If you don’t want to enter real work into awards, then fuck off and be an artist
In this guest post, awards jury veteran Matt Batten, a former ECD of Wunderman Australia, argues that the practice of scam advertising – raised by Mumbrella in recent days – hurts the whole industry.
Reading from 10,553 miles away – that’s 16,983km in the metric – I’d like to commend you on your dogged determination to find answers to the burning questions surrounding some of Australia’s most intriguing Cannes Lions winners this year.
Some say that this is the way of the world (at least our small part in it) and that creativity should be let free upon the award shows regardless of whether or not it was a legitimate response to a brief or a proactive project to help solve a genuine business problem for a real client – or a made-up ad for a brand that had no idea of its existence.
Firstly, let’s all acknowledge that as creative people in creative agencies in a creative industry, we want awards. More so, we need awards. On one of my soapboxes – and I have a few – I have oft conveyed my belief that awards are not the shiny pieces of alloy which with we adorn our reception desks, but that they are recognition. Recognition of a job well done plying our trade. Recognition from our colleagues, our peers, our clients, our competitors and our competitor’s clients. They are somewhat essential to our business. And certainly essential to our personal progression. Every creative (and sometimes account handlers, planners and producers too) are judged by the merit of their previous work, which is shown by more than a portfolio. It is shown by a list of accolades bestowed upon us by our betters on international stages.
And while we occasionally hear complaints that agencies (or more pointedly, creatives) are too fixated on awards, let us not forget that our clients also put great stock in accolades – ‘Best New Product in the Convenience Food Category’ or ‘Voted No.1 Call Centre at the Service Industry Awards’ – often displaying their shiny badges or titles in TV ads, on their websites, on packaging and in their on-hold recordings.
Awards are important to everyone. They show that the bearer is exceptional at what they do.
Is it any wonder that we’ll go to any lengths to win them?
And all of us have. We’ve all had those golden ideas that we know are right for the brand, those corkers that the world absolutely must see. The ones that could put us, our agency and our client in the limelight.
So we try to sell it in. We try to convince the client. We even offer our services for free. There is nothing wrong with that. Every profession has the right to provide their services without charge when they see an opportunity for value of another kind. If this was taboo then the public services and charities of the world would be left destitute of marketing. Geoffrey Edelsten would never get married.
We sometimes present a great idea with the sell “we’ve split the data so you can send this cheap pack to your lower-value segment and this high-value (and potentially award worthy) pack to your most valued 5% of customers” or even the ask “run your preferred concept across your media schedule, but can you also run this (much better) one in a few tactical impressions and we’ll see how they respond?”
We wheedle and strike deals in the hope of proving our ad was right.
But scam – genuine scam – is not an ad. It is a practice, an act: scamming. Trying to pretend a piece of work, whether paid for or given free, is something other than it really was. Claiming a campaign was solving a genuine client problem when the client didn’t even know about it. Entering a poster in outdoor media categories when it was actually a couple of A1 sheets tacked to the office wall. Producing a case study video that goes beyond polishing the story and actually embellishes to the point of fiction. Or running a half-page ad in the Rouse Hill Times on the last day before entries closed and then passing it off as a double page spread as part of a national campaign. It’s fraud. A swindle.
We’ve all heard the standard arguments against the practice: that it’s unfair to compare these ideas against those that were produced in response to a real brief with real obstacles and real objectives and real client involvement; that the playing field isn’t level; it diminishes the value of the awards; it makes a mockery of our profession; that it’s blatant lying. All valid points.
But even more valid: what if we did let scam run free? What if we said “fuck it, if we’re going to celebrate creativity, then let the floodgates open”?
Maybe not in the first year, but very quickly thereafter we’d see the tide of trophies shift toward the scam entries – although they would no longer be called scam because the rules now permitted them. And soon, the genuine work that helped oil the machines of client economies would recede from the stage, the blogs and the annuals. We’d all be winning awards for pet projects. Hobbies. Flights of fancy.
