There's news in the trade press this morning about a Cannes-winning ad for KIA, the South Korean auto-maker, being stripped of its award on a mere technicality. That is, it never ran. You can read about it here, on AdFreak: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/brazilian-shop-loses-cannes-lion-won-bogus-kia-pedophilia-ad-133576
The offenders here are not just the people who created and entered the bogus ad. The offenders include the administrators at Cannes who don't demand proof. They include the judges who obviously over-looked the phoniness of the effort. But most of all, the awards mania of our industry must be blamed.
We make "commercials," whether they're tv or print. That is, by definition, they should have commercial intent. There's nothing wrong with doing something artful, or highly creative in the pursuit of that intent.
But fake is fake.
It disgusts me.
It's kind of like running 20 meters instead of a hundred and beng declared the winner of the hundred meter race though you weren't even first at 20 with the advantage of a non called a false start.
ReplyDeleteoh, typos and grammar screwed me up agian.. no chance winnigng then...
ReplyDeleteFake ads are the scourge of our industry.
ReplyDeleteactually, our industry is the scourge of our industry.
ReplyDeleteNobody bothered cheating on awards until everyone became obsessed with them.
ReplyDeleteDemand dictates supply.
things started to go wrong when it went from exhibition to competition.
ReplyDeletenowadays... well, it's a bullshition.
this speaks volumes:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lettersofnote.com/2011/07/cannes-is-place-of-mental-humiliation.html