The deadline for the 2013 Marketing Awards is coming up fast. And once all your hard work putting together the submissions is done, it’ll be time for the judging.

This year’s chairs, Joseph Bonnici and Dean Lee, have put together a group of top-notch creative minds who will gather in Toronto in mid-April to review all the work, debate, discuss, dissect and eventually vote on the winners. Since this group will be judging you and your work, Marketing thought you may want to know at least a little about some of them.

Tom Murphy

Creative Director, Target

First job
I’m not being flippant when I say it’s selling lemonade at age six. Marketing is marketing: you have a demographic, a product and presentation. And, like any other product, if the lemonade sucks, no amount of smoke and mirrors is going to bring them back for a second glass.

Most important mentor or inspiration
Lee Clow and George Orwell would be great choices regardless of their varied backgrounds. But as one of the fathers of modern advertising, Bill Bernbach would get my vote. Not just for the work, but his ability to guide generations with quotes like, “Our job is to sell our clients’ merchandise, not ourselves.” As well as, “If your advertising goes unnoticed, everything else is academic.”

Karen Larmour

Co-Creative Director, Sid Lee

First job
Art director at Lowe Roche

What is the industry trend that most excites you?
Doing things as opposed to just saying things. The Red Bull sky jump, the TNT “push for Drama” stunt and the Tropicana Sun spot are all great examples of this. It’s so much more impactful for a brand to make work like this.

What is the industry trend you wish would stop right now?
“Authenticity.” It seems to be a word found on every creative brief these days to describe a brand’s personality. Problem is, authenticity is often boring. Sometimes creativity needs some magic and hyperbole to cut through.