So i just got back from judging the One Show Interactive in NYC.
How do I feel? Pretty damn tired but also very inspired.

Here are a couple of interesting observations:

Even though everyone talks about the extinction of the microsite, this category still had the most and also some very inspiring submissions.

After narrowing down the roughly 3000 entries to the top 340, the “e-commerce” and the “blog” category had each only 1 worthy entry left.

Technology is important and cool, but only if it’s used the right way.
Fiat & AKQA show you how it’s done right.

It is getting harder to categorize entries.
The walls are finally coming down (in a good way).

That’s what my fellow jury members had to say:

Ashley Ringrose: “A lot of work that makes you jealous. Which is good.”

Dominique Trudeau: “In a world of automotive greenwashing, Fiat eco:Drive is authentic and useful.”

Michael Ferdman: “I was surprised how hard it was to define or categorize entries, and that is a very positive sign for our industry. Walls are collapsing into each other … products, product innovation, mktg, etc.”

Ian Lynch Smith: “I was suprised that it was so much about innovation as creativity: about what’s next, more than just advertising.”

Iain Tait: “I have a greater sense of inadequacy than ever before. Thank you, on behalf of my future therapists.”

Neil Robinson: “We saw some great work this week. Work that challenged categories and our preconceptions. It’s super encouraging to see the ‘industry’ go beyond the craft of microsites and Flash and to put big ideas first. Sadly, still too many spoof online documentaries. No more, please!”

Jason Koxvold: “This week has been exhausting and elating, sifting through hundreds of great entries. For me, the two clear outcomes: that good interactive work is becoming harder and harder to categorize; and useful, truthful work that crosses these genres and blurs the line between product and marketing will be increasingly successful in the coming years.”

Some advice to all those good folks who submit the actual work:

Videos summarizing a site or experience are great, but only if you keep them short and sweet and emphasize the important stuff.

Do never, and I mean never, mention shit like “the first bla bla ever”, “the biggest yada yada ever”,…you get the point. Who cares if your touch screen is the biggest in the world if it isn’t innovative or has no use.

Even though categorizing work is getting harder and harder, don’t submit your work in more than 2 or 3 categories. Judges get annoyed by seeing the same entry over and over and might just vote it down.

And finally, some of my favorites:

Axion Banner Concerts – I thought banners were dead, but this is awesome

Fiat Eco Drive – Yup, I’m jealous

Whopper Sacrifice – Plain smart, in a Crispin kinda way

Nokia viNe – a cool phone app by RGA

The Great Schlep – Can’t go wrong with Sarah Silverman

Nokia & Bruce Lee – Yeah it’s fake, so what

Uniqlo March – Some serious production in this one

The Flame – I need it!

Client: Radio Advertising Bureau
Agency: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
Production Company: inTacto
Production Time: 1 months
Design Phase: 2 weeks
Features: Flash

Milk’s “Get the Glass” won 2 Gold in the “Beverages” Category andthe “Online Games” Category.Adobe’s “CS3 Installation” won Silver in the “Weird & Wonderful” Category. 

Two nice rubbery arrows for Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.
Milk’s “Get the Glass” won the “Experience” category and Adobe’s “Creative Mind” won the “Motion Graphics” Category.

Client: Comcast
Agency: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
Production Company: Hi-res
Production Time: 6 weeks
Design Phase: 6 weeks
Features: Flash / 3D / Motion Graphics

Synopsis: Seeing a hi-def picture for the first time can be pretty intense, even mesmerizing. The trance-like state that results is known as The Hi-Def High. And getting HD from Comcast is crucial to maintaining that high. All of which is explained and demonstrated in great detail by various HD cliché characters, including colorful balloons, beautiful butterflies, and a vivid, smart-alecky parrot who acts as host.

Client: Comcast
Agency: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
Production Company: Perfect Fools
Production Time: 2.5 months
Design Phase: 3 months
Features: Flash, 3D, Motion Graphics, Sound Effects

Synopsis: Tripleslanguage.com is a new site featuring an interactive deck of flashcards, animations and more, so you can learn a thing or two about the Comcast Triple Play.