And everybody could play. Not just people in our profession, but anyone in the world who has an idea. Plumbers, bankers, bus drivers. And yes, even clients. They could show us that they’re as good at making up shit as we are. But that’s fair. It’s an open economy all devised to celebrate creativity, right?
We’d be artists. Making whatever the fuck we wanted and getting awarded for doing so.
Sound good? Then fuck off and be an artist.
We’re professionals who get paid by companies to solve business problems for other companies, big and small, using the tools of our trade – one of which is creativity, proven to be effective in building awareness, driving sales, and encouraging loyalty – in order for those companies to thrive, grow, increase in value, employ people, maintain economies and sometimes, hopefully, make the world a better or more interesting place with good products and services.
It’s bad enough that we now educate our kids with a policy of 100% positive-reinforcement. That Johnny can say 2 + 2 = 19 and be told “That’s a very good answer, but let me show you a slightly different way”. We already reward the next generation for ‘trying’ or ‘not sucking as much as last time’. Do we really want to build our industry on a similar foundation of prizing those who couldn’t do it for real so they made it up?
The most galling part is that these alleged scams involve great ads.
They could have been real. It might be hard to get the client to buy them, but that’s our job. Especially if, in all our professional experience and wisdom, we know the ad is great. If you have a shit relationship with your client and they just won’t run your best stuff, build a goddam relationship. Or take the idea elsewhere.
There’s always a way to turn your gem of an idea into a legitimate diamond. Work with your clients. Put in the hard yards. Tackle every obstacle. Not enough budget? Slice it up a different way or do a smaller run. No budget? Reduce your fee. No media spend? Find an alternative channel. Not ‘on-brand’? Find a different brand. If the idea is THAT good, it’ll find a home. If not now, then one day.
If it’s the only idea you’ve got, then you have bigger problems than a scam ad will solve.
And worse still, as if it wasn’t bad enough to scam yourself some trophies, you continue your lies and half-truths in an attempt to scam everyone else with half-baked statements – or complete silence. Don’t forget you’re talking to a bunch of people who do the same job as you. We know how the system works. We know how briefs, budgets, brands, media, and schedules fucking work. And awards.
Stop trying to con the conmen.
So Mumbrella, be the dog-with-a-bone you are. Even if you don’t get to the bottom of it, it makes for very interesting subject matter for conversations with clients about our competitors. After all, if an agency is willing to defraud an industry for a bit of shiny alloy, why not an account for a large sum of cash?
Matt Batten is Chief Creative Officer, UK and Regional Creative Lead, EMEA of Wunderman. He has judged awards including Cannes Direct Lions, Creative Circle, NY Caples, D&AD, B&T Awards, ADNews Awards, AWARD Awards and the ADMA Awards.
He has won nine Cannes Lions including an Effectiveness Lion, a Gold, a Silver and six Bronzes. For the record, he has never submitted scam work.
Bravo. Saying what we* are all thinking.
*Except staff of DDB, Saatchi & Saatchi, etc…
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Well done.
Kudos to Tim for starting this – as an industry we need to weed out the scammers (though there may be 100s of them, that’s no reason to accept it).
Let’s get the real ads that ran for real clients paying real money, be highlighted, judged and rewarded.
Our industry doesnt need greedy / disappointed / egoistic people who have had a campaign idea knocked back by a client, running it themselves in order to submit an entry to prove to everyone how clever they are.
Here’s an idea: why not force clients to nominate entries, and ban the agencies to enter themselves?
Or alternatively, perhaps get client marketing directors to co-sign entries submitted by agencies?
Either would surely eliminate the scam ads.. one for Mumbrella Awards T&Cs, Tim?
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Operating at peak performance that one…
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Isn’t it ironic that advertising awards seem to be quite flaky in their entry requirements. Yet I’m sitting here writing a PR awards submission where I’m trying to justify results against objectives to have any hope of even making it past the first stage of the awards.
