The importance of winning awards in our business can’t be underestimated.
It’s essential.
As a student, it can be a big factor in separating you from the hundreds of other grads with great books who are fighting for a rare spot at one of the few top places to work. As a junior, it can elevate your status in an agency and set you up for better assignments and promotions, as well as bring your work to the attention of every other agency looking to hire a star to upgrade their own work. As an agency leader, it can help you gain credibility with clients, potential clients and the media, all of which will lead to building your business.
Which is why we’re going to begin putting a major emphasis on increasing your knowledge of every facet of award shows.
Our first step is Gold night. We’ll get together and talk about everything from which shows are most important, to entering techniques, to what all winning entries have in common, to what you can do to increase your chances, to the “hidden secrets” to consistent winning.
We’re also going to begin entering shows in an entirely different and more methodical way. I’ve assigned an instructor to creatively direct and manage our entries for each show. We’ll run it much like we ran the Coca Cola project for W+K. Participating is open to any student, regardless of term. I strongly encourage any and all of you jump in. But remember, each show is only once per year, which means during your time here you’ll only have two or three opportunities to enter each show.
Cannes is a can-do
This is an important international show and it’s important you begin competing in it. As you’ll see from the brief, it’s not just about ads, which makes it all the better.
Ideal candidates will have done this before Saturday, February 1st:
- Read the briefs and reviewed previous years’ winning submissions
- Chosen a shortlist of brands for Future Lions
- Have a portfolio website or PDF of previous work (under 10 MB)
- Sent an introductory email with your name, term and department to nik.piscitello@gmail.com and patrick.orourke@teamone-usa.com
D&Ad: Britain’s best
This is a very prestigious show. Very few winners, both in the student section and in the professional section. Many things that win in other shows don’t win in this one. You absolutely have to bring your best to this game.
The One that can change your career
This show is a must. I would recommend entering this show and throwing everything you’ve got into winning. It will be more than worth it.
Tumbled salad
Beginning today, we have a tumbler page to showcase some of our freshest work. It’s called ad salad, because it’s a varied collection of all that we do, tumbled together in no particular order. We’ll constantly update it, and use it to give the rest of the world a chance to see the latest of what we’re doing out here in California.
