Ad Age reports that award-hungry agencies will spend $37 million this year entering Cannes, One Show, D&AD and The Andy’s. The magazine does not project how much more will be spent on the myriad of other shows.
The copy-heavy article attempts to explain why awards are important to agencies.
For some agencies, getting an award-winning rep is so important that compensation is tied to show performance. A goal at every DDB office, for instance, is to rank among the top three most creative shops in a given market.
Bob Scarpelli, chairman-chief creative officer of Omnicom Group’s DDB Worldwide, said, “I can tell you that our most award-winning agencies-Chicago, Sao Paulo, Paris, London and Canada-are usually our best performing offices.”
What’s missing from the award show frenzy in my mind, is the people’s choice model. Unless I’m applying for a job, I don’t care what some hungover creative directors think about my work. However, I do care what the intended audience thinks.