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Matt,
Well said.
As a former CFO of one of the agencies that feels it is OK to scam and one at which you worked, I would have to act as policeman to sift out the entries that didn’t meet the rules.
There was a lot of pressure at the time from the multinational parent to get their brand globally in the top 3 at Cannes.
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“Stop trying to con the conmen” ….. Well played, and well said good Sir. Great article.
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Damn straight!!!
Great commentary, Matt!
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‘dogged’ determination – good one ; )
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So well written. “Then fuck off and be an artist” – so true. It’s been interesting (and somewhat awkward) seeing this whole thing unfold. And great to see some hard work in the journalism to bring it to this point.
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And, ain’t that the truth well told.
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Well fuck me…people in the ad business are sefl-promoting lying mungers of deceit? That’s like finding out that Santa doesn’t exist. Are you sure the dog’s name isn’t Bullshit?
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My god, at this rate, Tim may even raise the issue of Genuine Accountability.
As much as it is fun the fanfare around Dumb ways to Die was ridiculous, particularly as the client ( -We tax payers), has had no substantial evidence if behaviour change (I said substantial). Not to worry millions of people around the world will be safer at our crossings when the visit Australia…WTF.
formula:
– I have marketing problem – I need to make more sales/change behaviour etc.
– You, purportedly have communication expertise and can help me sell
– Its going to cost me so I am looking for ROI
Should we perhaps judge on: a) market impact b)creative method and c) execution
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Bingo.
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To be honest, I don’t want to see heads roll. Everyone needs a job in this economy but they (Saatchi & Saatchi & DDB & others) just to need to come clean, say they have made a mistake and promise not to do it again… will this happen – of course not.
It would be great if Cannes Lions came out and said they those awards are now invalid and release a press statement. That would help…
Perhaps we should all be contacting their current clients making them aware of the current situation?
What other ideas are there to change this??
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What absolute, self-indulgent crap.
No, we don’t “want awards”. We want success, real success.
Awards have become ubiquitous, and little more than a legitimised form of masturbation, by people who are more concerned about feeding their own gross narcissism than on the success of their client’s business.
The best kind of award is a happy and successful client, paying you millions to come back and do more work for their brand and products.
Immature opinions like Matt Batten’s do serious damage to the marketing and advertising industries, and it’s little wonder (dare I say little Wunder?) that in opinion polls, advertisers and marketers rank right at the bottom.
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This is simply brilliant.
Direct and to the point and capturing what many of us are thinking.
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Never one to miss an opportunity that boy
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amen
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Brilliant
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200% correct. And it not only applies to scam wankers but to the people whose incomprehensible commercials and other communications profess to ‘tell a story’ and ‘engage the consumer’ rather than actually sell client product. Whatever happened to ‘It ain’t creative unless it sells?’In most cases, you’d be better off with a 30’ pack shot or a Harvey Norman style yell & sell TVC.
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spot on
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well said matt B…’fuck off and be an artist’
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You must be a hoot at dinner parties.
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“raised by Mumbrella in recent days”
Try recent weeks!
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Can someone explain how artists make money? I’d like to fuck off and become an artist.
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Obviously it is better to be recognised for genuine, mass audience work.
You know the one that come from a brief once a year.
Sadly you need more than that, you need that proactive idea that you will sell to the client as a genuine campaign ( Ace ) or as a limited reaching ad also called a scam by some.
But really as it stands,
Do they meet the criteria of Awards entry? yes.
Were they approve by client even as ”a favour” ? Yes ( don’t see DDB running an ad in an obscure publication for Maccas without asking them )
Do those Awards celebrate creativity first? Yes and that’s what it’s all about.
Based on that I don’t have any problem seeing a few ”scams” winning awards when they are very clever, faithful to the brand value and should have run for a wider audience anyway.
