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September 28, 2015

An Interview with Webby Winner Big Spaceship’s Cedric Devitt

Why The Internet Can't Be Stopped in 5 Words: Nobody Can find the plug.  

Since 2005, Big Spaceship has taken home 11 Wins and Nominees for their outstanding work with companies like Shake Shack, Interstellar (in partnership with Google Play), Ken Burns and MoMAWhat’s in store for Big Spaceship this week? A look at their 20th Annual Call For Entry poster, an interview with their first Chief Creative Officer, Cedric Devitt below and a Twitter takeover this Thursday, October 1. 

Big Spaceship tasked their team of creating interpretations of our 20th Annual Call For Entry theme, “The Internet Can’t Be Stopped”. The final print that was chosen is a illustrated version of one of our favorite GIFs of Brent Rambo giving the Internet a solid thumbs up in the early days of Apple computers. 

 

brentrambo

 

Click through the rest of their team’s poster designs below.

We caught up with the agency’s first Chief Creative Officer, Cedric Devitt, on why the Internet can’t be stopped and what’s to come for Big Spaceship.

Tell us about your depiction of “The Internet Can’t Be Stopped

The brilliant poster that was selected by the Webby’s was actually created by our Group Design Director Dave Chau. His depiction was based on the following stream of thought:

As much as the Internet is about the proliferation of and unprecedented access to all the world’s information, it’s equally about a constant and never-ending hose of face-melting absurdity. The rate at which new memes, fads and cultural moments get created, remixed and then fade away is the truly unstoppable quality of the Internet.”

 

What’s the best thing to happen to the Internet in the past 20 years?

With every upside, there seems to be a downside to each great aspect of the Internet. Every brilliant invention faces scrutiny from some corner of the web screaming “what about Kodak or what about in-person communication?!” For me the most undeniable truth is that the Internet enables communication. I can now connect with my mother and family on the other side of the global in amazing new ways. I have basically lived five thousand miles away from them since the birth of the Internet, but because of its existence and its ability to bring people together, I’ve never felt that far from them. The ability to connect people across geographies, religions and cultures is utterly mind-blowing.

Watch Big Spaceship at the 17th Annual Webby Awards
Big Spaceship's 5-Word Speech

What are you most excited for in the next 20 years of the Internet?

Heading into a Presidential election year, it still seems pretty unbelievable to me that we cannot use the Internet to vote. We still find ourselves having to close down Public Schools for a day so that people can vote behind curtains. Surely the Internet will provide us with the ability to do this in the safety of our homes, with all the access to information we need, to make the right informed choices, without the scrutiny of our neighbors or fear of retribution.

 

Your team has helped shape the last 20 years of the Webbys. What are you working on now?

We have a lot of great projects in the works right now, but many are under lock and key until they launch. We definitely have a good balance though — from designing and building digital products and services – websites, mobile apps, connected devices – to delivering ongoing strategic and campaign work, our clients and the internet are keeping us busy.

I can haz Shack burger? ”
— Big Spaceship's 5-Word Speech (2013)

How is Big Spaceship using technology to connect people to your clients at the moment?

Big Spaceship was born out of the need to be elastic and nimble in today’s crazy always-on world. As a result, our people naturally move at the speed of the Web and culture – pivoting and out-internetting the Internet daily. Technology of course is a huge part of that and how we connect our clients with their consumers, but at the end of the day, we put people and behaviours first and we try not to be servants to shiny new technology innovations.

 

Tell Us in 5 words why the Internet can’t be stopped.

Nobody can find the plug.

Big Spaceship Team | "The Internet Can't Be Stopped"

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"The Internet Can't Be Stopped" by Joey Manin

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"The Internet Can't Be Stopped" by Julia Kaiser

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"The Internet Can't Be Stopped" by Ian Thomas

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"The Internet Can't Be Stopped" by Ian Thomas

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"The Internet Can't Be Stopped" by Dave Chau

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"The Internet Can't Be Stopped" by Abbey Ley

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"The Internet Can't Be Stopped" by Dabney Donigan

For the Call for Entries for our 20th Webby Awards, we have partnered with 20 Webby Winners – who throughout the past 20 years have shaped not only The Webby Awards, but the Internet itself. Read more about our 20th Webbys collaboration here.

Don’t forget you can watch all the highlights from the 20th Annual Webby Awards now!

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