International Judge Joins Pendoring Panel
Antoine Houtsma, executive creative director of Joe Public Amsterdam, will chair the panel of South African advertising creatives and specialists for the 18th annual Pendoring Advertising Awards, which takes place 16-18 August at Media Park in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
Houtsma (41), this year’s international judge, has been in the creative industry for 20 years. “For someone who did not know that you could make a living by creating ideas, it was quite a surprise when I ended up in the advertising industry at 21!”
He started out as junior copywriter and, forty international and national awards later - amongst them four Cannes Lions, he still loves his job. “I have never stopped loving great ads and I have never stopped being amazed at how hard it is to get good ideas produced.”
The industry taught him at least one big lesson. “Create the work that you think is good, not what you think juries might like. Once I figured that out, I won more awards than I ever could imagine.”
For young creatives, he advises, “Create the work you think juries might like. That way we, the old guys, will remain the best, because you won’t surprise us with really fresh work.
He believes awards are important. “Without gold, silver and bronze medals at the Olympics, there would be no reason for anybody to work harder than the rest of the competitors.”
On a winning entry, he adds, “I am looking for something memorable. Therefore, it needs to stand out. Not only from the rest of the entries in this year’s competition, but also from all the other great ads that are stored in my head.”
Time To Think
I may not belong to any type of religion, but I believe in God and the Universe with all my heart.
I even believe in the existence of a very aware Human Being that was born just over 2000 years ago and was named Jesus. I believe he saw himself as the Son of God, and because of the way he saw himself people saw him in that way too.
I have always lived my life challenging convention. I have always asked why. I have never merely accepted the status quo. And because I am an anti franchise thinker, I have always questioned religion - not judged it, just questioned.
Why would people spend so much energy trying to convert each other when ultimately, the principle of God is exactly the same? Why not focus on living your life to the best of your ability, rather than being so concerned about how others live their lives?
Religion has become as bad as politics.
Everyone tries their hearts out to prove that their belief system is better than that of others. I am right, rather than simply just doing the right thing. Which is ultimately to serve others through your action for the purpose of a greater good.
I believe that the system that breeds this franchise thinking is the schooling system. A system based on IQ. No emotional intelligence is developed at any stage of the current 12 year system. No spiritual intelligence either. The only thing that is developed is the thinking of ‘sheep’ taught through repetition of the same old same old. Nothing new.
The end result is a world of followers rather than thinkers. A world based on blind faith. A world where people live the lives of victims.
Rather than coming up with revolutionary solutions, our world spend all its energy on finding excuses. A world of people that blame and keep on sinning and in doing so, keep on praying for forgiveness rather than taking full responsibility for their actions.
This franchised behaviour can be seen in the structure of the Lord’s Prayer, where all responsibility is put squarely on the shoulders of God:
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
I read a new version of this prayer a few weeks ago. And it inspired me to change it even more. Hey, the world is changing every day, why not question the way this prayer is currently structured.
Because what has become crystal clear to me, is that this current version shifts the responsibility of the human being onto the shoulders of God. Surely, with the way the population of the world is exploding, He’s soon going to have His hands way too full for us to keep on shying away from our God given right to take full responsibility for our own lives?
So here’s a 2012 rendition for early morning quiet time:
Our Father who art everywhere,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom is here.
Thy will will be done by me
here on earth as I will do one day in heaven.
Thank you for giving me each day my daily bread,
and when I trespass, I will learn from the experience
and in doing so, learn to also forgive those who trespass against me.
And when I lead myself into temptation, I will experience that it is wrong
and in doing so understand that it is this path that will deliver me from my ego.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever within.
Amen.
On location in Soweto with the great Hugh Masekela. This new commercial will air in the next two months for one of our ‘Take-Away’ clients.
More than two years after inception our ‘Giant Ballet Box’ finally came to life at Hyde Park on 2 June, 2012. R10 000 was raised within 4 hours with kids lining up to slip notes from R10 to R200 into the slot in order to see the ballerina dance.
Finished, literally. 42 kilometers, 5100 steps!
The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.
— Twitter
I am not Christian, I am not Jew, I am not Zoroastrian,
I am not even Muslim.
I do not belong to the land, or to any known
or unknown sea.
Nature cannot own or claim me, nor can heaven.
Nor can India, China, South Africa.
My birthplace is placenessless,
my sign to have and give no sign.
You say you see my mouth, ears, nose -
they are not mine.
I am the life of life.
I am that cat, this stone, no one.
I have thrown duality away like an old dishrag.
I see and know all times and worlds,
as one, one, always one.
So what do I have to do to get you to admit
who is speaking?
Admit it and change everything!
This is your own voice echoing off the walls of God.
— Written by 13th century mystic poet, Rumi
We are closer to God when we are asking questions than when we think we have all the answers.
— Rabbi Abraham Heschel
When I do good I feel good, when I do bad I feel bad. That is my religion.
— Abraham Lincoln
In this life we cannot always do great things. But we can do small things with great love.
— Mother Teresa
