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Advertising
Awards
by: William James
If you have ever been to an
advertising agency, even as a casual visitor during the advertising awards
season, you would have noticed a palpable tension in the air. Admittedly,
an advertising agency always has an air of tension about it. But this
tension is especially evident during the advertising awards season. And
with good reason! For most agencies thrive on the brief but fulfilling
advertising awards season to give themselves a reason for their existence.
And if at the end of the advertising awards season, they are able to walk
away with a couple of awards, they get all charged up to produce even
better advertising!
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For most outsiders,
advertising awards are merely a self-aggrandizing opportunity that
advertising agencies indulge in. In most case, they are not wrong. Even
within the advertising industry. Advertising awards are viewed with some
disdain by a few agencies, while others go all out to claim and treasure
their advertising awards. But do advertising awards actually serve a
purpose? Speaking for myself, I think they do. Look at it this way. Day
and day out, advertising agencies all over the world strive hard to
promote the products and services of their clients. While this is a job
like any other, it does demand large amounts of time, talent and
perseverance. While the agencies do charge for this, an advertising award
is a sort of a motivation for them to do much better.
It is like an award for any other service provided. Most manufacturers
provide awards to their best dealers. Most retailers have awards for the
best sales people. So why can’t advertising agencies constitute and give
out awards for their creative and servicing persons? This is why
advertising awards are all the rage. And most agencies strive especially
hard to gather an award winning portfolio. A copywriter or an art director
with a couple of advertising awards is a much sought after entity. And
they too would like to embellish their portfolios with advertising awards.
For most people in the advertising business, whether they are from the
creative or the account servicing side, Cannes is the biggest advertising
awards function held each year. Getting a Golden Lion advertising awards
is akin to getting a Nobel Prize in any other field. While the monetary
rewards may not be anywhere near that of a Nobel Prize, the satisfaction
derived from a Cannes Advertising Award is something that cannot be
described in mere words.
There are several other regional, national and global advertising awards
as well. The One Show advertising awards are another category of
advertising awards that have come to become an institution in their own
right. As are the Cleo advertising awards for creative people. The Golden
pencil advertising awards too have their own followers and faithfuls. And
all the advertising clubs across the world have some or the other sort of
advertising award that they give out to recognize excellence in
advertising.
It is my personal belief that most advertising agencies view these awards
as a recognition of their excellence and strive hard to maintain their
standards. Of course, there will always be the odd agency that creates
advertisements merely for the advertising awards show. But such agencies
will soon find themselves running out of real clients. |
