NYF Is Now Considered The First Of The Majors

Michael O'Rourke
President, International Awards Group

Come May the 5^th and biggest extravaganza of Advertising world 'The New York Festivals Advertising Awards' will kick start. NYF has been around for 54 years and this time Advertising Awards has both an online jury, to determine the shortlist, and a live jury, or Executive Jury, to determine the medalist winners.

This year the festival has abandoned the idea of a 2 hour theatre style award show and has planned an interactive show that will allow all attendees to interact with the winning work.

To know more about the Advertising Awards BestMediaInfo.com spoke with Michael O'Rourke, President of International Awards Group.

Q) Let's start with the rigorous judging process of the awards which is to be live. What is the thought process and did you face any feasibility problem in planning of this initiative?

Including live judging adds another important element to our judging process. A combination of online and live judging enables us to continue to have the most international and diverse jury of all the competitions. Diversity in the jury is incredibly important. In the communications industry, it's crucial that the different creative centers around the world are understood, whether it be language, cultural, political differences.

Q) How much is this important for the fair judging process and hence the credibility of awards?

The credibility of any award show relies solely on the jury and the process in which the winners are determined. And this year's jury is compiled of experienced industry veterans who are familiar with the intricacies of competition.

Q) Now that the entries for the awards are over, how do you see the response from the agencies worldwide this year?

Since we've moved the event to the beginning of May, it's fair to say that NYF is now considered the first of the majors. Come May 5^th, the industry will get its first look at the most successful work over the last year and will set the tone moving forward in terms of awards. Because of this, along with the many improvements we've made, there is much more emphasis on NYF now.

Q) And what's the response from Indian agencies?

Participation from India has been increasing with each year. In fact, India's success in the New York Festivals International Adverting Awards competition has increased 260% during the past 10 years.

Twenty-three Award Winning Creative Directors from India have served on the NYF GrandJury® in the past 3 years. And this year, we're excited to have Santosh Padhi, Co Founder and CCO of Taproot India on this year's Executive Jury.

Q) What are the measures being taken to keep a check on scam ads?

Diligence. We take a lot of measures to identify scam, referencing work, outreach to clients, proof of placement and more. But of course, the system isn't flawless. So by having an experienced jury, both online and live, we're able to address any potential issues more effectively. In the event an entry is questionable, we act immediately. But at the end of the day, the responsibility really lies with the industry, just don't enter fake work!

Q) What all changes have you brought in this year to make NYF bigger?

I don't think it's a matter of making it bigger. It's a matter of making it more relevant, more enjoyable and more interactive. We're changed the game in terms of the actual award show.  This year, we're creating an interactive show that will allow all attendees to interact with the winning work, hands on during the ceremony. We've abandoned the idea of a 2 hour theatre style award show and are creating something we feel is innovative and unique, placing the emphasis on the most important thing, the work.

Q) Please name some of the challenges in front of NYF?

We'd be in denial if we didn't mention the increasing presence of award shows.  But that doesn't necessarily present a challenge. After all, NYF has been around for 54 years.  As an organization we need to continue to do what we pride ourselves on doing best.

The biggest challenge is keeping pace with such a fast paced industry. Mediums have changed, agency makeup has changed, along with the arrival of an empowered consumer that has the ability to participate and interact with a brand on so many levels. While considered a challenge, this is what makes what we do so fun.

Q) Do you think that you need to be different altogether? If not, then what is, in your opinion, important to take you on heights?

Of course. It's quite obvious that there are too many award shows. So being unique is certainly important to us. And we've accomplished that in many ways.

For one, the New York Festivals Advertising Awards has both an online jury, to determine the shortlist, and a live jury, or Executive Jury, to determine the medalist winners. Our Executive Jury evaluates all the work, across all mediums. This gives them a more detailed scope and better reflects what's happening in the industry. This also means that NYF has the largest and most diverse jury of all advertising award shows, ensuring fairness and legitimacy.

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