Ad awards are becoming a rather devalued currency. Because the aim is to grab as much revenue as possible with big entry fees you get some strange results, like winning global agencies you’ve never heard of.
The Epica Awards is different to the extent it’s judged by journalists, not creatives who may be “persuaded” to support their masters and do down said masters’ enemies.
Epica reckons some slippery ad types have tried to wheedle their way on to its juries (they can’t it seems.) So Havas has produced a diverting campaign highlighting supposed fifth columnists.
Havas Paris CCO Stéphane Gaubert and ECD Etienne Renaux say: “We felt from the start that we should play on the unique feature of the Epica Awards, which is the jury. Then we imagined the ways creatives might try to gain access so they could have their say.”
Epica Awards editorial director Mark Tungate says: “We’re constantly stressing that our jury is only open to journalists, but every year we’re contacted by creatives who’d like to join. Stéphane and Etienne captured this in a really clear, fun way. Having such famous creative names on board is a real thrill and honour for us, too.”
