White Square International Festival of Creativity continues its call for entries. The final deadline is May 3. Agencies and brands can submit their best projects in 243 nominations covering the whole spectrum of the communications, marketing, branding and creative industries. The entries will be evaluated by six international juries, representatives of more than 45 countries, experienced jury members, winners of numerous awards of prestigious international creativity festivals. We are pleased to continue our series of interviews with the jury members of the White Square Festival 2024. Today with us is the Executive Creative Director, The Bunch Michelangelo Cianciosi.

According to your opinion, what role participation in creativity festivals and winning them plays for agencies and creative people from advertising industry today, in the era of global disruptions, rapid digitalization and the appearance of AI? 

Participation in creativity festivals is still today the best way for creative people to have firsthand experience with ideas that can change our industry. Competing with the best works and winning them can improve careers and change the perception of the agencies. In my experience, clients are today very interested in what happens in creative festivals, more than in the recent past.

Projects with your participation have won numerous awards at prestigious international creativity festivals. Are there any cases among them that are most valuable to you, which brought inspiration to you during their creation? Can you tell us a little about them and why they are valuable to you?

One for all is "Grandma-tested goodness", a case for Ferrero that won a bronze lion at Cannes some years ago. I was very proud to win with a big Italian client that had never won before in international competition in 70 years of history. We sent a bunch of grandmas in a Ferrero factory to make a stress test to the ingredients they use to create their snacks and the result is funny and credible. The inspiration came from the severity, attention and love that MY grandma had in preparing meals. Experience is all for creativity.

You have judging experience at many international creativity festivals, and this year you will be judging the entries of White Square Festival. What new aspects would you like to see, what are the key criteria for evaluating projects for you?

I'm sure we will see a lot of AI based works. We saw something last years, but I think they were first attempts. I hope to see something more mature, with real insights, that can show us what could be the future of AI in advertising.

It has always been trending at festivals to talk not only about the latest tendencies in advertising, but also about the values that brands translate, about social advertising and its role in commercial projects. What social values are most actively supported by brands in your country?

In Italy there's a lot of attention about women rights and sustainability. Clients are very careful avoiding not only offensive language (that's the minimum), but even misleading language (Italian language has only masculine and feminine terms, there's no neutral, so often we use masculine to indicate both genders and that could be offensive). Sustainability is something that clients love to communicate but people think is so obvious they even don't notice it (this is not my opinion, we have researches about it)

What inspires you for your work? Perhaps, hobbies, family, friends or colleagues? 

I run and I think that running is a sport that gives you discipline and strength. I like also reading, my home is overwhelmed by books.

What would you like to wish to the participants of White Square Festival 2024?

I wish to the participants the best experience and to receive the right acknowledgement for their hard work. There's nothing more rewarding for creative people than that.