Pyper Paul + Kenney Wins 0.98% More Addys This Year

How many entries did they submit? 129 is impressive if they entered 150. But if they entered 450, then not so much. It’s one of the flaws with ADDYS – some shops enter everything they do instead of taking the time to analyze their best work for the year and only submitting those items.

PP+K is a bunch of arrogant shits for being a two-year old agency who have done nothing on the national level. However, I know for a fact that the they only had 144 Total Entries in this years show. Tampa Bay’s ad agency scene sucks at best…hence the reason anyone with even modest work could dominate. Lastly, word on the street is that they just won the national Checkers/Rally’s Drive-In Restaurant business.

Why is everyone so mean about this shop? They’re obviously just a young shop trying to do the best they can…and using awards shows to generate awareness for their business. Sounds like a smart strategy to me. Why do people get so worked about them in every posting on this site that speaks about them. Are they really assholes, or are the people writing about them the assholes?

As a USDA-certified asshole, perhaps I can answer Gina’s question.
The problem that some people — or at least me anyway — have with agencies like PP+K is that their talent seems to be eclipsed by their ego. It’s a little like Scott Baio proclaiming himself to be the world’s greatest actor.
Sweeping the Tampa ADDYs may be cause for a few high fives around the office. But it does not make you the hottest shop in the Southeast. As InvisiClone points out, Tampa is not exactly a shining citadel of creativity.
After taking a fresh look at their website, it’s clear they do some nice work. But there’s very little that’s truly exceptional — and much that is either uninspired or rips off other, more praiseworthy work. (Exhibit A: The Circle K campaign that is a direct lift from the classic J&B “_ingle _ells” ad.)
All of which goes to prove two exceedingly obvious points: A) Award shows are meaningless wankfests, and B) Advertising is rife with overweening preeners and poseurs who think if you say something loudly and often enough it automatically makes it true.
At least that’s one asshole’s opinion.

45K? You are a moron Truther. Let me do the math…50 dollars an entry divided by 45K dollars spent equals 900 entries. Wow…you are a doucebag. And wow…maybe it’s you at their agency, with a grudge because you are making 23K because you are a friggin janitor. Clean up the garbage that is your existence Truther…I mean moron.

45k includes “hush money,” Doink.
Doink is a better word than Douce, I don’t even think Douce is a word. I know douche is a word, but even if you called me that, Doink would still be a better pick.
You should’ve used doink, that would mean you were funny instead of fat.

Fact: Agency spent $13K last year (and $10K this year).
Fact: The $13K spent last year on a stupid award show generated about 4 local newspaper articles, one AdWeek article and tripled the number of listings on google about the agency.
Fact: Agency acquired two new retainer based national accounts where the Client admittedly said they found out about the agency through the award shows and these articles.
Fact: Everyone in the agency has been rewarded for their work and contribution, or they would not stay. No one makes $23K. There’s no arrogance at the agency…it’s humble pie all day long bangin’ ads. There’s nothing sexy about what we do…just like every other agency that busts their asses to do something great for their Clients.
Fact: Agency agrees the web site is dated and the work does not accurately reflect a fast-moving creative agency. All the work on the site is from their first year in business. Check back in two weeks for the new site and see the evolution.
Fact: For the third consecutive year the agency has won Tampa Bay’s “Best Place to Work.” Culture and Employees will always come first. This is a team effort. We are doing whatever we are doing together.
Fact: No one at the agency thinks that we are all that…the whole “they are arrogant shits” thing comes from mean spirited agency business owners in the Tampa Bay market that our pissed that in their thirty years of business they’ve not done what this agency has done in two years. It’s called ENVY. And we ignore it…because we have all of their employees resumes in our hopper waiting for the next available seat.
Fact: Y’all need to get a life.

Wups, I meant:
FACT: L.O.L.

Gee, do you think karma133 works at PP+K?
To be fair, he (or she) does make a number of very valid points.
While I still think award shows are nothing more than industry circle jerks, they can help fledging agencies make a name for themselves.
And while the quality of PP+K’s creative is debatable, there’s no denying that they have shrewdly parlayed their victories into a string of account wins. So shows how much I know.
But the perception that PP+K is copping a major league attitude cannot be blamed solely on “mean spirited agency business owners in the Tampa Bay market.” The people who work there may be as humble and lovable as Shoeshine Boy, but you wouldn’t know that from the swaggering “bad boy” self image the agency perpetuates.
Judging from the portfolio currently on display on their website, I’d say that such arrogance is largely unearned. But since they are apparently in the process of updating their site, it’s only fair to reserve judgement until their new work is up.
Speaking of judging, who were the ADDY judges this year? Karma133, do you know?

