Darren Morris, CEO of Lucky Hustle, says that every year, the advertising and marketing industry turns its gaze toward awards season. But as the lights dim and the hashtags fade, one can’t help but ask if we’re celebrating the right things.
Seasoned ad man Dean Oelschig’s recent LinkedIn post about the state of industry awards struck a chord precisely because it dares to ask that uncomfortable question: have we lost the plot? Are awards still a measure of creative excellence, or have they become an echo chamber rewarding those who play the system best?
I know how much awards matter. They build careers and attract clients. But perhaps it’s time to separate recognition from relevance. If creativity’s purpose is to move people — emotionally, behaviourally or commercially — then our awards should reflect that impact, not just the craft of the case study.
Recognising Work That Matters
Awards themselves aren’t the problem. Recognition can be a powerful motivator. The issue lies in what we choose to recognise. Too often, teams design campaigns for juries that disconnect from real-world effectiveness, polished and poignant on paper yet invisible in the lives of the people they claim to influence.
True creative excellence comes from relevance, resonance, and results. Did the work help sell a product or service? We should ask this question not just in judging rooms but in our agencies and boardrooms too. We can’t claim to celebrate creativity if we’re not also measuring its impact.
But How Effective Was It, Really?
There’s also the matter of storytelling. More and more, the case study video becomes more compelling than the campaign itself. We’ve created a sub-genre of ‘award-winning narratives’ filled with cinematic music, slow-motion footage, familiar arcs, and cherry-picked stats. It’s polished theatre but often detached from the messy, measurable reality of brand impact.
We can do better. Let’s tell the stories of creativity that mattered — the ones that drove a sales uptick, uplifted communities, or redefined what brands could stand for. When we redefine how we measure success, we not only elevate the work but also restore credibility to the system that celebrates it.
Is There A Cheat Code?
Is there a cheat code for awards? It often feels that way. Each year, we see campaigns that moved culture, sparked headlines and ticked every aesthetic box walk away with trophies. While the quietly brilliant ones, the campaigns that actually shifted market share and sales, changed behaviour or delivered measurable impact, barely get a mention. Have we created a system that rewards storytelling about results more than the results themselves? In chasing ‘feel good’, are we overlooking the kind of work that truly moves the needle for clients?
Reimagining For Real Impact
At its best, recognition should lift the industry. It should inspire young creatives to push boundaries and not intimidate them into thinking awards are reserved for a privileged few. It should remind clients that creativity isn’t a gamble but a business multiplier. And it should unite agencies around purpose, not politics.
The call isn’t to dismantle awards, but to reimagine them. To shift the spotlight from those who present well-knit case studies to those who change the most. To celebrate not just the idea, but the effect of the idea.
The next frontier for our industry isn’t about who wins. It should be about what the winning work means for people, for brands, and for the world around us. Creativity thrives on impact and imagination. I think our awards should, too.
LUCKY HUSTLE
https://luckyhustle.co.za
