(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/to-entre-or-not-to-enter.jpg alt: to enter or not to enter)
Last year’s most creative agencies in the world have been named in the (link: https://www.directnewideas.com/bigwon/ text: Directory Big Won 2015 rankings). The top network was BBDO and the top agency, BBDO New York. adam&eve DDB London, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO and Wieden+Kennedy London were the most creative UK agencies.
Generally it is acknowledged that the success of an agency is measured in the metals they mine. The number of awards an agency wins raises its profile among other agencies, astute marketing departments and ambitious creative.
Though not everyone agrees. As DDB’s worldwide chief creative officer Amir Kassaei is of (link: http://: http://www.campaignlive.com/article/end-false-recognitions/1379124#SGbIZkdLVrP2Vv8s.99 text: the opinion)
that many agencies are willing to “sacrifice our integrity to get them.” This, he says, “has lessened the integrity of the awards themselves.” He’s talking about scam. He has pledged that DDB will, across the network, enter less work in 2016.
However, he does say this, too: “All of us who are working in advertising and marketing communication have only one purpose: to use our creative talents and insights to build relevance and influence in today’s world that consequently creates substantial results for the brands, products and services of our clients.”
It’s worth noting the findings of a study from (link: https://www.thinkbox.tv/Research/Thinkbox-research/The-link-between-creativity-and-effectiveness text: The Gunn Report and the IPA Effectiveness Databank). Apparently, between 2003 and 2010, creatively-awarded campaigns were 12 times more efficient than non-awarded campaigns. A great piece of communication, a piece of communication worth its weight in gold, should be effective as well as creative.
I used to work for an agency that had a big bank as a client. The work we did for them was always of a high standard, but it was never groundbreaking. At one time they’d approved work that was awards-worthy, but there’d been many changes within their marketing department and their focus had shifted to producing work that just did the job of hitting targets. So what our executive creative director did was take them to an awards show where the agency was nominated in several categories for our other clients. When we won, and our other clients got to go up on stage, the marketing director looked thoughtful. He made sure that the following year he got to walk up on stage with our ECD. Clients like their moment in the spotlight. They like to feel good about their brand.
Winning an award for a client raises their profile. It also goes some way in demonstrating how client-centric an agency is.
Awards are powerful morale-boosters for an agency. Every department contributes to the success of a piece of work. It can’t be denied that the credibility an award bestows on an agency can help win new business – they make an agency look good. Winning awards means people sit up and take notice.
You could also argue that awards help agencies get better at what they do.
That certainly seems to be the view of TBWA chairman Lee Clow. He has said that despite all the criticism of the advertising awards, acknowledgement of great work is instrumental in fuelling creativity. Awards, he thinks, have driven “the art and product of creativity” and worked as “a tool to celebrate and push the work forward.”
And pushing the work forward is what every creative department of every agency should be committed to.