Johannesburg
- A new points scale that makes it possible to rank different levels of
advertising awards has been introduced by The Loeries, South Africa’s premier
awards festival.
It addresses
one of the most intractrable problems faced by awards events: finding a common
standard on which to compare them. For example, if your ad agency wins 16
silver Loeries, is that better than another agency that wins, say, four gold
Loeries? (According to the new system, 16 silvers are worth 640 points, while
four golds rack up 440 points.) It creates a level playing field.
The points
scale is:
- Grand
Prix 300;
- Gold
110;
- Gold
Craft 90;
- Silver
Loerie 40;
- Craft
certificate 30;
- Bronze
Loerie 15.
The points
system will make it possible to produce ranking tables for individual agencies,
agency groups, agencies according to size (small, medium and large), production
companies and brands.
And more. So
if you’re looking for the best medium-sized agency, or the best experiential
marketing agency, the information will now be available officially.
Loeries MD
Andrew Human has put an exceptionally high premium on Grands Prix, and a big
discount on bronzes. It now takes 20 bronzes to equal one Grand Prix, so it
will be extremely difficult for an agency to come out on top by flooding the
event with bronze-level entries.
The
previous points system used by the Creative Circle made a Grand Prix equal to
12 bronzes. The Cannes Lions Festival makes a Grand Prix equal to just over
three bronzes.
The aim,
says Human, is “a transparent report on the outcome of the awards. We have
provided a thorough and fair process to avoid different and sometimes confusing
claims.”
The points
are based on the probability of winning each award. At a later date, the
Loeries will publish more extensive rankings, including Top 10 tables for all
the individual credits, such as executive creative director, illustrator,
copywriter or director.
“The
Creative Circle fully supports the system,” says Creative Circle chairperson
Brett Morris. “Although we have not issued our own points system this past
year, there is huge value in the Loeries publishing a comprehensive report
based on their results. Cannes Lions has also done so, and we expect other
international award shows to follow suit.”
The
Creative Circle formerly used a points system of its own, but abandoned it for
last year’s results in the belief that it encouraged a desperate race among
agencies for points at all costs. Scam ads became more common, and points were
won on volume rather than quality.
Tony
Koenderman’s AdReview introduced its own system last year, with a bigger gap
between low-level awards and Grands Prix. The Loeries has widened the gap even
further, and we will support it.
The 2010
Loeries are open to the Middle East and the whole of Africa. The Loerie Awards Festival Weekend is
October 1-3.
- Fin24.com