Advertising, ad campaigns, ad agencies, and the people that make it happen

There’s a pretty amazing article in the current AdAge about creative awards and the perennial question about their effectiveness and meaning. The thing that really sticks out though is the fact that the BDA’s of Madison Avenue will spend an incredible $37 million entering ad award shows, which is an amazing figure when you consider the $37 million, an Ad Age estimate, only factors in the Cannes Lions, One Show, D&AD and The Andy's. It doesn't take into account the dozens of other award shows, or indeed the many regional ones that hundreds of local agencies also blow mountains of cash on. Then if you include the people employed full time at every BDA, just organizing the stuff, filling in entry forms and shipping it out, you’re looking at enough dough to take care of Darfur for a few weeks! AdAge goes on to draw, what I consider to be a nebulous conclusion that it all pays off… And in one way it definitely does. For the creative’s that do the work. I know, I’ve been there, very rewarding!

Yeah... I've got so many,        I use 'em as door stops!