By: Robin.

Robin. — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 10:22:11 +0000

Target v Measurement – D&AD is the result of inequality. During the 1970s in Asia, MNCs would hire a foreigner as Creative Director. Not only did they receive huge salaries, their perks were even bigger: huge bungalows previously occupied by senior British officers, free country club membership, free education for their kids and a trip back home for the entire family on 1st class and not on Aeroflot.
It would’ve been fine if these CDs were luminaries but many were quite crappy. And some drunk.
The politics of it meant locals could never become a CD however good he was. Because the current foreign CD would recommend his countryman when it was time for a new CD. The only way locals could go up the greasy pole was by winning awards. Ideally more awards than the CD who was too busy enjoying drinks at the cricket clubs. Of course strictly speaking to win an award, the ad has to run. But how does it ever see light of day if the foreign CD keeps rejecting good ideas? The only way to show that the ideas were any bloody good was to take an idea a foreign CD rejected and quietly enter it in the awards. Since these were self-funded, the locals could only enter a very limited number of shows. D&AD and Cannes were both coveted. But even though D&AD was very expensive it was still cheaper than Cannes which charged in €. So D&AD it was. Plus D&AD has greater longevity – an annual. “Failure is an orphan, success has many parents” is especially true in Asian advertising agencies. When s local team miraculously wins an entry or pencil, the same foreign CD who rubbished the idea wants in. Sometimes they offer to reimburse the team. Or they just use the old network to have the organisers pencil in their names.

Comments on: THE AWARD FOR BEST HOSEPIPE-AD IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

By: Robin.