Between, CA, D&AD, Art Director’s Club, Clio, ANDYs, Effies, Addys, London International Awards, the hundreds of local and regional award shows and publications devoted to celebrating the awesomeness of the advertising creative, it’s no wonder the industry has a reputation of self-congratulatory jackassery.
But something dawned on me recently. And I can’t believe it took me this long to figure it out.
People get into advertising because it’s one of the only ways to make art and money at the same time. Graduate with a degree in fine arts, and it’s a long road before you’re selling paintings in a gallery for five figures. Write a manuscript, and the odds of seeing it in hard cover at Barnes & Noble are, mathematically speaking, zero.
But here’s the thing about advertising vs. other types of artistic expression: It’s anonymous.
Art directors don’t get to sign their layouts before they appear in print. Copywriters don’t get bylines on their commercials. When the world sees great work, the client gets the credit. Consumers don’t give a shit about who came up with it.
So we acknowledge each other with grand ceremonies of applause and binge drinking. For one (or two, or 20) nights a year, the industry raises a glass to itself in appreciation.We pat each other on the back, attach names to the work, and allow the most talented among us to take that walk to the podium.
Painters and novelists get to sign their work, and when people see it, they know right away who’s responsible. But advertising? Those poor craftslobs toil away in anonymity.
Award shows are simply public acknowledgements of an otherwise faceless industry. And I say, let’s at least grant them that.
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We also have a lot of award shows because they are a business. We pay to enter, we pay when we win (for additional trophies), etc. That’s where the altruism stops, unfortunately.
Actually, going into advertising is not the only way for artists & designers to make a living (I have no idea from the writing side). Maybe its the fastest/direct way to being overly lucrative, which may lead to a culture where people are typically cut-throat and the work is fleeting and only appeals mostly to people IN advertising. Yes, go ahead, walk into an architecture firm or a design consultancy (who are actually solving real problems and innovating the coolest stuff on earth) and ask them if they know what that silver bowl is or if they really care. Advertising, in its traditional sense, is not as culturally mind-blowing as people IN advertising think. The award shows are completely inward-facing and there to help self-validate. What about thoughtful intelligence instead of self-indulgent persuasion? Are you going to avoid a life’s pursuit in that just because you don’t get a trophy at the end? Many, many, many people’s work is “anonymous” (can you name the guy who invented the life-saving medical stent—without hitting up wikipedia?) But perhaps most people pursue careers that have more meaning, and that, to them, is the real reward/award.
I would echo Jodi’s sentiments. And I would add this — awards are a false recognition of “good.” A few random judges are asked to briefly (and I mean really briefly) assess the quality of the creative. They are distracted, they are rushed, they are tired (especially toward the end of Day 2 of judging). And, in the end, their decisions are looked upon as divine recognition of quality. Not until I started judging the awards shows did I come to realize how meaningless they really are.
I think it’s because the industry heads know we’re distracted by shiny things. When they have layoffs, or pass us over for promotions, or cut our pay, or make us do crappy work to please impossible clients they know it’s time to give us a shiny thing and free booze and we forget all about it.
When I worked in an academic R&D institute, everyone that contributed to a publication was listed on the title page — the author(s), other contributors, and the editor. Movies have long strings of credits from the director to the guy who brings the cameraman coffee. What would be wrong with signed ads or TV commercials? I think everyone’s work should be acknowledged. We need more balance in recognition, respect, and remuneration. The superstars, the star athletes, and the CEOs who make outrageous salaries depend on all the unacknowledged folks who do the work. Let’s start respecting everyone more, and maybe the overpaid superstars and clueless Congressmen a little less.
I hadn’t ever thought of award shows as a way to acknowledge “faceless” artists. That’s a new perspective. Thanks for it.
My default reaction is similar to Ian’s. And what the big-business nature of it seems to generate is awards for big agencies who can afford the fees and are able to relinquish the billable hours to pull together the materials. Boutique shops are left out.
Just my $.02.
Ian & Aaron, award shows are big business. No doubt. And it’s precisely because creatives want their names up in lights. We’re all looking for a little recognition. Sometimes narcissistically so.
Jodi and Mike, there’s no doubt advertising is an inward bunch. I’m just saying that maybe one of the reasons we seek so much validation is because no one else gives it to us. Yes, we should be creating for creation’s sake. But authors and artists get to sign their name while adfolk don’t.
Ronan, I tried to pay my mortgage with shiny things and the bank wouldn’t take them. Maybe because they weren’t shiny enough.
Techquestioner, hear, hear.
Most of the time when I’ve provided credits for awards shows a good half of the people named had nothing to do with the work and in fact never even saw it or knew it was being created. These would be the Chief Creative Officer, Creative Director, Head Account Manager, Executive Producer, etc. So how exactly would the work be signed? By the people that actually worked on it and produced it or by the boss who was getting stoned in his office?
Most every awards show I’ve ever attended is just an agency popularity contest. The best work never wins. But no one will ever say it out loud because they all want to work at the most popular shop too.
The only award I want for doing good work is better assignments and better pay. And maybe some recognition from my boss. A “good job” really counts for a lot more to me than a gold painted metal pencil.
Erik, you keep citing artists (maybe a painter?) and authors. They are individuals who took most of the risk and put in all the effort. So while I agree in theory that credit should be publicized for all creative efforts (of course!), one would best get that on their own venture, say, like, making a film like Lemonade!
Unfortunately, any big bureaucratic “group think” organizations are a tough place to seek individual kudos (let alone public ones). In my experience, anyway.
Jodi,
I’m not disagreeing in the least. I’m just trying to figure out why advertising is so award-show crazy. One reason is validation, which can come from simply signing your name.
All creative people need to know they’re appreciated. Even if they have to, sometimes sickeningly, award each other.
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