Memo to Karma133:
As it happens, I am in advertising. Hard to believe, I know. (I have a difficult time believing it myself.)
You, on the other hand, must not be a proofreader. If you look back at my previous post, you will see that I acknowledged that award shows are a way for “fledging agencies make a name for themselves.”
(Although why the agencies you cited continue to enter one show after another long after they have established their reputations is another story altogether.)
I will say this: If the pursuit of shiny trinkets “is the only process the works nowadays” because that is the only way to motivate creatives “to outdo the agency competition,” well, that’s a pretty sad commentary on our industry. Whatever happened to good work being its own reward?
Speaking of work, I do look forward to seeing PP+K’s new site. If their work has improved substantially, I will be more than happy to admit it.
But enough of such trivialities. Tell me, Karma133, what are your thoughts on Scott Baio?

Jeez, Karma1334, that’s harsh. And unnecessary.
I don’t think LaFong was disputing the value of awards early in an agency’s (or creative’s) career. His question was, why do they continue the snakes and ladders awards game AFTER they’ve achieved success? Ego?
As for your stats, I have no doubt they’re true. But what about all the brilliant work that isn’t entered in award shows? I bet it’s successful, too. Their creators just don’t need a wet kiss every time they do their job well. That’s why they get a paycheck.
BTW, this is comng from a multple Cannes, One Show, CA, AD Club, Clio-winner. I just don’t feel the need to get a hummer every time I do good work anymore, that’s all.

A few things, Karma133
Fact: The agencies you listed (CPB, Chiat, Mother etc) built their businesses on great work, not awards. Awards were a byproduct in their cases. I used to work at Chiat and I assure you, we were not judged on how many awards we won, but rather whether or not we moved the needle for our clients. Same was true back then.
Fact: Clients don’t care about awards unless they’re already clients.
Fact: Awards don’t make the creative. I’ve won every one you’ve told us to “stay tuned for” and more… and with the exception of a few additonal head hunter calls, nothing changed. I wasn’t better because of them. I still paid for my drinks.
Fact: Awards are not nearly as important to a new agency today (or creatives for that matter) as they used to be. In the past, award shows were the only way everyone could see great work. It’s how they’d single out great creatives and great agencies. But in the last decade and counting, the internet has replaced the award show. Sites such as this and other blogs/message boards, adcritic, agency websites etc etc etc… that’s where all the work/agencies/creatives are showcased these days. I’d argue it’s more important to dominate Adcritic than the national addys.
Fact: The addys can be bought. I used to work at Eisner, I’d know.
Fact: Award shows can ruin people/agencies (again, I used to work at Eisner, I’d know). Please don’t let your folks fall into that trap.
Fact: HighJive said it all. It’s not what you do onscreen that matters nearly as who you do offscreen. Which makes Baio the real world Pacino.

Helfman: How hard is it to win an award, working at Chiat, with a gazillion dollar production budget, on a brand name everyone in the world knows about. You are exactly right, not that hard…and obviously, not that big of a deal for you.
Now here’s a real challenge…try winning a Pencil/Lion/RMA/OBBIE, working at a no-name start-up agency, on a local brand, with 20 cents for a budget…and then tell me about how an award means nothing to you.
Results? If Chiat/Day was evaluated on results, then how did they hang on to Nissan during the hard times? Why did they lose Taco Bell with record sales? Why did Jack-In-The-Box leave with Dick after Chiat brought them back from the dead? Please don’t give me the “measured on results” crap. Chiat produced tons of work that didn’t do shit…just like every other agency. No agency in the world should take credit for success, or accountability for failure with any Clients business as there are too many factors that play into a brands success or failure. No agency in the world has the ability to make sure some retail associate getting paid minimum wage cares enough to make sure the bathroom is clean so that the consumer leave feeling good about returning to the brand.
The bottom line: Winning awards makes the business entertaining. And isn’t that the business we’re in…entertaining consumers minds so they can have fun?