This is how I know I'm in advertising: Four of the six meals I ate Friday and Saturday were pizza.
I spent most of Saturday at Cactus, where I was helping a group of volunteers, interns and students upload all of the Denver 50 entries to the judging site.
Truth be told, I had a sneak preview of the work Friday night. I went through all the entries to troubleshoot discs, separate out all the checks, that sort of thing. The side benefit? I got to see all of the work you've been doing for the past 12 months.
This is what I think: The work is better this year. I'm not sure if it's because people get the show concept. Or if they've been inspired by the ad club or the Egotist or something. But there are several entries that I wish I had in my book. There are even a couple agencies who could argue they deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Cactus, Factory and Sukle.
Here are a few other things I think, phrased cryptically:
• More agencies took the Own-Your-C Gamble this year.
• Everybody loves TD50, but it's never going to make much money.
• If we ask for a 4 Mb .mov, we'd rather not receive a 800 Mb file.
• Will the ex-McClain people get their revenge on Denver?
• Our TD50 party (I think it's Tues., Dec. 2) is going to rock.
You get no more intel out of me. I'd like to thank more than 30 brave agencies for entering the Denver 50. Best of luck to you all.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
2007 TD50 retrospective online
The Egotist has posted a retrospective of some of last year's winning work, along with these words:
You’re going to have a very difficult time being considered a credible force in Colorado until you get work into the New Denver Ad Club’s annual Denver 50 show. And you’re never actually going to get in unless you enter. [Ed. - Links added]. The choice is yours.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Good news, slackers: TD50 deadline extended
Three days before the deadline for the 2007 Denver 50, I was a wreck. I had received no work. No phone calls. No emails. Nothing. A few short days later, 33 agencies had dropped off their entries. Phew.
This year, we're in much better shape. In the past two days, I've been contacted by four frantic agencies that need more time to get their entries together.
You want it? You got it. But not much of it.
The new deadline is August 29. All the other rules and specifications still apply. Anyone on the NDAC email list or in the NDAC Facebook group will get emails announcing the extension soon. Bring the noise.
This year, we're in much better shape. In the past two days, I've been contacted by four frantic agencies that need more time to get their entries together.
You want it? You got it. But not much of it.
The new deadline is August 29. All the other rules and specifications still apply. Anyone on the NDAC email list or in the NDAC Facebook group will get emails announcing the extension soon. Bring the noise.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Three Facebook groups for Denver creatives
The ad club, the art director's club and the Egotist have Facebook groups. Join them all to get news and conversation about the Denver market.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The value of advertising award shows in general. And one in particular.
When a business wins an award, it contacts its agency and asks it to put together an ad to publicize the fact. When an agency wins an award, it rushes to reassure its clients that the awards are just a recruitment tool, and the agency's only real concern is its clients' ROI.
Whatever.
Awards matter. It's silly to pretend they don't. The awards give you something to push up against. Something to inspire you when you're tired. Something to reward you for all the late nights and lost weekends. And something objective to judge this awfully subjective industry against.
Sure, we'd rather use other measurements. Like, say, our clients' profits. But advertising - and even marketing - are only pieces of a company's profitability. You can run the best ad in history, but if your shipment sinks halfway across the Atlantic, you're still doomed.
Likewise, awareness and recall measurements don't tell the whole story. I'm aware of snow, human misery, and all sorts of other things I wish I wasn't. I recall those horrible "He went to Jared" ads so well that I've pledged never to buy anything from Jared. Ever.
Engagement sounds swell, but no one has a clue how to measure it. Ditto ROI. (Tell me, how much brand advertising is needed to support a consumer activation tactic?)
The only concrete thing a creative - especially a young creative - has to go on is how well his work stacks up against his peers. And in my mind, there is no local show in the nation that gives you a clearer picture of where you stand than the Denver 50.
Not too long ago, I received an email stating that if the New Denver Ad Club expects people to enter the Denver 50, we needed to provide a reason besides, "It's a good way to support the market."
Part of me says that's a lame assertion. I know dozens of people who have quietly donated hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to support this market. But screw it. I'll play.
Let's say you genuinely don't care about building a great branding community in the Denver metro area. In fact, let's say you hate this backwater cowtown and are just counting the days until Juan Cabral swoops down on a flying white stallion and whisks you away to London. Guess what? You should still enter the Denver 50. Here are four reasons why.
It gives nontraditional shops a seat at the table - It is easy for an interactive or public relations agency to win an award at a category-driven show. But if they want strategic or branding responsibilities, they need to prove they can develop big ideas. The Denver 50 provides a level playing field. Last year, about half the winning ideas included digital components.
It's made for the modern era - Not so long ago, three clever ads were all you needed to prove your creative mettle. Not anymore. Campaigns like Beta 7 have exploded the definition of what makes great advertising. Clients expect agencies to come up with great print and broadcast and great microsites and witty blogs and gripping SMS and engaging games and strange guerilla demonstrations and oddly placed out-of-home. And they should. Because consumers are tuning out traditional advertising and rewarding brands like Converse and Scion, which are providing newer, cooler, more creative experiences. Only the Denver 50 is designed specifically to award that sort of thinking.
It'll make you famous - We created the Denver 50's structure to get maximum attention from the national community. We built a showbook that we mailed to ad schools, media outlets, and great agencies in other markets. And by only giving 50 awards, we guarantee that each winner gets lots of recognition. (Yes, Cannes would make you more famous. Duh.)
