Sir John Hegarty Swims with Kinsale Sharks | The Irish Film & Television Network

Tanya Cawley, festival manager of the Kinsale Sharks tells IFTN that an honorary president will be chosen for the festival every year. Talking about this year’s choice of Sir John, she said: “In a world of advertising Sir John, or ‘The Heg’ as we call him, is essentially the Don of all that is advertising. It’s a big coup to get him.”

Sir John boasts an impressive resume. In 1967 he joined the Cramer Saatchi consultancy which became Saatchi & Saatchi in 1970, where he was a founding shareholder. One year later he was appointed Deputy Creative Director. John left in 1973 to co-found TBWA, London as Creative Director. In 1982, John left to start Bartle Bogle Hegarty. Four years later, in 1986, BBH was voted Campaign magazine's Agency of the Year and won the title again in 1993, 2003, 2004 and 2005. John’s industry awards include two D&AD Golds and six Silvers, Cannes Golds and Silvers, and British Television Gold and Silvers. He was awarded the D&AD President's Award for outstanding achievement in the advertising industry. In May 2005, the International Clio Awards awarded John with the Life Time Achievement award for his outstanding achievement in the industry. In 2007, John received a knighthood in the Queen’s birthday honours. John has also been appointed to the New York’s One Club Hall of Fame and in 2008 was inducted into the New York Art Directors Club Hall of Fame.

Sir John will be joined by his friends and fellow advertising experts Billy Mawhinney and Max Forsythe in speaking at the festival. Tanya describes ‘The Heg’s fellow speakers, saying “Max is up there with Bill Bailey in terms of photography and Billy has been around in advertising for years and is very respected.”

Tanya also tells us that she and the rest of the team are still looking to get another creative speaker – ideally an Irish one – “but at the moment the big thing is that these three advertising heavyweights are coming into town,” she says.

This is the 48th anniversary of the Kinsale Sharks which will also this year have several new digital categories designed and overseen by the digital creative head of Ogilvyone, David Birss. The new categories include Digital Fresh Thinking, Digital Craft, Digital Channel and Digital Worldwinner.

Where the festival’s competitive area is concerned the 2010 jury chairman is Beattie McGuinness Bungay’s Trevor Beattie and the jury members include David Birss, Dare’s associate creative head, Dan Harrison and Pater Waibel, the founder and creative director of Jung von Matt/ Neckar. The promo jurors are Sky TV’s creative director Ross Dwyer; Jenna Charlebois, channel manager for the Disney channel, Irish director of 'Your Good Self, John Butler and Senior creative director of Chellomedia, Dean Stockton.

The 2010 Kinsale Shark Awards will take place on 17 - 18 of September. Submissions are currently being accepted and will be until the deadline which is August 19th. For more information visit www.sharkawards.com

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