The Big Ideas Store finished a stellar two weeks with a battle royal Great Debate with some of adland’s biggest names facing off.

At stake was a combination of professional reputations and pride mixed in with a doze of codral (for at least one of the speakers) as the two sides went head to head.

The debate question: can great advertising can open our eyes to new products, new categories and new ways of living. But does advertising really hold sway over our culture, or is it cynically raiding the zeitgeist and exploiting the human experience for commercial ends.

Adjudicator
• Tim Burrowes, Editor-at-Large, Mumbrella
The affirmative
• Rachel Fraser, Head of Strategy, M+C Saatchi
• Roshni Hegerman, Chief Strategy Officer, McCann
• Toby Boon, Director of Strategy, Insights & Effectiveness, Nine

The negative
• Andrew Wynne, CEO, Joy
• Michele O’Neill, Director, Powered Enterprise
• Camille Gray, Strategist, Rufus