference and uses that to make something really memorable and ultimately work that works – for the client and the audience.