there's more to Clios than statuettes

The Clios aren't only about awards, they're also a two day conference that connects you to insights from movers and thinkers in advertising and digital space. Like Cindy Gallop, former chairperson of BBH, who, after getting audience attention by pulling a jewel-encrusted sex toy out of her bag, leaned into the audience and challenged, "I say this without rancor. But, Guys: Just think: what would it be like to live in a world where the default setting was always for the opposite sex?" (Audience: silence.) In less confrontational but equally interesting presos, Sam Cannon (Organic) and Tom Christmann (JWT) mused on how innovation influences pop culture while Faris Yakob (MDC), Benjamin Palmer (Barbarian) and Michael Lebowitz (Big Spaceship) shared the coolest stuff they've seen on the interwebz. Faris' complete collection here. My favorite is the Towel-Folding Robot, below. One mantra from the morning was Lebowitz's "Failure is cool because it means you've tried something" which I shared at dinner with my millennial daughter who promptly looked up from her vegan plate to declare "That's what they used to tell us in preschool."

Oh, yes! The awards. Last night's ceremony was for Print and TV/Cinema/Digital. Congrats to the winners, listed here. Panels continue today at sleek, just-opened Trump Soho. Tonight, Interactive and Innovative awarded at nearby Skylight Soho.