The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

For example, I was recently asked to judge a rather well known award show only to be told that no entry was allowed to be given a score less than 5 out of 10.

When I asked why didn’t they just re-do the scoring system to be between 1 and 5, they told me that was just the way they did it … but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out the real reason is because it stops entries being given a publically humiliating score which may cause agencies to stop entering [read: paying] the awards the following year.

Seriously, if they wanted Paula Abdul to be the judge they should of just asked her … because all this approach does is undermine the value of the awards and maintains the petty, egotistical and delusion view most agencies have of themselves … a view that is ultimately destroying the long term prospects of their industry.

I wouldn’t mind so much if they didn’t take themselves so fucking seriously … but the way they act is like they’re fucking God, and of course the industry backs that view because it helps them feel important even though in the real World, what they do tends to be ignored or ridiculed.

Saying that, I love being invited to judge because I like the idea I can cause change from the inside … and whilst it doesn’t always happen/work … it’s better than just pointless throwing barbs from a distance.

Anyway, despite all that I want to talk about an award I like.

I like it for a bunch of reasons … of which not pretending to be saviour of the industry/universe is one of the main ones.

It comes from WARC … the marketing information people … and they are seeking entries that basically demonstrates unconventional thinking that achieved conventional commercial success.

Because ‘unconventional thinking’ is actually quite easy to determine … it means these awards will be crediting thinking/doing & effectiveness … things that many other awards claim to do, but have a process/system that undermines the importance of at least one of those elements.

Are there ways to ‘cheat the system’?

Of course … let’s face it, “effectiveness” is almost as ambiguous as the word “creative” … but at least the way this is set up means validity of entry is easy to determine: you’ve either embraced unconventional thinking [based on category/industry norms] or you haven’t.

It’s being judged by Alex Bogusky, no stranger to weird-yet-valid … has a US$10,000 prize and – the best bit – is it’s FREE TO ENTER, so even if your agency couldn’t give a fuck, you can submit an entry yourself.