D&AD has joined the One Show to take a tough stance on scam ads (or ‘pro-active’ work as it is called here in SA). In a statement on its blog D&AD clearly states that “work must have been produced in response to a genuine brief and be approved and paid for by the client. Works created solely for the purpose of entering competitions are not eligible.”
D&AD CEO Tim O’Kennedy and D&AD President Paul Brazier further announced that beginning with the 2010 D&AD awards show, the Executive Creative Director or an equivalent officer of the entrant company will be required to validate the eligibility of every item, ensuring that work does not slip through without their knowledge. “A plea of ignorance is not an acceptable defence.”
Locally the Loeries has broken ranks with its international peers by stating that it will continue to encourage ‘pro-active’ work – that is “work done on behalf of a client but perhaps with a small flighting and production budget.” In practice this generally means the agency comes up with a concept it thinks can win awards and then pays for the production and flighting of said ad. Finally a smallish brand gets roped in to support the ad (it should be the other way round folks).
Hi Andrew
I know what you mean when you say ‘pro-active’ work. I’m making the point that in reality this leaves the Loeries wide open to fake ads. Nobody is going to declare that their ‘pro-active’ work was designed to win an award. But that is ultimately what the majority of such work aim to achieve. By not joining international awards in their tough stand against fake ads the Loeries are sending a signal that is out of line with international trends.
Best, Herman