I just judged the AICP awards here in Chicago.
AICP stands for the Association of Independent Commercial Producers.
So it’s the production end of the biz.
Getting your work into these awards means automatic inclusion into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York.
That’s what gives this award show its cachet.
Your work will join Picasso and live forever!
Though I always pictured agency three quarter inch tapes being tossed into a dumpster in Queens.
“Yeah, sure! We’ll put you into our permanent collection!”
Seeing all the best ads in the USA was kind of depressing.
Very little of it was fresh.
I spotted three trends that need to end now.
1. The return of the advertising voiceover that is trying to sound deep. It’s advertising. You can’t do that. And corporate videos make bad TV! And Tim Allen is no Churchill. He’s Tim Allen!
2. The gag used in video game ads and a ton of other stuff where average people are suddenly involved in action sequences! Shooting that idea is clearly an industry unto itself. Stop! Now!
3. Nerd humor. This is attempting to be like the Gerry Graf era berries and cream ads but realizes it isn’t funny and then defaults to quirky casting that always speaks in monotone. And EVERYTHING is maxed out for visual comedy. This needs to stop too. Try a jingle or something!
