After representing Australia at the 2001 Young Creatives Competition in Cannes, 25 year-old Brisbane copywriter, Helene Webb, emerged from the hype and the pressure of competition to return with an invigorated commitment to her craft. ÒIt was great to see for myself the event everybody talks about,Ó says Webb. ÒI met young creatives from all over the world and saw the best of the best international advertising. Cannes is the place to go for inspiration.Ó A subset of the Cannes International Advertising Festival, the competition aims to celebrate and acknowledge the worldÕs top young creatives. Webb, from Red Suit Advertising, and Andrew Geppert, art director at McCann-Erickson Brisbane, collaborated on an ad for cinema, as part of the selection process, run by sponsor Val Morgan. ÒIt was basically Ôshow why the worldÕs best ads should be seen in the cinemaÕ,Ó says Webb. The pair competed in the Young Creatives Competition against teams from 33 countries, and were given 24 hours to develop a print ad for Leuka 2000, a UK leukaemia research charity. A team from Brazil won gold, with the US and the United Arab Emirates taking silver and bronze. ÒIt was a very intense 24 hours, but itÕs all part of the experience,Ó says Webb, who adds that although Cannes whet her appetite for progressing creatively, itÕs not a matter of looking further afield for greater challenges. ÒCreatively, Brisbane is as satisfying as down south, and I donÕt have a thing about making it in New York. If the work is good I donÕt feel I have to be in a certain place.Ó At Red Suit Advertising, Webb works on clients as diverse as The University of Queensland, Le-nardÕs, Queensland Rugby Union and J Boag & Son, and says sheÕs most comfortable with print. ÒItÕs tougher on ideas than TV,Ó says Webb, whose philosophy is Òkeep it simpleÓ. ÒYou donÕt want to baffle people with words. If thereÕs a small word, IÕd rather use it to create simple, clean ideas.Ó
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