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With the awards season in full swing, a new film and print campaign cheekily asks advertisers “What is an award?” Is it to impress friends, to make parents proud or to satisfy egos? Or perhaps: “Does it make you look sexy?”
Created by Paris-based Babel agency for AdForum PHNX awards, the “What Is An Award?” campaign is a call for entries to its third annual celebration of creativity. Unique among awards programmes, PHNX is free to enter, with a subsequent fee of 150 euros per entry only if work is shortlisted. It has already attracted over 700 jurors, living up to its promise to be one of the most diverse juries of prominent industry professionals from across the world.
Significantly, PHNX award winners do not receive trophies. Winning is about recognising the excellence and hard work of talented creatives and not about a statuette on a shelf. “So be proud and enjoy it” the campaign declares.
AdForum launched the PHNX Awards during the lockdown in 2020 as a way of supporting the advertising industry and proving that nothing can keep creativity down. The competition is open to advertising agencies, brands, PR agencies, film production companies, media agencies, design studios, photographers, freelance creatives and advertisers worldwide.
This year PHNX is asking agencies, freelancers, brands and production companies to enter their most impactful work into a carefully curated selection of 25 categories with a focus on craft. Entries are open until Sunday 1st May.
Finalists will be announced Monday 16 May. Live online awards celebration will take place Thursday 16 June.
Philippe Paget, CEO, AdForum Maydream, says: “Unlike any other competition, PHNX has a unique global jury coming from every aspect of advertising. We aim to be the most diverse in the industry, from creatives, marketers, strategists and agency leaders to consultants and journalists. Furthermore, the standard of entries is always outstanding.”
In the end, what is an award? Jean-Laurent Py, Creative Director, Babel, says: "Awards are so important in the life of a Creative. It can seems like an ego story - and it has to be as we put a little bit of ourselves in front of everyone's judgement every day. But it's way more than that. With the PHNX Awards, we wanted to do this small reflective spot in a witty and benevolent way. Hopefully it will resonate with most people and be an occasion for every creative to share what awards mean for them as well."
For once, getting nothing for something is the greatest reward.
CREDITS:
Client: PHNX Awards, Philippe Paget
Agency: Babel, Paris.
Agency Manager: Alain Roussel
Creative Director: Jean-Laurent Py
Copywriter: Jean-Laurent Py
Creative team: Benoit Salles, Gael Caron, Matthias Kuszelewicz
Agency producer: Oriana Berzig
Agency PR: Maud Paget
Editing & Colouring: Romuald Kabala
Sound & Music Studio: Circonflex
DOP: Sebastien Tran
1st Assistant Camera: Antoine Vié
Steadicam: Grégoire Lobut
Chief electrician: Basile Pollet Villard