As yet another year goes by, we agency types once again turn our eager faces toward gleaming trophies, sparkling plaques and unadulterated, egotistical bliss, as we imagine ourselves sweeping the Addy, Clio, and even One Show Awards.

But what do these prestigious accolades actually mean to us, and why are we so drawn to bagging more and more of them?

Award-winning ventures undoubtedly share some key ingredients

After years of pondering the “oh-so coveted” advertising awards allure, it occurred to me that there is more to it than simply receiving tangible kudos for your “creative genius.” And perhaps there’s even plausible theory beyond creative or agency recognition that – dare we say – may point directly at our agency process.

It seems to me that when you actually contemplate the work that is winning the awards (any awards) and study its developmental evolution, the results are simply far better in almost every respect when compared directly to work that has not won anything.

Nada, zip, zilch.

Forget aesthetics for a moment (come on, you can do it) and ponder the internal process, timeline flow, client reactions and interactions, account services engagement from inception to deadline, and you will see that award-winning work has fared better on most all levels. Not to mention, a far more prominent endorsement of said product or brand. Simply put, it is perfection in implementation – as well as perfection in creative thinking – that garners the awards.

No guts, no glory

A well-executed initiative from opening to curtain call will always be well, award winning on most every level. So, why isn’t there an award for that profoundly written creative brief, or your strict adherence to unfathomable timelines, or perhaps even an award for “no client changes?”

Perhaps we should form our own award committee to judge the guts of a job, and not just the glory. Aptly named the  “No Guts, No Glory” Awards.

Images from the AAF, Clio, and One Show Awards websites.

Tags: Advertising, Creative
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Why the art of design matters

Would Mr. Pollock have been able to survive today’s “office politics” and summon his talent at will?

Was he really the creative genius of his generation, or just some lucky schlub with a lousy temper and a propensity for booze, who simply stumbled upon creative brilliance?

Considering Pollock’s qualifications

Paul Jackson Pollock, an American painter, became a major influence in the abstract expressionist movement of the 1940s and throughout his brief, but brilliant, painting career. A reclusive artist, an alcoholic, and known in most circles to have a volatile personality, Pollock was not born to greatness. Yet still, an unflinching dedication to the exploration of his craft perpetuated Pollock to achieve creative brilliance on the world’s stage.

He established what’s known today as the “drip technique”:  a process of pouring and/or dripping resin-based liquefied paints onto a flat surface, then manipulating the mixture with a stick rather than brush. This technique is widely considered the origin of the term “action painting.”

Pollock’s ingenuity and brilliance quite literally turned the art community upside-down and opened the door to an entirely new method of creating art — as well as viewing it.

Pollock: good candidate for an art director?

Well, we can certainly say that his work inspired our world with creativity and vision. And for what it’s worth, I believe Pollock was the real deal creatively.

If Mr. Pollock were alive today and in search of an Art Director position, I would gladly hire him. Beyond the personal flaws (and yes, we all have a few), his raw talent and unbridled tenacity to push design and technique beyond the norm are attributes that any good Art Director should possess. A willingness to go out into the ether and explore the unexplored is more than daunting, and Pollock did so with both passion and grace.

I believe that if we can understand and capture even a Lilliputian portion of Pollock’s spirit (sans some of his more obvious flaws), it would enlighten and help us all to reach that elusive greatness dwelling deep within.

Do you agree?

Fodder for our next conversation, copywriting: William Faulkner and Jack Kerouac – bloated windbags or advertising prodigies?

Photo above is from http://jacksonpollock.com.

Tags: Advertising, Creative, Design, Marketing
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