Sick of awards: hidden costs of signaling for advertising creatives

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the signaling costs associated with winning Cannes Lions, considered the industry’s most prestigious award ceremony. The dynamic componential model of creativity and signaling theory are utilized as a theoretical framework. Grounded Theory was employed for the analysis of eighteen in-depth interviews conducted with Cannes award-winning creatives from Brazil (one of the top three most awarded countries in the festival). Corporate creative tyranny emerged as the central category, which leads to excessive workload, competitive obsessions, and stress. Findings suggest that winning awards is linked to negative costs related to reputation (scam work) and health (physical and psychological damages), contradicting the dynamic componential model of creativity and showing the hidden costs of achieving awards in the advertising industry. Managerial advice is given to reduce these costs.

Keywords:

• Signaling
• advertising awards
• advertising creatives
• creativity festivals
• motivation

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the reviewers and the editor for their insightful comments and contributions that helped immensely improve the original version of the article.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

The transcripts of the interviews and any other relevant data is available upon request.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Saraí Meléndez-Rodríguez

Saraí Meléndez-Rodríguez is an adjunct professor at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Her research interests include advertising creativity, awards in advertising, and advertising creatives. She is currently a creative director at a digital advertising agency and has over 20 years of experience as a copywriter. Her creative work has been awarded in several international festivals, including the Cannes Festival of Creativity.

David Roca

David Roca is an associate professor of advertising and coordinator for the Doctoral Program at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona on Strategic Communications, Advertising and Public Relations. He is also the director of the Digital Strategy and Creativity master’s degree at UAB. David’s scholarly work focuses on advertising creativity, creatives, and women in advertising.