ADC Young Guns Live: Ami Brophy
Posted on
2007-Nov-1
at
10:59
It's a bitter sweet night for Ms. Ami Brophy, the executive director of the ADC. The event was a smash hit - but its the last of what has been a pretty successful series. But not to worry folks, a brand new batch of ADC Young Guns is coming your way - the next call for entries will be in April 2008.
Brandon: So what's the ADC Young Guns all about?
Ami: ADC Young Guns is a competition for creatives under the age of 30 with at least 2 years of professional experience. YG is not about "best" or gold or silver, it's about doing outstanding work and having some sort of point of view. Entrants can enter a portfolio of up to 10 samples of both professional and/or personal work. The winners are selected by a group of past Young Guns really expect entrants to have work that can speak across any medium. The best thing about it is how truly varied it is.
Brandon: This sounds a bit different from your average "award show," no?
Ami: It is. From its inception, the ADC has been about advertising and design. But as the industry - and the world - changes, we change as well. We're expecting to see YG entries that are new and different than what we've received before. It used to be that the personal portfolio work was the most aeclectic, but as the advertising landscape changes and evolves to incorporate the digital age and other new media, that work will become just as aeclectic.
Brandon: How does the ADC manage to keep up with such a changing, dynamic landscape?
Ami: Well, we have some exciting news for 2008. For our 87th annual ADC awards, we have two new categories. First, a Hybrid award that will award truly innovative work in advertising. Work that takes advantage of many different media and mediums and really transcends everything else that is out there right now. We will also have a new category to highlight the Design Sphere - awarding work that showcases a 360 degree design approach over time.
Brandon: How does this compare to most award shows where entries are expected to come from within the past year?
Ami: Sphere is not bound by time. For instance, a company like Starbucks started with its store experience that made an impact. Over the years, its grown to be a true 360 brand through packaging, design, advertising, promotions, music, etc. Sphere will allow entrants to enter 10 samples of work spanning an undefined period of time - as long as it represents the positive effect a truly 360 experience can have on brand over time.
Brandon: Wow. A lot of people in our very own industry don't believe that what we do is all that powerful. As a matter of fact, most see our work as out right transient. What do you have to say to those people?
Ami: They're looking through the wrong end of the telescope. You have to turn it around to see how all the possibilities presented to you can have a positive outcome. You have to ask yourself, "To what end?" and put yourself in control.
Brandon: Do you think tonight's speakers represent that?
Ami: That's exactly why they were chosen as ADC Young Guns. I think the main thing is that they allow themselves to be inspired by many things and led into different directions. ADC is not exactly linear - and you can see that in these careers. Many times the arc of the career of an ADC Young Gun takes them from advertising into more artistic endeavors, or vice versa.
Hopefully, both the ADC Young Guns and the ADC itself can offer inspiration... and even a sense of integrity in what one does in this industry.
Amen to that. Stay tuned for the ADC's next big event: Designism on December 13th. Expect to see a varied panel - from Ogilvy Toronto's Janet Kestin to Droga5 - talk about how they used groundbreaking art and design for the greater good. Expect to see some Dove work and to hear about the Tap Project - straight from the mouths of the people who created the work.
And to all you students - don't feel left out! The 2008 ADC Young Guns will feature a student category. You can find out all about it here.
Until next time.
B.
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