THE LION IN THE ROOM

Advertising’s most sought-after, and celebrated creative festival just got done. The air of French Riviera was filled with conversations centered around brands, ideas, new business wins, agency birthings; and of course, the loud cheer of Lion wins.

Social media platforms were abuzz showcasing many such wins. And understanbly so. After all, who wouldn’t like to share the Lion that roared for their work? 

There were quite a few pieces of work that stood out for me. Some of them even had the “Wish I had done it” feel to them. But that’s not the reason I’m writing this. 

Amidst all the high-decibel celebrations, the elephant (err, a Lion) in the room, as I like to call it, made its presence felt, once again. 

Can award-winning work truly change the world? Or its sole purpose is to win awards? 

This year, the chatter surrounding this question didn’t stay within the confines of the “real work lovers”, and social media platforms. It spilled out, toppling the apple cart. 

There were serious conversations, and some whistleblowers even went on to share the “proof” of the failings of the impact of awarded campaign results . This caused an uproar, and cast a shadow of doubt on the entire award judging system. 

Let me confess, I’m all for celebrating creativity, and the power of ideas. Because at the end of the day, we’re in the business of ideas, aren’t we? 

But this time, I felt, the hunger for wins went a tad too far. 

A case in point was a certain Grand Prix winner. Without taking any names, this particular entry from Brazil came under the scanner for presenting a case study riddled with factual errors, and footages. The agency later admitted to manipulating the case study footage for their Grand-Prix winning campaign. It admitted by saying, these were a “series of errors”, and then the creative head of this said agency quit. The repurcussions were loud, and I’m sure, its echoes reverberated across agency corridors globally. 

Unfortunately, a few campaigns from India, too, came under the scanner for their impact, and efficacy, as shown in their campaign case study metrics. Some of the reputed agency names, and big brands were behind these pieces of work.  But let’s not do a post-mortem here. 

So, why were these campaigns pulled up?

One of the important criterias for entries is the measurable results or impact a piece of work has had on its audience or the society, at large. So, invariably what it says is, this piece of work has the power to change behaviour, alter-lives, the society, and the world, through its sheer power of creativity. And these metrics then become an integral, and a pivotal part of these case studies. 

This has led me to think of a very basic, yet a pertinent question. 
Can a single campaign or an ad really change human behaviour or bring about a societal change? 

We, as creators of these campaigns need to ask ourselves this question. And this question, more than ever, begs for an honest answer. 

In my humble opinion, an idea should be celebrated for idea’s worth. The worth not necessarily be embedded in a larger purpose-driven metrics. Not every piece of work should, and can be life altering.

It just cannot be. Period. 

So, here’s a suggestion to all the award shows, and I know, this might ruffle a few feathers. 

What if we judge ideas purely on their creative merit, without adding the metrics angle, or a larger-than-life purpose? 

Imagine a great idea, which is a released piece of work, not justifying any world-changing metrics. But still, it’s a refreshing piece of work in its category. A new perspective to solve a problem.  A new creative slant. Can’t it be lauded for its sheer audacity, and creativity? Released refreshing ideas, approved by the client, celebrated, and awarded for their “idea worthiness”, even if they didn’t change the world. 

Let’s face it. Advertising, and creativity have the power to influence people, and their behaviour. But can they bring about a life-altering transformation overnight? 

So, here’s the conundrum I’m putting on your table.

Can a single idea change the society, and humanity? Or should great ideas be celebrated, nonetheless? 

That’s the question we need to answer. Truthfully.