Throughout my long and somewhat checkered career in the ad biz, I have won my share of awards (he said modestly.) Perhaps the most memorable one being the David Ogilvy Global Award, which came with a $10,000 prize, which I was informed I wouldn’t be receiving, as I was freelance. Bastards!
Back in my Mad Man days, most award shows had four categories, TV, print, radio and billboards, and the entry fees were modest. Today, there are hundreds of vague categories and the costs are greater than the GNP of a small African nation. Hey, Cannes and its Mimosas, yachts and hookers, don’t come cheap. Remember a few years ago when some unknown agency won a Dylithium Lion for a campaign about putting iron bars in cooking pots to cure nymphomania, or something. It turned out that the idea had been around for years, they just “homaged” it. They sold the Lion on eBay.
So, I was surprised and delighted to see that finally, an award show in Mad Land is calling out for edgy, and yes, truly creative work. New York Festivals Advertising Awards® and agency BCW have partnered on a bold Call for Entry campaign that challenges entrants to “Show Us Something We Haven’t Seen,” Work, that like these, would make the most data-driven Meta Fucktard ad executive, sit up and take notice. Best of all… No celebs, Brand Ambassadors or their cretinous kids.
Check out the great video with the lady with the Brooklyn accent, sipping coffee out of a cardboard cup whilst drawing on a fag, as she explains to us what makes New York special. Well done guys.
