Stephanie Clifford of The New York Times and Ian Schafer of Deep Focus made me laugh this morning.
This is what did it:
When Ian Schafer, the chief executive of the digital ad agency Deep Focus, won 10 Communicator Awards for the agency’s work on Web sites, including one for HBO’s “Flight of the Conchords,” he was delighted.
He was less thrilled when he received a note from the awards: If he wanted the actual trophies, he would have to spend $1,590.
“When you have to pay for the trophy,” he said, “that seems a little egregious.”
Schafer adds that he won’t pay for the hardware and the request to do so “just draws attention to the fact that the awards business is a business.”
Indeed. A business that is kept alive by the thousands of insecure creative people in advertising who believe yet another award will help them land a promotion, raise or new job. It’s sad to see, but it’s a reality perpetuated day in and day out and one very few ad peeps escape from.
For instance, Publicis In the West, an agency looking to hire a CD and ACD, puts it plainly enough:
Experience at top creative advertising agencies with a reel and awards to match.
It’s a club and you either belong to it or you don’t. As for club dues to cover costs, I don’t have a problem with it. Paying for the trophies won is like paying for a shoe shine after lunch at The Yale Club.