Katrina Alvarez-Jarratt: Australian Work Should Be More Realistic
A lot of great work was awarded last year in the AWARD Awards. What campaigns stood out to you and why do you think the juries loved them?
As a Jury head it was very heartening to see the level of craft, attention to detail and frankly, taste across the board in the work that picked up the big gongs.
Of course I loved 'Play It Safe' - you could feel the care in that work, how much energy and pure never-give-upness that went into it to get that over the line and into the world. It’s an anthem to creativity and I think for a jury that’s hard to resist. I also really enjoyed 'The Plastic Forecast' - again, work that was loved within an inch of its life from a craft perspective but then was also super contextual and topical, the broadcast partner integration just lifted it to the next level.
How do you think the definition of "creative excellence" has evolved in the last few years and where do you think it might go in the future?
My perspective on creative excellence is that it always has the same ingredients - Simplicity. Craft. Emotion. And a brilliant insight.
Having said that, there are always trends. We’re currently seeing a really lovely resurgence in beautifully simple out-of-home and a return to more joy in the work. But truly excellent creative riffs on the trend and goes off in it’s own direction. It’s more like improv than sheet music.
Globally we’re seeing a shift into ‘playability’ in the work - examples of this are ‘Door-Dash All The Ads’ and the recent Coors Light ‘Case of the Mondays’. Ideas that begin in paid channels but deliberately fuel an audience to interact and participate, more than just a promo or interactive idea, they live in culture and allow the audience to co-create. I hope we’ll see more work of that shape this year.
I guess if you’re desperate to follow a trend, great taste never goes out of style.
Which emerging trends or innovations are you excited to see represented in this year's entries and what would you be looking for if you were a judge?
I think we’re increasingly seeing work that has to be very efficient with client budgets - and that reductionism is tightening ideas and making things simpler. In adversity, there is always opportunity.
Because of this, I suspect we’ll see more of what we at TBWA call ‘Picture ideas’ - one act that is simple enough to be summarised in one image, but can create a 360 integrated campaign.
A great example of this is Glue Society’s ‘Waylon’ for Iams. An overweight inflatable dog jammed between two buildings begins as a Thanksgiving parade (stunt and film), but is based on a real dog (earned hook) and you can follow his weight loss journey in real-time (social). It’s all there in one picture. And that picture is adorable.
What kind of stories or cultural themes do you hope to see more of?
I want to see our region represented in a much more realistic way in our work, I think the time is over for casting talent from different ethnic backgrounds and that being ‘box ticked’.
Let’s see stories that are actually reflective of the many, many cultures and diverse ways of being that exist in our region. The possibilities for new audiences, new stories, new insights to tap into are vast.
Never underestimate the value of making your audience feel seen and the impact that can have on your ability to make work that connects. The catch is to tell those stories authentically you need thinkers and makers who truly understand the culture.
A great example is Shift Initiative, one of last year’s AWARD winners - a brilliant start in this space.
What advice would you give to someone entering the AWARD Awards for the first time and why should they enter?
AWARD is a not-for-profit regional show, but the work that wins big here also wins Yellow Pencils and Grand Prix on a global stage, and winning at AWARD means having your work recognised by your peers who also sit on the juries at Cannes, One Show and D&AD.
But it’s also our show. A celebration of work that’s special to us, that talks to us and reflects who we are culturally and creatively. It’s the only show in the world that represents Australasia.
My best tip for entering is very simple. Tell me why it’s a smart idea, fast.
