Key Art Awards In Denial That The Key Art Awards Is A Competition

Dear Edwina,

Just wondering your thoughts on the new format (I guess last year also) for the Key Art Awards. I understand the entire award event has turned sour over the years, but at least it remained, somewhat, the "Oscars for Movie Poster design" with a clear cut winner in each category whether people agreed or not.

Now "…the entries are evaluated and awarded based upon their own individual merits in the eyes of the jurors, so there can be 0 or more Gold, 0 or more Silver, etc. The entries do not compete "against" each other anymore as it's not a "best of" format."

Every single person I know in this industry finds this annoying and kind of ridiculous. 

Ridiculous? Yes. But we can’t have winners without losers, now can we? And how can we have a good time if we’ve spent $199 a seat only to be surrounded by a bunch of washouts?

The truth is the Key Art Awards is reluctant to embrace the zero-sum properties inherent in crowd-pleasing contests.

Unless you declare that the winner is based on opening weekend results, the judging can only be qualitative, and ultimately that makes it a popularity contest.

And, if you’re like us, you're fine with that. It's gratifying to know your work is appreciated by your peer group - even if your peer group is a bunch of competitive, batshit crazy, whiny bastards.

Comments

[Bob Johnson]

Could this be the self pitying ramblings of a sore loser?

[John Bobson]

He’s complaining there are no clear cut winners anymore -- so its more like the ranting of a competitive bat-shit crazy whiney bastard.

[Moo]

I love you all, you competitive, batshit crazy, whiny bastards. Now love me back you damned curs!

[Reverend Lovejoy]

Love will be given based upon your own individual merit in the eyes of the jurors.

[Guy Fawkes]

Yes, the key art awards has become watered down like children's sports . . . . . "We don't keep score as to not hurt anyone's feelings. No one wins or loses." Happy ending for all!

I bet all the people out there who couldn't even make it as a finalist (over the years) are just loving this new format. Everyone start patting themselves on their backs.

[Beefeater]

I agree with Guy, but he failed at his task, so not the best pseudonym for that comment.

[Award Love]

This thing is run by the same folks who do the Clio Awards, you may have heard of them?? Open up any traditional advertising annual and you will see multiple gold, silver and bronze trophies. For once someone treats our craft like the other pillars of advertising and all we do is piss all over it.

[Bunny Funkhauser]

These days, "our craft" is more wall decoration than a pillar of advertising.

[Mr. Xerox]

Did some knucklehead on this poo blog actually say “pillars of advertising”?!!!
Woooohooooo!!! Pass the Kool-aid!

[Monkey]

Pillars of poo!