Young talent awards drive excellence forward

For this year's "Only an advertisement can do that" competition, young creatives once again designed advertisements that promote their peers. 90 ideas were submitted, 6 of which were awarded prizes. The winning ads will be published in over 100 newspapers and magazines as part of the Swiss Media Association's generic marketing campaign - under the name of their creators. The works were judged by a jury consisting of creatives and clients, chaired by Andreas Prokesch, former president of the Art Directors Club (ADC). Michael Conrad could also be won as a jury member. Conrad is the founder and president of the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, an honorary member of the ADC, long-time creative director of Leo Burnett Worldwide and was president of the Cannes Lions jury. In an interview with Werbewoche, he talks about print advertising, the importance of creative awards for promoting young talent, awards and advertising in general.

 
WW: Michael Conrad, what prompted you to get involved with "Das kann nur ein Inserat" (DKNEI)?
Michael Conrad: I find daily newspaper advertising interesting. When I was asked to work for DKNEI, I said yes.
 
What is so exciting about newspaper advertising?
Most advertisements are skimmed over. Only a few produce something that is very important for advertisers: time. In contrast to television, where you buy time, advertisements can produce time.
 
How do print ads achieve this?
Just like an article in the newspaper. By offering something that is relevant to the reader, that captivates them. They have to make the reader engage with them.
 
In this regard, you once praised a text advertisement from Apple that explains iPhone apps (see side column). Why?
It's the kind of presentation we've seen many times before. A product is shown, individual parts are explained, the headline is to the point, but nothing special. An ad like this would never be chosen in a competition. But it works. After reading the ad, I downloaded two apps. On one flight, I was able to watch someone else read this ad in the newspaper and spend about 90 seconds on it.
 
Is it a problem if an ad that works in the market has no chance of winning an award?
That is a huge problem. There is a tendency in the advertising industry to want to win awards. There is nothing wrong with that per se. But it becomes problematic when advertisers withhold an ad from the client because they can't win an award with it. Agencies should first and foremost do what is right for their clients. And sometimes they win an award in the process.
 
Would it be a solution to adjust the awards?
A good awards show could allow jury members to submit good work themselves that has not been submitted. However, the organizers will not push this, as the awards are money machines. Every work that is sent in costs money. They won't want to take this money away. Apart from that, it would probably be difficult to practise if jury members were to suggest advertisements themselves. Then a lobbying activity begins.
 
Would awards criteria have to be adjusted so that an ad like Apple's would be submitted by the agencies?
That is tricky. The awards want to have as few criteria as possible. The jury members should give their opinion on what is good advertising. So it depends on the jury. If a jury takes into account the commercial value of an advertisement, the Apple ad would also score.
 
There are awards such as the Effie that give specific weighting to market success. How do you feel about this?
I think the Effie is good. I think it's important to reward work that has produced something spectacular and extraordinary in the market. But there is overlap between different competitions: Advertising that is recognized at the major awards also wins an Effie to a large extent.
 
You are involved in various competitions for young talent. How important are creative prizes for promoting young talent in general?
Awards for young talent are incredibly important. They drive excellence forward. The awards give young people the attention of people who have already achieved great things. It motivates them to do good work. That is "Encouragement". It's the same in advertising as it is in the film industry: a director or filmmaker who doesn't have the ambition to win an Academy Award shouldn't be working in the industry at all.
 
You don't describe the Berlin School of Creative Leadership as an advertising school. What is it then?
The school was founded to support great creatives who are placed in leadership roles or who place themselves in these roles.
 
You mean when an AD becomes a CD or a CD becomes a managing director ...
Exactly. Running a company is different from creating advertising. Especially because advertising agencies are not just any service companies, but creative companies.
 
What does this mean?
Great creatives work outside the norm. That's why agencies also need to find a place beyond the norm. TBWA, for example, has chosen "disruption" (editor's note: disruption, upheaval; comes from Jean-Marie Dru) as a criterion and has built up expertise around the idea. Positioning yourself outside the norm makes you competitive. The task of managers is now to lead their agency, their clients and partners to such a position. Agencies should not produce what clients would buy, but what clients need. The Berlin School teaches creative professionals the techniques to do this.
 
You advocate "crazy" advertising. How many agencies manage this?
The word "crazy" must not be misinterpreted. It doesn't mean crazy, it means moved away from the norm. Most agencies don't succeed in advertising like this. And very few do very well. Old Spice's advertising, for example, is absolutely brilliant. The same goes for Hornbach.
 
Who is responsible when advertising is not "crazy" enough: is it the agencies that lack the courage - or the clients who don't dare to use unconventional advertising?
I would say it's primarily up to the agencies. They have to agree in advance with their clients to go to a place that is fresh, that is unconventional. But clients are also responsible because they pay agencies less and less. The worst thing for agencies is when they have to sell something. Advertisers and clients have to work together to develop something new. Agencies have to find ways to break out of the cliché with their clients and create something of their own.
 
Last question: What advice would you give young creatives?
I encourage you to study unconditionally how to avoid clichés and to set yourself goals. That drives you forward. During my time at Leo Burnett, I developed a list of quality criteria that has been adopted by many agencies and also by a few universities (see side column.) The 10 criteria can be divided into three areas. You want to achieve the upper levels. Criteria 4 to 1 should be avoided: Clichés, work that is not competitive, destructive or frightening advertising. To avoid such publicity, you have to develop an innovative strategy and work excellently on the details. I advise young people to define criteria for themselves and to assess themselves every three months according to their criteria - and have them assessed. Then they will get ahead.

Interview: Isabel Imper