Or it will soon be, if people don’t do something about it.
The advertising industry is sinking like the Titanic. It has been reduced to the number of awards won. The title of ‘Best Creative Agency’. The number of followers on social media.
Advertising Agencies have become parents obsessed with their kid’s success at school. Studying at the best school. Attending the most extra curriculum activities. Scoring the highest on an assessment test.
Even new hires have to be award-winners. (Don’t believe me? See image above) If one is decked out in awards, surely opportunities abroad would make more sense.
Advertising agencies worry about communicating effectively, only because they want to outdo everyone. The race for awards has transformed advertising agencies into the primary target audience.
With the way things are, elitism seems to fit.
I’m an ordinary Singaporean. I have no awards to my name. I’m not an advertising school graduate. I’m no sheep and definitely not a waffle from the same iron.
But. I believe advertising is more than just awards.
With access to all media forms, advertising has the power to change perceptions, to inform and do good. It’d be a waste to create work for the sole purpose of winning. Even worse, to have awards validate our creative prowess.
I may be disillusioned. But I this is where I stand.
Editorial by Edric ‘Disillusioned” Cheong
