Matias Palm-Jensen (McCann Erickson) to head Digital Media Awards 2012 judging process

Digital Asia Festival, a two-day event  celebrating Asia’s best digital marketing communications, appointed Matias Palm-Jensen, European Chief Innovation Officer McCann Erickson, to lead the judging process of this year’s Digital Media Awards, which are central to the festival.

Matias Palm-Jensen, creative heavyweight and founder of Swedish digital agency Farfar, joined McCann Erickson in May 2011 as European Chief Innovation Officer. He is responsible for strengthening McCann Worldgroup’s digital presence and capabilities across Europe and ensuring that digital is strongly integrated into every part of the client’s business.

He has been involved in the creative and digital world of advertising since the beginning of the digital era. Working for MTG and the Swedish media mogul Jan Stenbeck, Matias developed and produced one of the first and biggest European web portals in 1992.

In 1996, Matias started his first digital agency, Spiff Industries, a well-recognized and award-winning Swedish shop, with a focus on the Scandinavian market. He then moved on and founded Farfar (Swedish for “grandfather”) in 2000 to expand to global brands, giving clients a platform and channel in the new digital space. Global clients included Diesel, ABSOLUT and Nokia.

In 2001, within just a year of its founding, Farfar began winning at Cannes Lions, continuing to win various Lions for nine consecutive years, including two Cyber Lions Grands Prix – one for Milko with the “Music Machine” campaign in 2001 and the other for the Diesel “Heidie’s 15MB of Fame” campaign in 2007.

The last Farfar campaign Matias was part of was “The world’s biggest signpost” for Nokia. In 2010 this campaign won eight Cannes Lions in five different categories. The campaign was also recognised by The Gunn Report as the most award-winning piece last year.

At Cannes Lions, Matias has served as a juror three times in the last decade, including on the Titanium and Integrated Lions Jury.

Matias has a PhD in Law and Economics, and studied Film at the University of Stockholm. He lives in London and is also a member of McCann Worldgroup’s Creative Leadership Collective, a group of the network’s top creatives.

I am excited to see all of the digital creativity coming out of the APAC region where there is some extraordinary work being made – and am honoured to lead the jury in this task

Matias Palm-Jensen

A highly regarded digital creative, Matias will bring to the table his great passion, forward-thinking and outstanding knowledge in digital communications. We are delighted that he will take up the challenge to chair the Digital Media Awards

Terry Savage

Chairman Lions Festivals

The Digital Media Festival, incorporating the Digital Media Awards, will take place 7 and 8 November at the Grand Millennium hotel in Beijing, China. The Digital Asia Festival offers clients, agencies, media owners, production and design companies a platform to showcase their best work across media, entertainment, apps, gaming, online PR and online marketing, as well as participate in a compelling content programme, network and attend the awards that recognise the digital marketers and their agencies for outstanding work in promoting products and services. Entries deadline is August 31st.

The newly launched Digital Asia Festival, incorporating the well-established Digital Media Awards, is a learning, networking and celebration of the best that Asia’s digital marketing industry has to offer. Now in its sixth year, the awards continue to showcase and honor the expanding digital media and entertainment industries. The annual awards receive over 800 entries and are judged by an independent jury consisting of leading client marketers, digital media practitioners, agency strategists and other experts in the digital field.

The Digital Asia Festival is organised by Lions Festivals and Haymarket Media Asia.