How to win a prize
Guest commentary Is creativity actually worthwhile at award shows?
Guest commentary Is creativity actually worthwhile at award shows? For some time now, the motto of the German ADC has been: "Creativity pays off." A phrase that has now also been heard in the boardrooms, which have traditionally focused on "pushing" rather than "staging" advertising messages. After all, the creatively exciting campaigns have demonstrably achieved greater advertising effectiveness, i.e. proven to be the most efficient. As a result, the creative agencies' shelves are lined with Effies alongside the creative awards, with clients such as Procter & Gamble sending their marketing departments to Cannes by the busload. And nowadays they select their agencies according to the creative ranking.
"Creativity pays off" is therefore a motto that has achieved a great deal. The only question is: does it also apply to creative people in agencies? Or: How creative can you be to win competitions such as the ADC?
Sounds paradoxical, but it is reality. It has been shown too often that
the pursuit of something truly new came away empty-handed.
The average juror is only human. And people usually value the familiar more than the new. Or rather, they often reject the new at first.
As a rule, if you follow the typical pattern of award-winning work, then you win. If not, you don't.
Most of the truly innovative campaigns tended to be undervalued in their first year, until they later (often also thanks to awards at international award shows) received more and more deserved attention (in Germany, for example, the "Fiat Panda" and "Lucky Strike" campaigns).
So what to do? React to the trend and only produce campaigns with Brazilian picture jokes? Or act according to your creative ideal and provoke possible award failure?
The solution: The creative direct hit that simultaneously excites the elite and moves hearts. A test has proven its worth: Form an elite jury of the best creative minds in your agency - "the head group" - and let them vote on your work. Then do a cross-check with the "gut check group", i.e. with people in your agency who are not primarily creative but have a healthy gut feeling: Chief consultants, contact persons, team assis etc. If your work can inspire both groups, you have a sure award winner. If only the elitists like it, there is a 50:50 chance that the jury will also appreciate your work. If only the control group likes it, you can save yourself the entry fee.
At Jung von Matt, we call this process a "gallery". Everyone is called upon to give their assessment in the form of school grades. The result is then analyzed according to the criteria.
No time to conduct an elaborate survey? Ask your consulting partner - and your wife. Then decide.
Did the tests help us? Sometimes more, sometimes less. After all, we've always been in first or second place at the German ADC over the last ten years, alternating constantly with Springer & Jacoby. And we were not entirely unsuccessful at international awards either. Unfortunately, some of these awards have their own rules. But that's another story.
> Dörte Sprengler Ahrens is an ADC member, partner and head of JvM/9 (Kreativ-Turbo-Unit).
"Creativity pays off" is therefore a motto that has achieved a great deal. The only question is: does it also apply to creative people in agencies? Or: How creative can you be to win competitions such as the ADC?
Sounds paradoxical, but it is reality. It has been shown too often that
the pursuit of something truly new came away empty-handed.
The average juror is only human. And people usually value the familiar more than the new. Or rather, they often reject the new at first.
As a rule, if you follow the typical pattern of award-winning work, then you win. If not, you don't.
Most of the truly innovative campaigns tended to be undervalued in their first year, until they later (often also thanks to awards at international award shows) received more and more deserved attention (in Germany, for example, the "Fiat Panda" and "Lucky Strike" campaigns).
So what to do? React to the trend and only produce campaigns with Brazilian picture jokes? Or act according to your creative ideal and provoke possible award failure?
The solution: The creative direct hit that simultaneously excites the elite and moves hearts. A test has proven its worth: Form an elite jury of the best creative minds in your agency - "the head group" - and let them vote on your work. Then do a cross-check with the "gut check group", i.e. with people in your agency who are not primarily creative but have a healthy gut feeling: Chief consultants, contact persons, team assis etc. If your work can inspire both groups, you have a sure award winner. If only the elitists like it, there is a 50:50 chance that the jury will also appreciate your work. If only the control group likes it, you can save yourself the entry fee.
At Jung von Matt, we call this process a "gallery". Everyone is called upon to give their assessment in the form of school grades. The result is then analyzed according to the criteria.
No time to conduct an elaborate survey? Ask your consulting partner - and your wife. Then decide.
Did the tests help us? Sometimes more, sometimes less. After all, we've always been in first or second place at the German ADC over the last ten years, alternating constantly with Springer & Jacoby. And we were not entirely unsuccessful at international awards either. Unfortunately, some of these awards have their own rules. But that's another story.
> Dörte Sprengler Ahrens is an ADC member, partner and head of JvM/9 (Kreativ-Turbo-Unit).
