True. It would have to reflect the personality of the brand. A good example is the work Saatchi NY did for Tide with Wrigley fielf and the empire state building. It was most probably proactive in nature but still refected the brand. As agencies and creatives, we shoudl still be responsible and do responsible thinking for our clients and not pull any suicide bomber stunts for volkswagen or sperm droppings for puma. So in short, I agree the ideas should reflect the brand and not be out there for the sake of being out there.
I completely agree. I thought we were going under the assumption that real work on real briefs and making them the best they possibly can be comes first. That's always the best kind of good work, the real one. Perhaps we are all so focussed on doing great work that good work suffers in the middle.
The way I see it. And I only speak for myself here...
Rule #1
Do pro-active work for existing clients that you/agency has. The exception to this rule is if you happen to get written consent from a company to do pro-active ads for them (even if they are not officially a client of yours). Knowing the Director of Marketing personally etc helps.
However for the most part, COME UP WITH PRO-ACTIVE WORK FOR YOUR OWN CLIENTS. Not Bob's Barber shop downstairs or the corner Karate School. Your own clients...or clients you have access to.
Rule #2
Get it shot and executed for cheap/free.
DO this by pulling all the favors you can pull. You and everyone involved in this process must seriously believe in the award-winning potential of this piece, otherwise it is a wasted effort.
Good relationships with photographers and retouchers help. In fact, relations in general just help.
Rule #3
After you shoot it, take it to an unsuspecting client and overwhelm him/her with your enthusiasm and creativity and your hunger to make his/her brand better. Once you have won the client over, convince client to run the ad(s).
Even if it's just once! Convince them to run it. After all, who cares if it only ran once. A good idea is a good idea. The client gets a free/cheap ad out of it, they won't mind running it wherever. At the end of the day, all those bitter people questioning the legitimacy of the ad and how often it ran aren't the ones walking up on stage to collect the award...you are!
I digress. Back to getting the ad released. You could try and get some help from your media department to get it run somewhere. The upside to this exercise is If the client is really happy and impressed with your pro-active , maybe they will ask you to do more such ideas and actually offer to pay you for it. Now you've got something. Getting your expenses covered is one thing, getting a creatively-excited client is a dream come true. When you get this, never let this opportunity to do great work go.
Rule #4
Make sure it runs LEGITIMATELY.
Rule #5
Enter, enter and enter. Make sure you/your agency has some money put aside for award entries. The bills can pile up very easily. Award shows make a ton of money. Use the categories wisely.
Rule #6
Get some buzz going about the piece. This is where releasing the work onine on adsoftheworld.com and adland.tv really helps.
Rule #7
If you don't pick up any awards, don't sweat it. Know that there was better work out there and you just have to up your game further, do better and more of it. So get off your ass and get back to thinking of better ideas!
Next year is a whole other story.
Doesn't the One Show even have a category for 'unreleased work'?
If advertising is what one does for work and loves it, then go ahead and celebrate it. Make ads! Fake or not, who cares. Whether it ran or not, WHO CARES!
I'm so very sick and tired of hearing disgruntled ad-people seeing an ad that's got a good insight and a good idea and shot well...the first question they ask is "DId that ever run?" or "Is that even real?".
Unfortunately these bitter people who don't have the courage or inclination to just do it for the love of it will always exist. I just hope those who do more and talk less overcome.
If anything else, it raises the bar. While some may find that discomforting, others will rise to that challenge. Lets hope so. How's that for a rant?
Adland® is a commercial-laden heaven and hell for advertising addicts around the world.
This advertising publication was founded in 1996, built on beer and bravery, Adland® now boasts the largest super bowl commercials collection in the world.
Adland® survives on your donations alone. You can help us out by buying us a Ko-Fi. Adland® works best in Brave browser
WHO CARES!!!!!! They did it and they won. Congratulations to them. If it ran once, it qualifies. Big deal. It's still creative excellence and it's still good work. Cannes is not about effectiveness, it's about creativity.
To Alex's point, these awards may be just for the industry, but awards are the currency by which creatives get raises, bonuses, promotions and better job offers. That is how creatives move up in the world.
Just like the account people move up by displaying strategy and using as many marketing jargons as possible and making good with the clients (ok, a bit insensitive there, sorry), creatives use awards to further their career.
It's just a tool.
Let it go people, let it go. Celebrate the creativity. Don't hate, congratulate!
- reply
Permalink