Future’s Post

“We want this work to win an award.”   If a client says this – it means trouble.   While everyone wants to be lauded for a brilliant campaign, making work with the intention of winning a Black Pencil (D&AD) or a Grand Prix (Cannes), carries a few dangers.   1. The client already knows what they want   They went to Cannes last summer. Witnessed industry figures heaping praise on one of their market competitors. They know exactly the sort of ad that will do the trick (they don’t).   2. The focus is wrong   Devising work that impresses judges often leaves your real audience cold. Winning awards and generating sales aren’t the same thing.   Seeking awards ensures…   : Stale work : Sunk costs   A case full of trophies in your foyer might look impressive. But an agency’s job is to solve real problems.   “We have never won an award” doesn’t count as one.   Are we agreed?   #awards #cannes #advertising #businessofcreativity

This. Unpopular opinion, but awards - especially in #B2Bmarketing - are the industry equivalent of social media vanity metrics. They may get you marginally more reach (usually long after the campaign's over), but rarely with your real target audiences. What's worse, the positive signals award wins send out can create feedback loops of groupthink about tactics that can actively harm your ability to deliver. I know it's tough to demonstrate #MarketingEffectiveness, but award wins rarely prove much beyond that marketing people like something. So unless you're selling to marketers, they don't really have much value. This means awards make perfect sense for agencies (and individuals) to enter - but for their clients? The point of marketing is to improve brand perception and make sales with your buyers, not getting a round of applause from other marketers. Which is why, often, I find the less glamorous side of marketing is where the real businesses impact can be found.

I love seeing big directors bring their talents to #advertising. I think we'll start to see even more of this as brands move from working with #influencers to prioritizing #creators, #creativedirectors and #bigideas. #AdIndustry

An agency’s job is to solve real problems.

I would agree to disagree. Famous work can also be effective work, and effective work can be famous work. There is no end-all in the creative world, where everything we do is subjected to nuance, timing, and perspective. If clients want awards, leverage their desires and appreciation of famous work but ensure it is objective-led first. It's up to the agency teams to ensure we don't work for door-stopper trophies but rather do work to make a difference and ensure you get the door-stoppers along the way. And hey, if Lady Luck is on your side and all they want is awards, then as long as it's paid work, why not?  Thoughts?

Exciting News. Campaign UK has released its UK new business rankings, and we’re 4th ⚡️⚡️   You can  💻 read the article here https://lnkd.in/eHyhc55G #advertising #creativeagency #newbusiness

Since 2016, 74% of Cannes Lions Grands Prix have been purpose-driven. Will this trend continue this year? While more brands embracing purpose is a positive step, System 1 has noted a decline in the effectiveness of winning campaigns, attributing it to a lack of humour. Is purpose draining emotion and effectiveness from ads? According to Revolt's Pippa Morris, Head of Strategy, and Kate McGarrahan, Strategy Director, the answer is 'Yes' if not done correctly. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ehzcBm6G

Well done to all.

The D&AD ’24 shortlist is out. Who wins a pencil will be publicly known tomorrow evening. Being a member for the Experiential jury this year was a huge honour to me. We spent two long days intensely debating and mercilessly interrogating the entered work in order to find stuff that will now become a benchmark for the global advertising industry for the entire year and possibly beyond. It’s a hell of a responsible task, but I’m certain that all of us in that room did well. We’ve all always heard that D&AD is the hardest award win. Now knowing it to be 100% true I would like to congratulate every single person involved in the making of the shortlisted work. Believe me, it wasn’t easy to get on that list. So, please celebrate already. Be proud. And don’t let anyone tell you that awards don’t mean anything because they do. Especially this one. Here is the shortlist: https://lnkd.in/dAXdDYcm #dandad #experiential #advertising

One of our guiding principles at LMC is educating our clients so they can be empowered decision-makers. 👏🏼 Whether it's clarifying the nuances of digital ad spend or explaining the complexities of brand voice, we believe that transparency and knowledge-sharing lead to stronger partnerships. 🌱