JEFF GOODBY’S ANDY’S DIARY: DAY 1

Thelegendary Jeff Goodby, Co-Chairman, Goodby Silverstein & Partners,San Francisco, is providing the Campaign Brief Blog with exclusive diaryinstallments from Final Judging of The ANDY Awards in Mexico over thenext few days.

East of San Francisco, there is a garbagedump so big you can see it from the moon.  It is rivaled tonight,however, by the first round of ANDYS work.

“It’s like they just passed everything through,” one of the judges says.  “Wasn’t there a cut down?”

Itis a platitude to say that the entry films all sound the same.  First,make a tired, banal idea seem brilliant and new.  Then claim unheard-ofresults (“over 12,000 quality visits!”).  Worked up, Gerry Grafsuggests that we do an entry video parody that makes “the TVcommercial” sound like new ground.

“After much research,” heimagined the VO saying, “we located an amazing box that actuallyrecords moving pictures.  Then we had people MAKE BELIEVE THEY WERE AFAMILY AND INTERACT WITH THE PRODUCT!  Millions tuned in to watch theresult…”

As if on cue, the next entry we watched was a film thatmade recycling sound like it had just been brilliantly invented lastweek.

Some other thoughts:

• Make sure your entry video is engaging to the judges in the first 15 seconds or else.

• Droga5’s “Million” video is the best entry film ever produced.  If youhaven’t seen it, it’s a seminar on entries in the modern award showage. It includes animation, interviews with city officials, evenEsquire editor David Granger calling the idea “genius.” (see the idea on the Droga5 website in the case studies section).

• There aretoo many interactive entries that involve wild goose chases to findobscure things on the basis of dubious hints.  One cannot imaginecityloads of people having this much time.

• Arnold’s Pete Favat iswearing a T-shirt from the Massachusetts State Police’s UnderwaterRescue Unit.  It seems somehow fitting.

• There is a “Non-Internet Interactive” category.  This is no shit.

• Thingsthat were a hit, I think:  a Discovery Channel spot about the diversityand allure of the world, Adidas’s ubiquitous Beijing Olympic printwhich so beautifully captures China’s unique collective attitude towardtheir athletes, Coke’s parade balloons, maybe some ESPN.  I’ll knowmore when I see what makes it through this first round. 

See you tomorrow.

Campaign Brief and www.bestadsontv.com are internationalmedia partners of the ANDY Awards, which undoubtedly has the world’shottest jury, chaired by Mark Waites, creative partner of Mother.