Should the creative fuck off to be an artist then? Not at all, it’s still answer what we think is a client’s problem, there is copy, relevant colours and adequate logo on it.
Like diving in soccer, don’t blame the players, blame FIFA for not providing video review for the refs. So don’t blame the creatives to do their job and have fun, blame the Awards criteria of entry.
Regards,
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Good article, can i just raise the issue of plagiarism… i know my posts on Mumbrella are “anonymous”, but a little hat tip might be nice if you are going to use my comment and build an article around it.
Cheers 🙂
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Oh harden the fuck up Australia.
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@Nei “should have run for a wider audience anyway”
A big issue with the executions being talked about here is that they COULDN’T be “run for a wider audience” because:
– Panasonic apparently didn’t commission S&S to do the work; and
– It’s very likely that Disney and Warner Brothers would sending some legal letters to McDonald’s / DDB about unlicensed use of their IP for commercial purposes if the ads were part of a ongoing campaign
(Side point: the McD ad doesn’t even have an ‘adequate logo’ on it, which is exceptionally rare in any of their ad material.)
If you want to stick with the soccer analogy, it’s less diving and more Maradona “Hand of God”. It’s also a situation where you certainly can blame both the players and the officials for not doing the right thing.
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worth it for the headline alone. Well said Matt
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@Mike….. So how does lonely, isolated, wrong feel?
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@Groucho…really?, was that a good contribution?
He simply states his view that- commercial performance is a better indicator of good advertising than these awards.
Perhaps you know Mike and have another reason for the personal attack?
Your comment communicates more about you really….mirror?
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Yes, Matt Batten, hear hear! For shame, those agencies who make up spurious print and TV ads for clients and run them. While we’re at it, shame too on the ones who enter DM awards with bloody wedding invitations. Scammers, the lot of them!
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Loving Matt Batten! This industry, and its biggest names are showing how extensively in decline they are. Cannes has become a joke the way most ad award shows have ben for a while
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And has everyone cottoned on yet to the fact that the windblown dog concept isn’t even original?
It was done by another agency in 2008 and went to Cannes in 2009:
http://www.businessandleadersh.....for-owensd
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@Liza… I hadn’t seen that but it makes this whole thing even more ridiculous.
Given the vast amounts of money agencies and clients invest in Cannes entries I’m surprised that there hasn’t been some sort of legal challenge. If the awards don’t have integrity are they worth the money or kudos that is attached to them? Given Mumbrella’s Asian office has found another scam ad it’s pretty obvious how rife scam ads are. It’s time agencies voted with their wallets and feet….. oh that’s right, but then they’d miss out on the back-slapping piss up.
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I wish the other Terry would get off his loaf and take a stand. Instead of defending his mates he should be a leader and hold up this show. Come out of hiding and say something Terry. What are you thinking. Defending this stuff like you do and turning the other cheek is really beneath you. Enjoy your fat lunch with the network global heads and collect your money. This is my opinion. Been working in this business too long now to ignore this all. The shows can stop this scam bull and nobody else. Wake up Terry S.. Goodness, please wake up.
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Matt,
I have never, ever chased awards. Everything I’ve done that has won an award has been 100% up and down an answer to a brief, not proactive, not a ‘5% premium pack’ (which to me smacks scam too).
All I’ve tried to do my entire career is work that will be noticed by the relevant audience, convince them of what they need to know and shift results for my client. Some of that work has won awards. But awards are not the reason to exist.
Sincerely,
A creative that thinks Matt should speak for himself and not creatives as a whole.
Some of us do care about our clients’ business.
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Unfortunately all I took out of Matts article was it’s ok to scam in dm (top 5% of customers) but not in above the line.
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Hear hear.
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I’d be prepared to bet my left nut that after having read the positive comments in this thread, Monsieur Batten is currently trying to figure out how he could possibly use the contents of this thread to craft a Cannes Effectiveness entry. (Under self promotion, of course.)
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