Every year the Epica Awards asks a renowned creative to write the foreword to the Epica Book. This year Alexander Schill, Global Chief Creative Officer of Serviceplan Group, took up his pen to remind everyone who works in adland of the power of creativity in times of crisis.
The Epica Book represents 400+ pages of creative inspiration. All the winners and selected high scoring entries are always featured, plus exclusive interviews with the grand prix winners – taking you behind the scenes of the creative process.
Beautifully illustrated with over 1000 colour images, the Epica Book showcases all creative projects honoured in the Epica Awards. Founded in 1987, the Epica Awards is the only global creative prize judged exclusively by journalists who write about the industry, and is both independent and impartial.
Here’s the foreword of the Epica book 2020, written by Alexander Schill, Global CCO of Serviceplan Group.
LONG LIVE CREATIVITY
Last year was summed up by the emergence of youthful voices mobilizing a whole planet to climate strike. Fridays For Future saw people of all ages take to the streets to stand up for their tomorrow. The creativity surrounding this was powerful.
A similar movement happened in the world of communication where more and more companies took a stand behind a purpose – united with consumers to do good together. We see much of this impressive work judged at this year’s Epica.
In 2020 we are witnessing a new chapter of history unfold with the challenges brought by Covid-19. No country has been left unscathed and no brand has not had to make adjustments. Every individual has been touched by it.
The crisis has shown how much we need creativity to overcome it. It brings a shift from purpose-driven communication towards a more empathetic expression of solidarity with the general public. In doing so brands will retain share of market and even more important: share of soul.
Gone will be the serious tones of many campaigns. Doing good will not be about “just” saving the world but about making the people feel better. Creativity will evolve to ÜberCreativity: employing every person, discipline, media and technology available to create the highest innovations which bring light, wonder and joy back to this world.
As budgets will still be recovering, more than ever before, we will need to look for that little bit of “crazytivity” in our work. Loud ideas, which pop and engage the imagination no matter which screen you view it on or how. Ideas that stay over time.
But agencies and clients will not be able to do this alone. We will have to engage stronger than ever with our customers and make them part of our communication.
We will need consumers to talk about us. For that our colleagues in the newsrooms will continue to be our day-to-day partners generating conversations. Journalists, the backbone of the Epica Awards, will be able to move from breaking news to constructive journalism guiding society and shaping the relevant stories we need to focus on in communication.
As my company celebrates 50 years since its founding, I, even in these troubled months, am hungry for what lies ahead. Together with my colleagues we wake up with the curiosity to find new, exciting ways to communicate. In the end, it is a privilege to do what we do. Essentially we get paid for the ideas inside our heads. Let’s make sure, as an industry, we continue to prove worthy of it.
Long live creativity!
Alexander Schill is Global Chief Creative Officer of Serviceplan Group. The Epica Book 2020 will be released in September. It is sent to entrants of the awards plus the journalists on the jury and selected VIPs.