Our judges are superstars - There is no local show anywhere that attracts the level of judges that the Denver 50 attracts. Some are intrigued by our innovative format. Others by our online judging system, which gives them two weeks to sort through entries at their leisure. Want to get your work in front of the ECDs of TBWA\Chiat\Day or Bartle Bogle Hegarty or JWT/NY? Enter the Denver 50. (Read more about why judges love the Denver 50 on the Egotist.)
The award shows matter. And the Denver 50 matters a lot. To the community. The agencies. And the individual winners. Hopefully we'll see your best ideas on August 22.
[Ed. - My opinions do not necessarily reflect the official opinions of the NDAC or Karsh\Hagan. Crossposts in their entirety are welcome under a Creative Commons by license.]
Whatever.
Awards matter. It's silly to pretend they don't. The awards give you something to push up against. Something to inspire you when you're tired. Something to reward you for all the late nights and lost weekends. And something objective to judge this awfully subjective industry against.
Sure, we'd rather use other measurements. Like, say, our clients' profits. But advertising - and even marketing - are only pieces of a company's profitability. You can run the best ad in history, but if your shipment sinks halfway across the Atlantic, you're still doomed.
Likewise, awareness and recall measurements don't tell the whole story. I'm aware of snow, human misery, and all sorts of other things I wish I wasn't. I recall those horrible "He went to Jared" ads so well that I've pledged never to buy anything from Jared. Ever.
Engagement sounds swell, but no one has a clue how to measure it. Ditto ROI. (Tell me, how much brand advertising is needed to support a consumer activation tactic?)
The only concrete thing a creative - especially a young creative - has to go on is how well his work stacks up against his peers. And in my mind, there is no local show in the nation that gives you a clearer picture of where you stand than the Denver 50.
Not too long ago, I received an email stating that if the New Denver Ad Club expects people to enter the Denver 50, we needed to provide a reason besides, "It's a good way to support the market."
Part of me says that's a lame assertion. I know dozens of people who have quietly donated hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to support this market. But screw it. I'll play.
Let's say you genuinely don't care about building a great branding community in the Denver metro area. In fact, let's say you hate this backwater cowtown and are just counting the days until Juan Cabral swoops down on a flying white stallion and whisks you away to London. Guess what? You should still enter the Denver 50. Here are four reasons why.
It gives nontraditional shops a seat at the table - It is easy for an interactive or public relations agency to win an award at a category-driven show. But if they want strategic or branding responsibilities, they need to prove they can develop big ideas. The Denver 50 provides a level playing field. Last year, about half the winning ideas included digital components.
It's made for the modern era - Not so long ago, three clever ads were all you needed to prove your creative mettle. Not anymore. Campaigns like Beta 7 have exploded the definition of what makes great advertising. Clients expect agencies to come up with great print and broadcast and great microsites and witty blogs and gripping SMS and engaging games and strange guerilla demonstrations and oddly placed out-of-home. And they should. Because consumers are tuning out traditional advertising and rewarding brands like Converse and Scion, which are providing newer, cooler, more creative experiences. Only the Denver 50 is designed specifically to award that sort of thinking.
It'll make you famous - We created the Denver 50's structure to get maximum attention from the national community. We built a showbook that we mailed to ad schools, media outlets, and great agencies in other markets. And by only giving 50 awards, we guarantee that each winner gets lots of recognition. (Yes, Cannes would make you more famous. Duh.)
Our judges are superstars - There is no local show anywhere that attracts the level of judges that the Denver 50 attracts. Some are intrigued by our innovative format. Others by our online judging system, which gives them two weeks to sort through entries at their leisure. Want to get your work in front of the ECDs of TBWA\Chiat\Day or Bartle Bogle Hegarty or JWT/NY? Enter the Denver 50. (Read more about why judges love the Denver 50 on the Egotist.)
The award shows matter. And the Denver 50 matters a lot. To the community. The agencies. And the individual winners. Hopefully we'll see your best ideas on August 22.
[Ed. - My opinions do not necessarily reflect the official opinions of the NDAC or Karsh\Hagan. Crossposts in their entirety are welcome under a Creative Commons by license.]
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Tuesday link love
The Denver 50 call for entries video, which is on YouTube here and here, has been blogged by the Egotist, Andy, Justin, Patrick and Karsh\Hagan. (UPDATE: And Cactus.) Thanks for the links, folks.
The video was created pro bono by Citizen Pictures. Love it? Let 'em know. Hate it? Well, it still kicks the crap out of the nothing you made.
The video was created pro bono by Citizen Pictures. Love it? Let 'em know. Hate it? Well, it still kicks the crap out of the nothing you made.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
It's not a blog
I love the Denver Broncos. Since I have neither the spare time nor the attention span to hunt for news about the team, I listen to 104.3 The Fan during my morning drive. I get training camp updates and interviews. I also get non-stop promos for the Sports Guys' blog. There's just one little problem.
It's not a blog.
There's no RSS feed I can load into my feed reader. There's no way I can leave comments. There are no outgoing links that I can follow. There are no permalinks that make it easy to quote and share posts.
Typing isn't blogging.
You know who actually has a pretty good blog? The Denver Broncos. Religiously updated twice a day with photos and news from camp. The Broncos get it. Go team.
It's not a blog.
There's no RSS feed I can load into my feed reader. There's no way I can leave comments. There are no outgoing links that I can follow. There are no permalinks that make it easy to quote and share posts.
Typing isn't blogging.
You know who actually has a pretty good blog? The Denver Broncos. Religiously updated twice a day with photos and news from camp. The Broncos get it. Go team.
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